Huskies Advance to Their First Final, Down UNH, 4-2, On Two Late Goals

The Crimson wasn't the only team to send some country boys home unhappy last night. The Huskies of Northeastern fought their way into their first ECAC final ever last night by scoring twice in the final minute for a 4-2 win over New Hampshire.

The decisive play in the tense and often sloppily-played contest came with 35 seconds left in regulation, when Co-Captain defenseman Jeff Hiltz took a shot from the face off circle, which Bob Averill deflected perfectly into the far corner past UNH goalie Todd Pearson.

The Wildcats, who had more than their share of posts and missed open nets throughout the game, very nearly tied it up just 10 seconds later. But winger Dan Potter fanned on a shot less than a yard from an open corner of the goal, and the Huskies sent the puck downice, where winger Gerry Cowie took the disc and newed things up with an empty-netter.

UNH--an unusually young team, with only three seniors--seemed to have the jump on the Huskies in the early going. Egged on by a large and raucous delegation from Durham, N.H., the Wildcats out skated and passed better than the more physical Huskies. UNH's high-scoring line of Don Forget, Andy Brickley and ECAC Rookie-of-the-Year Norm Lacombe started the scoring 6:12 into the game, when Forget and Brickley set up defenseman Ed Olsen for a slap shot goal.

The Huntington Ave. Hounds tied it up five minutes later, when Paul McDougall poked in a centering pass, on the power play. UNH's Brickley and Northeastern's Cowie traded goals in the second period, which ended with the score knotted at 2-2.

Though UNH seemed to have the better chances in the final stanza. Husky net minder Mark Davidner was sharp in net, stone-walling the Wildcats in the Period with 18 saves.

Twice in the game UNH created breakaways by having forwards goal-hand near the Husky blue line, but Davidner came up with sensational stops both times. With six minutes left, Wildcat George White beat Davidner on another breakaway, but his shot hit the crossbar.

So UNH, champions three years ago, will battle Clarkson in the consolation at 5:30 to night, while the Huskies, who have split their two contests with Harvard this season, head for a classic Boston-area showdown in the late game.