Northeastern Opens Final Matthews Arena Season With 6–4 Win Over Holy Cross: The Game Sheet EP: 1
- Nolan Larrabee
- Oct 4
- 4 min read
During this series, Frozen Focus covers NCAA outings that Head collegiate Reporter Nolan Larrabee attends during the 25-26 Season.
By Nolan Larrabee @Nolan_larrabee TheFrozenFocus.com NCAA All Access Reporter
BOSTON--The 2025–26 college hockey season got underway in front of 3,216 fans at historic Matthews Arena on Saturday night. The Northeastern Huskies opened their campaign with a hard-fought 6–4 win over the Holy Cross Crusaders. The non-conference matchup marked the first meeting between the two programs since October 8, 2021. The last time they faced off was at the Ice Breaker Tournament in Worcester. With the win, Northeastern extended its all-time series lead to 8–2–1.
This game not only opened the season for both teams but also marked the sixth straight year Northeastern began its season at home inside Matthews Arena. This game will be the final time the Huskies play their season opener at Matthews Arena, as this is the last season to be played at the historic Matthews Arena before the team moves to a new venue in the future.
Starting Lineups
Holy Cross Crusaders
Goaltender: #1 Louden Hogg
Northeastern Huskies
Goaltender: #47 Lawton Zacher
First Period
Holy Cross struck first just 3:42 into the game when Jack Stockfish (#19) buried a close-range shot over Lawton Zacher’s shoulder, assisted by Brody Gagno (#3).
The Huskies responded quickly. At 6:34 into the game , Dylan Hryckowian (#13) scored from below the goal line to tie the game at one, with assists from James Fisher (#8) and Austen May (#24).
Northeastern took the lead late in the period on the power play. Giacomo Martino (#15) capitalized from in front with 3:30 remaining in the opening frame, assisted by Joaquim Lemay (#2) and Joe Connor (#14). The momentum kept rolling when junior transfer from UMD Matthew Perkins (#51) scored his first goal as a Husky with 1:39 remaining in the frame, with May tallying his second assist of the night.
Northeastern outshot Holy Cross 10–7 and carried a 3–1 lead into the first intermission after controlling possession for much of the period.
2nd Period.
The teams began the second period skating 4-on-4 before Holy Cross briefly went on the power play, but the Crusaders couldn’t convert.
2:28 into the second frame, Holy Cross’s David Hymovitch (#10) cut the deficit to one with an unassisted goal, but just 34 seconds later, Joe Connor restored the two-goal cushion for Northeastern with his second of the night, assisted by Tyler Fukakusa (#91).
The middle frame saw several penalties and some chippy play. Holy Cross’s Jack Stockfish received a double minor for roughing at 16:43 left in the period, while Northeastern’s Joe Connor took a slashing penalty a few minutes later.
Shots were even once again, with Northeastern leading 19–14 through two periods. The Huskies continued to generate sustained offensive pressure, though Holy Cross began to find its rhythm.
Third Period
The Crusaders refused to go quietly in the final frame. After a penalty to Northeastern’s Hryckowian midway through the period, Holy Cross capitalized on a net-front scramble with 7:41 to go in the game to make it 4–3.
Momentum stayed with the Crusaders, as they swarmed the Huskies’ zone late in regulation. But with 2:38 to go in the game, Northeastern's Joe Connor struck again, which was his second of the night. He scored on a feed from Hryckowian to give Northeastern a 2-goal lead at 5–3.
Holy Cross responded quickly with an unassisted goal from Will Elias (#13) after a pulled goalie with 1:41 left in the game, which cut the deficit to one. With their net empty in the final minute, the Crusaders pushed for the equalizer, but Jacob Mathieu (#81) sealed the win with an empty-net goal with 1:18 to go in regulation.
The final moments were heated, resulting in a flurry of misconduct penalties on both sides as tempers boiled over.
Final Score: Northeastern 6, Holy Cross 4
Final Shots: Holy Cross 29, Northeastern 24
Three Stars:
Key takeaways from the game:
Northeastern started the season strong with a strong win over Holy Cross, showing great chemistry on its top line of Connor, Perkins, and Hryckowian. The Huskies played with confidence, moving the puck well and staying solid on defense even when Holy Cross applied pressure. The Crusaders, one of the most experienced teams in the country, showed effort but struggled with turnovers and defensive mistakes that cost them key chances. Even after getting outshot in the third period, Northeastern stayed calm, took advantage of its opportunities, and held on for a solid opening-night win to start its final season at Matthews Arena.
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