Seventy-two hours after an agonizing double-overtime loss in a Frozen Four semifinal, Nick Carpenito tried to be reflective.
Northeastern University’s associate head coach was proud of his team. But it was impossible not to think of what could have been.
Despite putting 47 shots on Minnesota Duluth, the Huskies lost 2-1, falling one win short of returning to the national championship game.
“We had some really great opportunities that we just couldn’t cash in on,” he said.
So many chances to break a 1-1 deadlock late in the third period. So many chances in the overtime sessions.
“It’s a game of inches. We have two pucks go through the crease. I don’t know how to describe it,” Carpenito said. “It was just one of those games. The big thing with Duluth is they do a great job of keeping you away from the net.”
With stars like goaltender Aerin Frankel and defenseman Skylar Fontaine, both grad students, and a deep and talented forward roster, many believed this was Northeastern’s year to win the program’s first national championship.
But all is not doom and gloom on Huntington Avenue and inside Matthews Arena.
Weep not for the 2022-23 Huskies. Carpenito said the cupboard is “definitely not” bare.
Offensively, Maureen Murphy, Chloe Aurard and Alina Mueller are expected to return for a fifth season.
They are three of the top forwards in the nation. Murphy, the nation’s leading goal scorer, posted a 30-26-56 line this winter. If paired with Aurard (20-22-42) and Mueller (11-28-39), that could be one of the best lines anywhere next season.
Also set to return are junior forward Katy Knoll (10-11-21) and freshman forward Skylar Irving (6-9-15), who made impressive strides as a rookie.
Defenseman Brooke Hobson is leaving the program after five solid seasons. She said anyone counting the Huskies out next season is making a mistake.
“What a lot of people don’t know is how great the culture is behind the doors. Like coach (Dave) Flint says, the program is in good hands,” Hobson said.
Replacing the likes of Frankel, Fontaine and Maddie Mills is daunting. But Carpenito said that the pieces are in place to keep the Huskies on top for years.
University of Vermont star Maude Poulin-Labelle is expected to spend her fifth season at Northeastern. Poulin-Labelle shared Hockey East’s Best Defenseman award with Fontaine. She’s talented at both ends of the ice.
The Huskies are also excited about an outstanding incoming freshman class.
Forwards expected to put plenty of pucks in the net include Holly Abela (Brampton, Ont.), and Cushing Academy teammates Mia Langlois and Lily Brazis.
On the blue line, Northeastern will be bolstered by the addition of two of the top prep school players in New England, Kristina Allard of St. Paul’s and Jules Constantinople of Williston Northampton.
Replacing Frankel in net, of course, won’t be easy, but the Huskies are confident in the abilities of junior Gwyneth Philips, who went 6-1 this season with a 0.75 goals against average and .964 save percentage.
The Huskies went 31-5-2 and 131-34-13 over the past five seasons.
Yale on the rise
The Huskies weren’t the only New England to come oh-so-close to playing for the national title.
Yale has a school-record 26 wins. Head coach Mark Bolding was named American Hockey Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
It was a historic season for Yale. But the Cinderella ride came to a close with a gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to top-seeded Ohio State, which went on to win the national title.
Ohio State scored two goals four minutes apart in the second period to go ahead by a goal and the Bulldogs couldn’t net the equalizer.
Senior Gianna Meloni was again superb, making a season-high 36 saves. Allowing just 38 shots against Ohio State was a Herculean job by Yale. Consider that the Buckeyes, the top-scoring team in the nation, put 77 shots on goal during a tournament win over Quinnipiac.
Yale grabbed a 1-0 lead on a goal by sophomore defender Tabea Botthof, with assists going to Emma Harvey and Grace Lee.
“Definitely the type of game we wanted. We had outstanding goaltending from Gianna and a great overall defensive effort. Not only did we show up, we made some noise. It was a great game and I am proud of our players,” Bolding said.
Things look bright for Yale, which was making its first Frozen Four appearance. Meloni has the option of returning for a fifth season.
Leading scorer Elle Hartje (16-35-51) is a sophomore, while a terrific junior class is headed by Claire Dalton (13-30-43), Charlotte Welch (13-25-38) and defenseman Emma Seitz (14-11-25).
Bolding became the first women’s coach to win the American Hockey Coaches Association Coach of the Year award at the Division 1 and 3 levels. He was the Division 3 winner in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2018 while at Norwich University.
