Aston-Reese Scores Twice As Northeastern Topples Notre Dame, 4-2
Sophomore forward Zach Aston-Reese scores two goals for Huskies

Sophomore forward Zach Aston-Reese scored two goals for the Huskies
Prd Time  Team Score Type Scored By Assists
1st 10:03  NDM1-0 PP Thomas DiPauli (5)Austin Wuthrich/4, Vince Hinostroza/18
1st 18:51  NOE1-1 PP Dalen Hedges (7)Mike McMurtry/12, Matt Benning/13
3rd 2:06  NOE2-1 EV Zach Aston-Reese (4)Garret Cockerill/5, Torin Snydeman/4
3rd 2:16  NOE3-1 EV GW Zach Aston-Reese (5)Mike Szmatula/9, Matt Benning/14
3rd 15:19  NDM2-3 PP Anders Bjork (2)Robbie Russo/14, Austin Wuthrich/5
3rd 17:08  NOE4-2 EV Mike Szmatula (10)Brendan Collier/3, Colton Saucerman/6
Scoring 1st 2nd 3rd Final
Notre Dame  1012
Northeastern  1034
Shots on Goal 1st 2nd 3rd SOG
Notre Dame  59923
Northeastern  2111326
Team Stats and Records  PP PIM SHGF
Notre Dame (10-13-3)  2/3 6/12 0
Northeastern (10-11-4)  1/6 3/6 0
Notre Dame Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Cal Petersen (L, 6-10-2)58:534 1111022
Empty Net1:070     
Northeastern Goaltending MIN GA 1 2 3 Saves
Clay Witt (W, 6-6-2)59:462 49821
Empty Net0:140     

BOSTON, Mass. - With the score tied at one through two periods, Zach Aston-Reese scored twice in 10 seconds in the third period, and Mike Szmatula added an insurance marker to lead the Northeastern men's ice hockey team (10-11-4, 6-7-2) to a weekend sweep of Notre Dame (10-13-3, 5-4-3) on Saturday night at Matthews Arena, 4-2.

Szmatula finished with a goal and an assist, while Matt Benning chipped in with two helpers. Clay Witt got the nod in goal, making 21 saves while Cal Petersen had 22 stops in his second start of the weekend.

Northeastern outshot the Fighting Irish 26-23 in the game, and was 1-of-6 on the man advantage. UND, meanwhile, was 2-o-3 on the power play and won 34-of-66 face-offs.

Scoring chances were at a premium in the first period, with UND holding a slight 5-2 edge in shots on goal, but each team was able to capitalize in the opening 20 minutes to send the teams into the dressing rooms tied at one. Notre Dame went up 1-0 with a power play marker midway through the period when Thomas DiPauli gathered a loose puck in the slot and ripped a shot off the right post and past Witt for DiPauli's fifth of the season.

Minutes later, Witt would rob Peter Schneider on a low shot from the right side when Witt reached behind him to cover the puck before it could cross the goal line. The play was briefly reviewed a stood as called.

The Huskies fired back with a power play goal of their own with 1:09 left in the frame. With NU moving the puck around the attacking zone, Mike McMurtry created space and sent a pass across the zone to Hedges, who roofed it over the left shoulder of Petersen for Hedges' seventh of the year.

Both netminders did their parts to keep the game tied at one through the second period, with UND outshooting Northeastern 11-9 in the middle frame. NU had the first chance of the period when Kevin Roy's shot was blocked by a Fighting Irish defenseman before Hedges followed with a rebound bid that Petersen gobbled up.

With Northeastern on the power play early in the stanza, Dustin Darou helped keep the game deadlocked with a strong back check to breakup a potential odd-man rush for Notre Dame.

NU's best chance of the period came late at the tail end of a Husky power play when Mike Szmatula's initial chance was knocked down by Petersen, landing right on the stick of Torin Snydeman. Petersen, however, was able to recover in time to get a glove on Snydeman's rebound.

The Northeastern offense exploded in the third period, burying three goals, including two from Aston-Reese just 10 seconds apart. The first came after a long clear from Garret Cockerill in the defensive zone, allowing Aston-Reese to catch up to the puck before sniping a shot top shelf for his fourth of the season.

On the ensuing face-off, the Huskies took the puck hard to the net as Szmatula fed Aston-Reese on the far post for a one-timer past Petersen.

Notre Dame tried to claw its way back into the contest, and made it a one-goal game with 4:41 left in regulation on their second power play tally of the evening as Anders Bjork buried a loose puck atop the crease to make it 3-2.

NU brought it back to a two-goal game less than two minutes later when Szmatula caught Petersen napping. As Szmatula controlled the puck below the goal line, he quickly bolted out and beat Petersen over the shoulder for Szmatula's 10th of the year to close out the scoring.

The Huskies will be off until next week when Northeastern takes on Boston College in the semifinals of the 63rd annual Beanpot. Puck drop is slated for 8 p.m. and the game will be televised live on NESN.

Season tickets, as well as individual game tickets, are available for men's ice hockey and can be purchased by visiting GoNU.com/tickets. Please contact the Ticket Office by calling 617-373-4700 or emailing huskytix@neu.edu with any questions.

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