Source: UVM Athletics (www.uvmathletics.com)

FINAL SCORE: Northeastern 4, Vermont 2 | Box Score
BOSTON – Northeastern had four different players score goals and sophomore goalie Brad Thiessen made 22 saves to lift the Huskies to a 4-2 victory over Vermont in Hockey East action at Matthews Arena on Friday night. Northeastern improved to 3-4-0 (3-3-0 Hockey East) with the win while Vermont dropped to 0-4-1 (0-1-1 Hockey East).

Freshman Jack Downing (New Canann, Conn.) and sophomore Brayden Irwin (Toronto, Ontario) both scored goals for the Catamounts.

Sophomore Randy Guzior scored the game-winner for the Huskies at 13:26 of the third period to break a 2-2 tie. Sophomore Chad Costello, freshman Tyler McNeely and junior Joe Vitale also scored for Northeastern.

Down 1-0 midway through the second period the Huskies swung the momentum in their favor when they held the Catamounts scoreless during a 5-on-3.

Northeastern built off its penalty killing with a power-play goal by Costello at 11:23 of the second on a low blast from the left point.

Then McNeely added a goal during a 4-on-4 to give the Huskies a 2-1 advantage with just over two minutes left in the period.

“It was a pretty good game and our guys played well for spurts,” Vermont head coach Kevin Sneddon said. “Our inefficiency to score on the 5-on-3 was the turning point. Then Northeastern’s power-play goal took the wind out of our sails.”

Despite being outshot 13-8 in the first period the Catamounts used terrific penalty killing and a sensational play by Dan Lawson (Oak Forest, Ill.) to take the early lead.

Lawson got Vermont on the scoreboard when he kept the puck in the Northeastern zone along the right boards as the Huskies tried to clear their zone. The freshman then skated deep into the right corner, wheeled back to the half-boards and sent a perfect cross-ice pass to an open Downing on the left post for the goal at 10:47. Both registered their first career points on the play.

Senior goalie Joe Fallon (Bemidji, Minn.) made 13 saves in the first in his return to net after an 18-day layoff. The Catamounts also blocked eight shots in the period.

Trailing 2-1 in the third, Irwin tied the game for the Catamounts just 52 seconds into the period with a wrister from the left circle on a feed by sophomore Viktor Stålberg (Gothenburg, Sweden) from the left corner.

Northeastern responded by taking the lead for good at 13:26 of the final period on a fortuitous bounce. Guzior flicked the puck towards the Vermont goal and it deflected off a Vermont defenseman into the net for his third goal of the season.

“Northeastern did a good job of riding the momentum swings,” Sneddon said. “We’re still learning how to play and what it takes to win.”

Vitale added an empty-netter with 11 seconds left to seal a second straight league win for Northeastern following up its 2-1 victory at No. 6 New Hampshire last Saturday.

Fallon finished with 27 saves for the Catamounts and dropped to 5-1-2 in his career against the Huskies.

Northeastern went 1-for-6 on the power play and Vermont was 0-for-2.

UVM returns to the ice on Saturday at 7pm at Merrimack.