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2023–24 Northeastern Huskies men's ice hockey season

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2023–24 Northeastern Huskies
men's ice hockey season
Beanpot, Champion
Conference7th Hockey East
Home iceMatthews Arena
Rankings
USCHONR
USA HockeyNR
Record
Overall17–16–3
Conference9–14–1
Home8–7–1
Road6–8–2
Neutral3–1–0
Coaches and captains
Head coachJerry Keefe
Assistant coachesMike Levine
Jason Guerriero
Brian Mahoney-Wilson
Captain(s)Justin Hryckowian
Alternate captain(s)Matt DeMelis
Gunnarwolfe Fontaine
Northeastern Huskies men's ice hockey seasons
« 2022–23 2024–25 »

The 2023–24 Northeastern Huskies Men's ice hockey season was the 92nd season of play for the program and 40th in Hockey East. The Huskies represented Northeastern University in the 2023–24 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey season, played their home games at Matthews Arena and were coached by Jerry Keefe in his 3rd season.

Season

[edit]
Team photo following Northeastern's victory in the 2024 men's Beanpot tournament

Northeastern had a rather sizable hurdle to overcome from the start of the season. Not only was the team having to contend with half of last year's roster departing but they were also having to replace the two-time national goaltender of the year, Devon Levi in goal. Freshman Cameron Whitehead stepped in between the pipes and looked good against weak opposition in the first few weeks, however, once the team began their conference schedule everything seemed to fall apart. Whitehead had a little trouble getting up to speed with the college game and though he had a couple of decent performances, he went winless over a 4-week stretch. Equally at fault was the almost complete lack of scoring that afflicted the Huskies. Team captain Justin Hryckowian missed over a month after getting hurt in the first game of the season while his brother Dylan along with Matt DeMelis and Jack Williams were in and out of the lineup with bumps and bruises. The rest of the offense didn't step up and cover for their absent teammates and Northeastern suffered as a result. By Thanksgiving, the team had lost seven games in a row, the worst start to the conference schedule in the history of the program.[1]

The team took a slight break during the holiday weekend and travelled west to face Rensselaer. The first game was a pedestrian draw but the second looked to be a turning point of the season. Northeastern scored 9 goals in the first two periods and steamrolled the Engineers. Just as importantly, the Huskies got contributions from up and down the lineup with nine players recording at least 2 points in the match. The following week the team barely resembled the same group that had lost seven in a row when they took on #1 Boston College. After building a 3-goal lead in the first, the Huskies got into power play trouble and the match was tied entering the third. Cam Lund, who had been very quiet during the losing streak, completed a hat-trick in the final frame to lead the Huskies to a massive upset to give Northeastern its first conference win of the year.

After returning from the winter break, Whitehead went through a rough patch and Northeastern went winless in four. However, when it appeared that the season might be slipping back into the abyss, the offense stepped up and bailed out their netminder. In late January, the team scored at least 4 goals in each match over a four-game stretch and won every contest. The hot streak led the Huskies right into the Beanpot, where they were set to defend their championship. Northeastern was fortunate by being set against Harvard in the first game but still had a tough time beating a down Crimson squad. Despite widely outshooting the Ivy Leaguers, Northeastern needed a late comeback to force overtime. Their efforts were rewarded, however, when Gunnarwolfe Fontaine scored just 33 seconds into the extra frame. The championship match pitted the Huskies against Boston University but Northeastern didn't show any fear towards the #3 team. The Terriers got into the lead three separate times in the match but the Huskies matched every goal with one of their own. Despite a vast disparity in shots (17–36) Northeastern hung in the game and forced overtime. BU was in total control for seemingly the entire extra session but, with just seconds to play, a mistake in the BU end left Fontaine wide open in the left circle and the Huskies' only shot in overtime went in and Northeastern held on to its crown.[2]

The win streak put Northeastern above .500 for the first time in months and gave the team an outside chance to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, the Huskies plait each of the next three weekends and lost any chance of becoming a bubble team. When the conference tournament began, a Hockey East championship was Northeastern's only hope of making the national tournament. They played like it in their first game and shut down Merrimack 4–0 thanks to three-point nights from Justin and Dylan Hryckowian. In the semifinal, the Huskies met Boston University for the fourth time and the Terriers were looking for revenge. After a scoreless first period, BU took a 3-goal lead in the second to put Northeastern's season on the edge of a cliff. Justin Hryckowian scored two goals to spur a comeback from the Huskies but none of his teammates could follow suit. A late goal from BU ended the attempt and Northeastern would have to wait for another year.

Departures

[edit]
Player Position Nationality Cause
Jérémie Bucheler Defenseman  Canada Graduate transfer to Vermont
Sam Colangelo Forward  United States Transferred to Western Michigan
James Davenport Defenseman  United States Left program (retired)
Cam Gaudette Defenseman  United States Transferred to Stonehill
Jack Hughes Forward  United States Transferred to Boston University
Riley Hughes Forward  United States Graduate transfer to Ohio State
Devon Levi Goaltender  Canada Signed professional contract (Buffalo Sabres)
Aidan McDonough Forward  United States Graduation (signed with Vancouver Canucks)
Chase McInnis Forward  United States Left program (retired)
Alex Mella Forward  United States Graduation (retired)
Jakov Novak Forward  Canada Graduation (signed with Allen Americans)
Tyler Spott Defenseman  Canada Graduate transfer to Sacred Heart
Jayden Struble Defenseman  United States Graduation (signed with Montreal Canadiens)

Recruiting

[edit]
Player Position Nationality Age Notes
Alex Campbell Forward  United States 18 Châteauguay, QC; transfer from Clarkson; selected 65th overall in 2019
Patrick Dawson Defenseman  United States 24 Medway, MA; graduate transfer from Sacred Heart
Brett Edwards Forward  Canada 24 Grande Prairie, AB; graduate transfer from Denver
Michael Fisher Defenseman  United States 19 Westborough, MA; selected 76th overall in 2022
Nolan Hayes Defenseman  United States 21 Boston, MA
Connor Hopkins Goaltender  United States 23 Malden, MA; graduate transfer from Yale
Dylan Hryckowian Forward  Canada 19 L'Île-Bizard, QC
Andy Moore Forward  United States 21 Cumberland, ME
Billy Norcross Forward  United States 20 Lynn, MA
Eli Sebastian Forward  United States 19 Burlington, ON
Matt Staudacher Defenseman  United States 23 Grand Blanc, MI; graduate transfer from Minnesota
Pito Walton Defenseman  United States 23 Peapack, NJ; graduate transfer from Princeton
Cameron Whitehead Goaltender  United States 20 Orleans, ON; selected 128th overall in 2022

Roster

[edit]

As of September 26, 2023.[3]

No. S/P/C Player Class Pos Height Weight DoB Hometown Previous team NHL rights
1 Massachusetts Connor Hopkins Graduate G 6' 1" (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2000-03-09 Malden, Massachusetts Yale (ECAC)
3 Massachusetts Nolan Hayes Freshman D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 181 lb (82 kg) 2002-08-14 Boston, Massachusetts West Kelowna (BCHL)
4 New Jersey Pito Walton Graduate D 6' 2" (1.88 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 2000-03-17 Peapack, New Jersey Princeton (ECAC)
5 New York (state) Hunter McDonald Sophomore D 6' 4" (1.93 m) 207 lb (94 kg) 2002-05-11 Fairport, New York Chicago (USHL) PHI, 165th overall 2022
7 Colorado Michael Outzen Senior F 6' 0" (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 1999-07-29 Lone Tree, Colorado New Jersey (NAHL)
8 Massachusetts Jackson Dorrington Sophomore D 6' 2" (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2004-04-13 North Reading, Massachusetts Des Moines (USHL) VAN, 176th overall 2022
9 Quebec Matt Choupani Junior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2002-01-02 Baie-D'Urfé, Quebec Des Moines (USHL)
10 Massachusetts Patrick Dawson Graduate D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 182 lb (83 kg) 1999-01-14 Medway, Massachusetts Sacred Heart (AHA)
11 Rhode Island Gunnarwolfe Fontaine (A) Senior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 2000-09-16 East Greenwich, Rhode Island Chicago (USHL) NSH, 202nd overall 2020
12 Massachusetts Cam Lund Sophomore F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2004-06-07 Bridgewater, Massachusetts Green Bay (USHL) SJS, 34th overall 2022
13 Quebec Dylan Hryckowian Freshman F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 180 lb (82 kg) 2004-05-19 L'Île-Bizard, Quebec Cedar Rapids (USHL)
14 Pennsylvania Liam Walsh Graduate F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 1999-07-14 Bridgeville, Pennsylvania Merrimack (HEA)
15 Maine Jack Williams Sophomore F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2002-03-02 Biddeford, Maine Muskegon (USHL)
16 Massachusetts Michael Fisher Freshman D 6' 3" (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2004-05-02 Westborough, Massachusetts Youngstown (USHL) SJS, 76th overall 2022
17 Massachusetts Braden Doyle Junior D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 177 lb (80 kg) 2001-08-24 Lynnfield, Massachusetts Penticton (BCHL) LAK, 157th overall 2019
18 Maine Andy Moore Freshman F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2002-01-21 Cumberland, Maine Cedar Rapids (USHL)
19 Massachusetts Billy Norcross Freshman F 6' 2" (1.88 m) 187 lb (85 kg) 2003-03-16 Lynn, Massachusetts Penticton (BCHL)
20 Alberta Brett Edwards Graduate F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 192 lb (87 kg) 1998-09-10 Grande Prairie, Alberta Denver (NCHC)
21 Massachusetts Matt DeMelis (A) Graduate F 6' 1" (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 1999-06-02 Hingham, Massachusetts Youngstown (USHL)
22 Pennsylvania Vinny Borgesi Sophomore D 5' 8" (1.73 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2004-03-02 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Tri-City (USHL)
23 Ontario Eli Sebastian Freshman F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 2004-05-19 Burlington, Ontario Green Bay (USHL)
24 Massachusetts Kyle Furey Sophomore D 6' 0" (1.83 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 2002-02-05 Marshfield, Massachusetts Lone Star (NAHL)
25 Michigan Matt Staudacher Graduate D 6' 1" (1.85 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2000-02-07 Fenton, Michigan Minnesota (Big Ten)
27 Quebec Alex Campbell Senior F 5' 11" (1.8 m) 174 lb (79 kg) 2001-02-27 Châteauguay, Quebec Clarkson (ECAC) NSH, 65th overall 2019
28 Massachusetts Anthony Messuri Sophomore F 5' 8" (1.73 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2001-07-24 Arlington, Massachusetts Utica (NCDC)
29 Quebec Justin Hryckowian (C) Junior F 5' 10" (1.78 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 2001-02-23 L'Île-Bizard, Quebec Sioux City (USHL)
33 New York (state) Harrison Chesney Sophomore G 6' 3" (1.91 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 2001-12-07 Malverne, New York P. A. L. (NCDC)
37 New York (state) Grant Riley Sophomore G 6' 4" (1.93 m) 200 lb (91 kg) 2002-08-28 Rochester, New York Chilliwack (BCHL)
39 Ontario Cameron Whitehead Freshman G 6' 3" (1.91 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 2003-06-13 Orleans, Ontario Lincoln (USHL) VGK, 128th overall 2022

Standings

[edit]
Conference record Overall record
GP W L T OTW OTL SW PTS GF GA GP W L T GF GA
#2 Boston College †* 24 20 3 1 1 0 1 61 105 56 41 34 6 1 183 89
#3 Boston University 24 18 4 2 1 1 1 57 104 53 40 28 10 2 163 97
#10 Maine 24 14 9 1 0 1 0 44 76 67 37 23 12 2 119 94
#16 Providence 24 11 9 4 3 1 2 37 66 58 35 18 13 4 100 83
#13 Massachusetts 24 12 10 2 4 2 0 36 57 62 37 20 14 3 108 105
#20 New Hampshire 24 12 11 1 1 0 0 36 69 56 36 20 15 1 106 90
Northeastern 24 9 14 1 1 3 0 30 65 71 36 17 16 3 113 97
Connecticut 24 9 14 1 1 1 1 29 49 77 36 15 19 2 90 105
Vermont 24 7 14 3 1 0 3 26 52 81 35 13 19 3 87 106
Merrimack 24 6 17 1 0 1 1 21 62 85 35 13 21 1 98 114
Massachusetts Lowell 24 4 17 3 1 4 0 18 39 78 36 8 24 4 72 113
Championship: March 23, 2024
† indicates regular season champion
* indicates conference tournament champion (Lamoriello Trophy)
Rankings: USCHO Division I Men's Poll

Schedule and results

[edit]
Date Time Opponent# Rank# Site TV Decision Result Attendance Record
Regular Season
October 7 7:00 pm Stonehill* #19 Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead W 7–0  2,621 1–0–0
October 8 4:00 pm #2 Quinnipiac* #19 Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts (Exhibition) ESPN+ Hopkins T 2–2 OT  
October 14 7:00 pm Bentley* #19 Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead W 5–2  4,287 2–0–0
October 26 7:00 pm at New Hampshire #18 Whittemore CenterDurham, New Hampshire ESPN+ Whitehead L 1–4  3,613 2–1–0 (0–1–0)
October 28 7:00 pm Merrimack #18 Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead L 1–4  2,132 2–2–0 (0–2–0)
November 3 7:30 pm at #18 Massachusetts Mullins CenterAmherst, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead L 1–2 OT 5,426 2–3–0 (0–3–0)
November 10 7:00 pm at #5 Providence Schneider ArenaProvidence, Rhode Island ESPN+ Whitehead L 1–2 OT 2,914 2–4–0 (0–4–0)
November 11 7:00 pm #5 Providence Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead L 2–5  3,391 2–5–0 (0–5–0)
November 17 7:00 pm #13 New Hampshire Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead L 2–4  2,612 2–6–0 (0–6–0)
November 18 7:00 pm at #13 New Hampshire Whittemore CenterDurham, New Hampshire ESPN+ Hopkins L 0–4  6,010 2–7–0 (0–7–0)
November 25 7:00 pm at Rensselaer* Houston Field HouseTroy, New York ESPN+ Whitehead T 3–3 OT 1,930 2–7–1
November 26 7:00 pm at Rensselaer* Houston Field HouseTroy, New York ESPN+ Whitehead W 9–2  1,856 3–7–1
December 1 7:00 pm #1 Boston College Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead W 5–3  7,884 4–7–1 (1–7–0)
December 2 8:00 pm at #1 Boston College Conte ForumChestnut Hill, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead L 1–3  4,392 4–8–1 (1–8–0)
December 9 7:00 pm at Brown* Meehan AuditoriumProvidence, Rhode Island ESPN+ Whitehead W 4–1  1,077 5–8–1
Holiday Face–Off
December 28 5:00 pm vs. Minnesota Duluth* Fiserv ForumMilwaukee, Wisconsin (Holiday Face–Off Semifinal) BSW Whitehead W 4–3 OT 8,652 6–8–1
December 29 8:30 pm vs. #6 Wisconsin* Fiserv ForumMilwaukee, Wisconsin (Holiday Face–Off Championship) BSW Whitehead L 0–3  8,689 6–9–1
January 6 5:00 pm #3 Quinnipiac* Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead T 3–3 OT 4,182 6–9–2
January 9 7:00 pm at #2 Boston University Agganis ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead L 3–4 OT 4,248 6–10–2 (1–9–0)
January 12 7:00 pm Vermont Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Hopkins L 4–5  2,489 6–11–2 (1–10–0)
January 13 7:30 pm Vermont Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead W 3–1  3,121 7–11–2 (2–10–0)
January 20 7:00 pm #12 Massachusetts Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead L 1–2  4,182 7–12–2 (2–11–0)
January 26 7:00 pm Merrimack Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead W 5–3  2,421 8–12–2 (3–11–0)
January 27 7:00 pm at Merrimack J. Thom Lawler RinkNorth Andover, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead W 4–1  2,647 9–12–2 (4–11–0)
January 30 6:30 pm #3 Boston University Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPNU, TSN Whitehead W 4–3 OT 4,009 10–12–2 (5–11–0)
February 2 7:00 pm #6 Maine Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+, NESN Whitehead W 6–3  3,507 11–12–2 (6–11–0)
Beanpot
February 5 5:00 pm vs. Harvard* TD GardenBoston, Massachusetts (Beanpot Semifinal) NESN Whitehead W 3–2 OT 17,850 12–12–2
February 12 8:00 pm vs. #3 Boston University* TD GardenBoston, Massachusetts (Beanpot Championship) NESN Whitehead W 4–3 OT 13–12–2
February 16 7:15 pm at Massachusetts Lowell Tsongas CenterLowell, Massachusetts ESPN+ Whitehead L 2–4  5,426 13–13–2 (6–12–0)
February 17 7:00 pm Massachusetts Lowell Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+, NESN Whitehead W 4–0  3,002 14–13–2 (7–12–0)
February 23 7:00 pm at #9 Maine Alfond ArenaOrono, Maine ESPN+ Whitehead L 1–5  4,684 14–14–2 (7–13–0)
February 24 7:00 pm at #9 Maine Alfond ArenaOrono, Maine ESPN+ Whitehead W 4–0  4,777 15–14–2 (8–13–0)
March 1 7:00 pm Connecticut Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts ESPN+, NESN+ Whitehead L 3–4  3,188 15–15–2 (8–15–0)
March 2 3:00 pm at Connecticut Toscano Family Ice ForumStorrs, Connecticut ESPN+ Whitehead W 4–2  2,691 16–15–2 (9–15–0)
March 9 4:00 pm at #11 Providence Schneider ArenaProvidence, Rhode Island ESPN+ Whitehead T 3–3 SOL 2,165 16–15–3 (9–15–1)
Hockey East Tournament
March 13 7:00 pm Merrimack* Matthews ArenaBoston, Massachusetts (Opening Round) ESPN+ Whitehead W 4–0  1,254 17–15–3
March 16 7:30 pm at #2 Boston University* Agganis ArenaBoston, Massachusetts (Quarterfinal) ESPN+ Whitehead L 2–4  5,455 17–16–3
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from USCHO.com Poll. All times are in Eastern Time.
Source:[4]

Scoring statistics

[edit]
Name Position Games Goals Assists Points PIM
Justin Hryckowian C 32 13 30 43 8
Alex Campbell C/LW 36 22 20 42 6
Jack Williams RW 34 17 19 36 8
Dylan Hryckowian RW 34 7 27 34 22
Cam Lund C 35 11 19 30 22
Vinny Borgesi D 34 5 23 28 10
Gunnarwolfe Fontaine C/LW 36 8 19 27 6
Pito Walton D 36 5 12 17 30
Jackson Dorrington D 33 6 6 12 6
Matt Choupani C 28 3 9 12 8
Matt Demelis F 23 2 6 8 0
Liam Walsh LW 36 4 3 7 28
Brett Edwards F 31 5 2 7 18
Hunter McDonald D 23 1 5 6 32
Matthew Staudacher D 31 2 2 4 8
Billy Norcross C 26 0 4 4 4
Nolan Hayes D 22 0 3 3 0
Michael Fisher D 29 1 1 2 14
Eli Sebastian C 32 0 1 1 2
Braden Doyle D 13 1 0 1 0
Andy Moore F 31 0 1 1 12
Connor Hopkins G 3 0 0 0 0
Anthony Messuri F 3 0 0 0 0
Michael Outzen F 16 0 0 0 2
Cameron Whitehead G 35 0 0 0 2
Harrison Chesney G 1 0 0 0 0
Patrick Dawson D 16 0 0 0 2
Total 113 212 325 258

[5]

Goaltending statistics

[edit]
Name Games Minutes Wins Losses Ties Goals Against Saves Shut Outs SV % GAA
Harrison Chesney 1 5:41 0 0 0 0 1 0 1.000 0.00
Cameron Whitehead 35 2081:20 17 14 3 91 1005 4 .917 2.62
Connor Hopkins 3 86:29 0 2 0 5 26 0 .839 3.47
Empty Net - 17:18 - - - 1 - - - -
Total 36 2190:48 17 16 3 97 1032 4 .914 2.66

Rankings

[edit]
Poll Week
Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 (Final)
USCHO.com 19 19 16 18 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR
USA Hockey 18 19 16 17 NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR NR 20 NR NR NR 20 NR NR NR NR

Note: USCHO did not release a poll in weeks 11 or 25.[6]
Note: USA Hockey did not release a poll in week 12.

Awards and honors

[edit]
Player Award Ref
Justin Hryckowian Hockey East Best Defensive Forward [7]
Northeastern Huskies Charlie Holt Team Sportsmanship Award [7]
Alex Campbell Hockey East Third Team [8]
Justin Hryckowian
Round Pick Player NHL team
7 195 Joseph Connor Tampa Bay Lightning

† incoming freshman [9]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "As Northeastern's historic losing streak extends to seven games, what is going so wrong?". WRBB Sports. November 19, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  2. ^ "2024 Beanpot - Northeastern vs. Boston University Highlights". YouTube. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  3. ^ "2023-24 Men's Ice Hockey Roster". Northeastern Huskies. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
  4. ^ "2023-24 Men's Ice Hockey Schedule". Northeastern Huskies. Retrieved August 24, 2023.
  5. ^ "Northeastern Univ. 2023-2024 Skater Stats". Elite Prospects. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  6. ^ "USCHO Division I Men's Poll". USCHO.com. Retrieved November 26, 2019.
  7. ^ a b "MACKLIN CELEBRINI NAMED HOCKEY EAST PLAYER OF THE YEAR AND PRO AMBITIONS ROOKIE OF THE YEAR". Hockey East. March 20, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  8. ^ "HOCKEY EAST NAMES 2023-24 MEN'S ALL-STAR TEAMS". Hockey East. March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 18, 2024.
  9. ^ "NCAA player rankings, selections in 2024 NHL Draft". USCHO.com. Retrieved June 29, 2024.