By J.J. Pavlick | Anaheim, CA | November 15, 2026 |
HARTFORD, CT — For 40 minutes Saturday, UConn looked headed toward another frustrating loss to No. 19 Northeastern. Then the Huskies produced the kind of third-period response that can change the direction of a season. Three unanswered goals erased a 3–0 deficit, Carlin Dezainde forced overtime with 59 seconds remaining, and a Hartford crowd of 3,715 watched the home side claw its way back into a game that had appeared lost. But the comeback stopped one goal short. Joe Connor scored 1:39 into overtime to give Northeastern a 4–3 victory and complete a Hockey East weekend sweep after Friday’s 4–1 decision in Storrs.
The two results follow UConn’s earlier 6–5 upset of Providence, but that victory was followed by an 8–1 defeat in the Providence rematch. With Northeastern’s 4–1 and 4–3 overtime victories, UConn has now lost three straight games and been outscored 16–5 during that skid. The Huskies stand at 4–7–1 overall and 2–5–1 in Hockey East, while Northeastern improved to 6–2–0 and 3–2–0 in conference play. More concerning than the losses themselves was the pattern: UConn surrendered the first three goals Saturday after falling behind 4–0 on Friday. The Huskies found an answer late in the rematch, but a ranked opponent had already been allowed to dictate too much of the series.
Friday: Special Teams Set the Tone in a 4–1 Defeat
STORRS, Conn. — Friday’s opener turned against UConn in the first period. Northeastern scored twice on the power play to take a 2–0 lead despite the home side generating more shots in the opening frame. That early special-teams deficit forced UConn to chase the game, and Northeastern made the task considerably harder by adding two more goals in the second period.
The Huskies had a chance to alter the direction of the night when Carter Sproule earned a penalty shot after being slashed on a breakaway. Sproule could not convert, and the score remained 4–0 through 40 minutes. Joey Muldowney finally broke through in the third, driving home a power-play one-timer, with Alexandre Blais and Ethan Gardula assisting. It was the only goal UConn could manage against Northeastern goaltender Lawton Zacher.
UConn finished with a 37–31 advantage in shots and edged Northeastern 30–29 in faceoffs. Those numbers underscore the frustration: the Huskies generated enough volume to be competitive but could not turn that activity into goals when the contest was still within reach. Their late breakthrough did little to disguise the damage done by the early penalty-killing problems and the missed penalty-shot opportunity.
Saturday: Northeastern Buries UConn in a Three-Goal Hole
Saturday’s rematch at PeoplesBank Arena brought an even more alarming opening period. Dawson Sharkey put Northeastern ahead at 3:36 after a rebound escaped Kam Hendrickson, and Giacomo Martino doubled the lead at 11:30. Jacob Mathieu made it 3–0 at 18:51. Northeastern outshot UConn 21–8 in the first period, a decisive territorial advantage that placed enormous pressure on the home side before the second period began.
UConn steadied itself in the middle frame and outshot Northeastern 13–11, but Zacher kept the Huskies scoreless. Hendrickson, meanwhile, stopped all 11 shots he faced in the period to prevent the deficit from growing. After two periods, the score remained 3–0, leaving UConn with 20 minutes to find an offensive rhythm it had largely lacked across the first five periods of the weekend.
The first-period collapse was more than a matter of poor finishing. Northeastern was able to establish possession, attack loose pucks, and generate repeated looks before UConn could settle into its defensive assignments. For a team already coming off a difficult stretch against Providence and Friday’s loss, conceding three goals in the opening 20 minutes was the worst possible response.
Heslop Ignites a Third-Period Comeback
The comeback began at 4:03 of the third period when freshman Jesse Heslop scored his first collegiate goal, finishing a play created by Carter Sproule and Lirim Amidovski. That goal did not erase the deficit, but it changed the tempo. UConn began attacking with urgency and moved the puck with a directness missing from its earlier shifts.
Jeremy Loranger cut the margin to 3–2 at 11:17, beating Zacher with a wrist shot after Ethan Gardula and Jacob Reese helped create the opportunity. With the game suddenly within one goal, UConn pressed for the equalizer and forced Northeastern to defend the lead rather than simply manage possession.
Hendrickson went to the bench for an extra attacker in the closing minutes, and the gamble paid off. With 59 seconds remaining, William McIsaac found Carlin Dezainde in front for a deflection that tied the game at 3–3. Mike Murtagh also earned an assist. The goal completed a remarkable three-goal third period and gave UConn a chance to salvage a victory after trailing for almost the entire afternoon.
Connor Ends the Comeback in Overtime
Northeastern reclaimed control as soon as overtime began, winning the opening faceoff and keeping the puck for much of the extra session. Martino struck the crossbar during the sequence before Connor finished the winner at 1:39. Amine Hajibi worked the puck behind the net and found Connor cutting into scoring position, with Alex Pineau also collecting an assist. The goal required review after the net came off its moorings, but the decision stood.
The shot totals reflected how dramatically the game changed. Northeastern finished with 40 shots to UConn’s 35, but the home side outshot its opponent 14–7 in the third period after being overwhelmed in the first. Hendrickson stopped 36 of 40 shots, while Zacher made 32 saves on 35. Both teams finished 0-for-1 on the power play Saturday, making the outcome a story of five-on-five execution, early defensive breakdowns, and overtime possession rather than special-teams production.
Bad Dawg Sports Analysis: The Comeback Matters, but the Starts Must Change
There is no reason to dismiss what UConn accomplished in Saturday’s third period. Scoring three times against a ranked Hockey East opponent, including a six-on-five equalizer in the final minute, required resilience and a willingness to attack when the margin for error had vanished. Heslop’s first collegiate goal was a meaningful personal milestone, and Loranger and Dezainde showed the finishing ability the Huskies had struggled to produce earlier in the series.
But UConn cannot afford to confuse a dramatic recovery with a complete performance. Across the two games, Northeastern outscored the Huskies 7–0 over the first two periods of each contest combined. Friday’s opening power-play goals and Saturday’s 21-shot first-period barrage tell the same story: UConn repeatedly allowed the opponent to establish the terms of the game. Asking a team to erase those deficits against quality competition is not a sustainable formula.
The offensive response also raises a question about urgency. UConn moved the puck with far more purpose in Saturday’s third period, created traffic around Zachery, and made its chances count. That approach cannot be reserved for moments of desperation. Cleaner defensive-zone exits, stronger coverage around rebounds, and more assertive play from the opening faceoff would reduce the need for late rescues.
Northeastern deserves credit for finishing the weekend with two victories, responding after UConn’s rally and finding the decisive play in overtime. UConn, meanwhile, must carry the positive elements of its third-period push into the next series without overlooking the mistakes that made the comeback necessary. The Huskies return to Storrs to face New Hampshire beginning Friday, with another opportunity to show that Saturday’s late surge can become a 60-minute standard.
Weekend at a Glance
Friday, November 13: No. 19 Northeastern 4, UConn 1—Storrs, Connecticut. UConn goal: Joey Muldowney. Shots: UConn 37, Northeastern 31
Saturday, November 14: No. 19 Northeastern 4, UConn 3 (OT)—PeoplesBank Arena, Hartford. UConn goals: Jesse Heslop, Jeremy Loranger, and Carlin Dezainde. Overtime winner: Joe Connor, 1:39. Shots: Northeastern 40, UConn 35
Records after series: Northeastern 6–2–0 (3–2–0 Hockey East); UConn 4–7–1 (2–5–1 Hockey East)
Discover more from Bad Dawg Media Group
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
