Featured image courtesy of Jess T-R

Tonight at 7 p.m., the #14 Northeastern Huskies will face off against their cross-town rival, the #1 Boston College Eagles.

Getting to today has been a difficult challenge for the Huskies. Coronavirus protocols have plagued any momentum for the team for the last three weeks. Northeastern Head Coach Jim Madigan was one of the first to have to exit for a game. 

“I was watching from home in my living room,” Madigan said, “ I’m watching on a big screen TV, it’s an interesting dynamic, one I hope I don’t have to revisit.”

The Huskies coach had to step away from the bench for the team’s last game. Without their coach, Northeastern remained prepared. The Huskies put up seven goals against the UNH Wildcats. Goalie Connor Murphy also joined in on the stellar night for the squad, pitching first collegiate shutout with a career-high 37 saves.

“Well they did so well without me,” Head Coach Madigan joked, “I might stay at home… and watch.” 

Despite the team’s stellar effort in inconvenient circumstances, their COVID-19 woes would not end with Madigan. Northeastern announced on January 15th that the squad’s upcoming home-and-home against Boston College would be postponed. According to Associate AD for Communications, Broadcasting and PR at Northeastern Scott MacDonald, the decision was made, “after a positive COVID-19 test result within Northeastern’s non-player or coach Tier 1 personnel.”

“In previous years you knew when you had a week off, right, you knew when you had a weekend off,” Coach Madigan said, “this pause you don’t plan.”

Four days following this first cancellation, the program announced a second home-and-home cancellation. Northeastern and their previously battered New Hampshire Wildcats would not be playing in the immediate future.

“There is a rust factor, there is no doubt about that,” Madigan said.

For Northeastern, the hope is that they will be able to shake off three weeks of dust and rust when playing against Boston College tonight.

The Eagles have had as strong a season as anyone else, going 9-2-1 in their play so far. Northeastern Coach Jim Madigan praised the skill that Boston College possesses, especially in transition play. 

“We can’t just be turning pucks over in the neutral zone and letting them counter and transition pucks,” said Madigan, “they live off transition, they feed off transition.”

Rivalry matches always bring up the energy and meaning of games, especially when staking a claim for the locale. In this case, the Huskies and Eagles are battling for Boston. Traditionally though, this turf war would not be settled in a regular season game. In a non-COVID year it would be at The Beanpot.

This year, that won’t be possible.

Even the timing, after the original postponement, works out to be around when the Beanpot would be taking place. For Northeastern’s players, it’s frustrating to not be able to defend their title.

Though, their head coaches state, since the cancellation has been known for over two and a half months now, that the cancelled beanpot isn’t the full focus on the team.

The Huskies’ players, “just want to play,” Coach Madigan said.

Besides the tensions of the game rising due to their opponent being a rival and the Beanpot timing, Northeastern also understands the opportunity they’re faced with going against the number one ranked team in the country. The Huskies, who have yet to crack the top ten this entire season, may have their best opportunity to move up in the rankings.

Coach Madigan sees the potential in tonight’s game.

Madigan said that “if you’re a competitor, you want these situations. You relish these opportunities, so it’s a great opportunity in front of us to beat the number one team.”

Tonight, a Coronavirus-battered three weeks coalesce into an opportunity to overcome the best team in the NCAA currently. NESN+ and 98.5 THE SPORTS HUB will be broadcasting the matchup.

John Smark