Northeastern Athletics | October 16, 2019 College hockey: No. 15 Northeastern upsets No. 4 UMass in home opener Minnesota State's Dryden McKay talks famous name, personal growth and upcoming college hockey season Share BOSTON – The No. 15 Northeastern men's hockey team opened the conference slate with a statement, taking down No. 4 Massachusetts, 3-1. With the win, the Huskies improve to a 3-0-0 (1-0-0 Hockey East) season mark. MIKE RICHTER AWARD: 3 preseason candidates | Hobey Baker Award candidates | History Scoreless through the first twenty, the Huskies and the Minutemen were locked in a battle for puck control. Despite UMass controlling shots 9-4 through the first period, the Huskies were the first to strike in the conference showdown. Finding the loose puck off a shot from John Picking, freshman Matt DeMelis went top shelf to give Northeastern the lead at 11:37 in the second period. The goal marked the forward's first career goal as a Husky. Shortly thereafter, Northeastern got its second scoring opportunity of the evening. After getting slashed in the slot, Jordan Harris took a penalty shot for the Huskies, firing it past the UMass goalie to give Northeastern the 2-0 advantage. The goal marked the Huskies' first successful penalty shot attempt since the 2013-14 season. NHL DRAFT: See where these 2019 first-round NHL draft picks are playing college hockey The Minutemen cut into the Huskies lead just minutes into the third, knocking in a goal at 6:48 to make it a one-goal game. But, with the seconds ticking down in the final frame, junior Zach Solow secured the game for Northeastern with an empty-net shot for his first goal of the season. A force between the pipes, goalie Craig Pantano made 34 stops on the way to being named First Star for the evening. With the win, the Bridgewater, Mass.-native moved to 3-0 for the Huskies. Craig Pantano was named First ⭐️ tonight after stopping 34 shots for the #HowlinHuskies on their way to beating No. 4/4 UMass. Hear what the goalie had to say about the win: pic.twitter.com/H8uNkOHwGu — Northeastern MHKY (@GoNUmhockey) October 16, 2019 Up Next The Huskies return to Matthews Arena on Saturday, Oct. 19 to host Holy Cross at 7 p.m. RELIVE 2018: Minnesota Duluth wins championship UMass hockey head coach Greg Carvel's mission to repeat starts with new-look roster, avoiding complacency UMass hockey head coach Greg Carvel spoke with NCAA.com about winning a national title in 2021 and how he hopes to repeat in 2022. READ MORE Committee approved a day of rest at DI men’s ice hockey regionals The Division I Competition Oversight Committee approves change to include a day of rest at DI men’s ice hockey regionals, starting at the 2022 tournament. READ MORE How No. 1 overall pick Owen Power decided to stay at Michigan, wait on Sabres and NHL In an interview with NCAA.com, Owen Power explained his decision to stay at Michigan after being selected No. 1 overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft. READ MORE