NU History
Wayne Turner's historic overtime goal to give NU its first ever Beanpot title in 1980 was sort of and unoffical birth for Huskies' Hockey. Since that time, Northeastern has seen a number of great teams and players. The following is a look at our lists for NU's best of the last two decades.
Please email us with your suggestions on any of the lists or any that you would like to see. Also send us your list and we'll put it on this page for you. RWperillo@aol.com
All-Time BC Jerk List
1. Bob Sweeney- Arguably the biggest jerk--f in the history of the league. If you listen closely you can still hear the chants of "Sweeney Sucks!" "Sweeney Sucks!" echoing through the Arena.
2. Greg Brown- "The Olympian." Most overrated player we've ever seen.
3. David Emma- The bug-eyed midget. Once got an assist against NU while sitting on the bench. It's no wonder why he won the Hobey Baker award.
4. Craig Janney- The epitome of the BC prep school pretty boy. Touch him and he cried. We also loved the Janney wobble.
5. Scott LaGrand- The biggest dump game of all time when he choked against NU in the first round of the playoffs in 1991. Was he on the take? Hmmm...
6 Any BC fan- Especially the white headed blowhard we sat in front of at McHugh Forum about 15 years ago. What an a--hole. We never forget anything. Also these nitwits who wear the maroon t-shirts at the BC games now. Where were you guys three years ago when Dick York and the Ducks couldn't win an inter-squad scrimmage?
BCBOOEY'S BC JERK LIST
NU FANS' LIST PAGE LINK
Dave Arcangelo
Bob Clayson
Ben Woodford
ALL-TIME LISTS
Paul's TOP 10 PLAYERS Rich's TOP 10 PLAYERS
1. Dan McGillis(1992-96) 1.Rod Isibister (1982-86)
2. Rod Isbister(1982-86) 2. Rob Cowie (1987-91)
3. Rob Cowie(1987-91) 3. Dan McGillis(1992-96)
4. Harry Mews(1986-90) 4. Harry Mews(1986-90)
5. Marc Robitaille(1996-98) 5. Jim Averill(1981-85)
6. Bruce Racine(1984-88) 6. Marc Robitaille(1996-98)
7. Mike Taylor(1990-94) 7. Mike Taylor(1990-94)
8. Jordon Shields(1992-96) 8. Bruce Racine(1984-88)
9. Ken Manchurek(1980-84) 9. Jordon Shields(1992-96)
10. Jim Averill(1981-85) 10.David O'Brien(1984-88)
Toughest Omission: Jay Heinbuck(1982-86)
Al Perillo's Top 10 players
This list will include all players since our father graduated in 1963 and saw all of these guys play.
1. Rod Isbister(1982-86)
2. Dan McGillis(1992-96)
3. Art Chisholm(1958-61)
4. Bruce Racine(1984-88)
5. Rob Cowie(1987-91)
6. Marc Robitaille(1996-98)
7. Harry Mews(1986-90)
8. Jim Martel(1972-76)
9. Gerry Cowie(1978-82)
10. Wayne Turner(1976-80)
Paul's Best Forwards Rich's Best Forwards
1. Rod Isbister(1982-86) 1.Rod Isbister(1982-86)
2. Harry Mews(1986-90) 2. Harry Mews(1986-90)
3. Mike Taylor(1990-94) 3. Mike Taylor(1990-94)
4. Jordon Shields(1992-96) 4. Jordon Shields(1992-96)
5. Ken Manchurek(1980-84) 5. David O'Brien(1984-88)
6. Gerry Cowie(1978-82) 6. Ken Manchurek(1980-84)
7. Paul McDougall(1978-80) 7. Sandy Beadle(1979-81)
8. Sandy Beadle(1979-81) 8. Kevin Heffernan(1984-88)
9. Kevin Heffernan(1984-88) 9. Jay Heinbuck(1982-86)
10. Jay Heinbuck(1982-86) 10. Dave Buda(1985-89)
Paul's Best Defensemen Rich's Best Defensmen
1. Dan McGillis(1992-96) 1. Rob Cowie (1987-91)
2. Rob Cowie (1987-91) 2. Dan McGillis(1992-96)
3. Jim Averill(1981-85) 3. Jim Averill(1981-85)
4. Jeff Hiltz(1978-82) 4. Brian Dowd(1984-88)
5. Brian Dowd(1984-88) 5. Jeff Hiltz(1978-82)
6. Claude Lodin(1984-88) 6. Claude Lodin(1984-88)
7. Paul Filipe(1978-82) 7. Francois Bouchard (1991-95)
8. Paul Fitzsimmons(1982-86) 8. Paul Sacco(1988-92)
9. Rick Schuhwerk(1993-97) 9. Paul Fitzsimmons(1982-86)
10.Paul Sacco(1988-92) 10.Paul Sacco(1988-92)Paul's Best Goalies Rich's Best Goalies
1. Marc Robitaille (1996-98) 1. Marc Robitaille (1996-98)
2. Bruce Racine(1984-88) 2. Bruce Racine(1984-88)
3. Mark Davidner(1979-83) 3. Rich Burchill(1988-89)
4. Mike Veisor(1992-96) 4. Mike Veisor(1992-96)
5. Rich Burchill(1988-89) 5. Mark Davidner(1979-83)Paul's Best Defensive Forwards Rich's Best Defensive Forwards
1. Stew Emerson(1982-86) 1. Randy Bucyk(1980-84)
2. Tom Bivona(1986-90) 2. Stew Emerson(1982-86)
3. Andy May(1986-90) 3. Dan Lupo(1992-96)
4. Jim Madigan(1981-85) 4. Rico Rossi(1985-89)
5. Rico Rossi(1985-89) 5. Tom Bivona(1986-90)
Paul's Best Goal Scorers Rich's Best Goal Scorers
1. Rod Isbister(1982-86) 1. Rod Isbister(1982-86)
2. Brian Sullivan(1987-91) 2. J.F. Aube(1991-95)
3. Ken Manchurek(1980-84) 3. Brian Sullivan(1987-91)
4. J.F. Aube(1991-95) 4. Jordon Shields(1992-96)
5. Todd Barclay(1996-present) 5. David O'Brien(1984-88)
Toughest ommission: Jay Heinbuck (single-season record 30 goals in 1986, but just 50 for career).
Paul's Most Improved Rich's Most Improved
1. Dave Buda(1985-89) 1. Dave Buda(1985-89)
(121 career points after 8-point freshman season)
2. Bill Whitfield(1984-87) 2. Bill Whitfield(1984-87)
(Went from sub-varsity roster as freshman to alternate captain as senior)
3. Tom O'Connor(1990-94) 3. Mike McDougall(1985-88)
(Offensive explosion jr. & sr. years) (Little playing time til solid sr. year)
4. Rob Kenny(1989-92) 4. Tom Parlon(1991-95)
(Fourth line to team's leading scorer) (No name on uniform to captain)
5. Matt Saunders(1988-92) 5. Matt Saunders(1988-92)
(Shook off broken ankle as freshman to finish with 106 career points)
Honorable Mention: Mike Collett, Jason Kelly, Jason Melong, Gerry Kiley.
Rich and Paul's Bad Boy List
1. Chris Nilan(1976-79) -- Need we say more?
2. Rico Rossi(1985-89) -- Career Hockey East penalty minutes leader. We swear he got a penalty one game and wasn't even dressed.
3. Harry Mews(1986-90) -- Just think how many points he could've scored if he stayed out of the box once in a while.
4. Maurizio Pasinato(1980-84) -- Not too many ventured into the corners with this imposing figure on Northeastern's blueline.
5. Stew Emerson(1982-86) -- Considered by many to be the toughest player pound-for-pound in Hockey East at 5-9, 180 pounds. His memorable battles with the much bigger Bob Sweeney were legendary.
Rich and Paul's Best Body Checkers
1. Rob Cowie(1987-91) -- Made the hip check an art form. The boards at the Volpe Complex are still rattling from one memorable hit.
2. Dan McGillis(1992-96) -- The most feared physical presence in Hockey East. Taken thunderous hits to the next level, where he led NHL in body checks last year.
3. Dino Grossi(1991-95) -- Barreling forward hit everything in sight. Bull in a china shop metality rocked Matthews.
4. Dave Buda(1985-89) -- Combined physical play with finesse, as his point production indicates.
5. Brian Cummings(1997-present) -- His thunderous hit at UNH last year that sprung Roger Holeczy's game-wining breakaway earns the rugged forward a spot on our team.
BEST GAMES
1. Northeastern 5, Boston College 4 (ot) (Feb.11, 1980 Beanpot Championship at Boston Garden) --The implications of this victory cannot be understated. Until 1980, Northeastern languished as a second rate program compared to their Beanpot counterparts. All that changed when the Huskies rallied from a 3-1, first-period deficit to tie the Eagles at 4. Paul McDougall's pair of third period goals gave NU life as the Garden crowd rocked in anticipation of a possible Beanpot victory for NU after 27 years of frustration. Early in the extra session, NU's Larry Parks sent the puck into the neutral zone where Dale Ferdinandi and an Eagle defenseman raced for it. As the two flew into the Eagle zone, BC goalie Bob O'Connor came out to try to clear the puck. The three reached it simultaneously and the puck trickled behind them. With O'Connor scrambling back to his cage, Wayne ``Beanpot'' Turner swooped in and roofed one over heavy traffic, touching of a wild Husky celebration that lifted NU's program in legitimate Division 1 status. Two years later, the nucleus of that team went to the Final Four for the only time in NU's history.
2. Northeastern 2, Bowling Green 2; Northeastern 3, Bowling Green 2 (ot) (March 17-18, 1982 NCAA quarterfinal, 2-game/total goal series at Matthews Arena) --For those of you currently enrolled at NU now, it's very hard to imagine the atmosphere in the Arena on this weekend. The best way for me to describe it is to picture the BU Surge game last year - and multiply that by about a million. That's how crazy it was at Matthews those two nights. Bowling Green came in with future NHLers Garry Galley, George McPhee and Brian McLellan. McLellan in particular drew the wrath of the infamous NU Zoo. At 6-foot-4, he was an easy target. And with his chippy (o.k. dirty) style of play, he was pretty easy to hate. One thing I remember about the weekend (I was 13 at the time) was the NU Zoo. At one point the Huskies scored a goal, and as the band whooped it up, the Zoo members began the traditional sieve chant, only with a slight twist. Remember those giant foam fingers signaling No.1? Well they were selling those outside the Arena (I still have mine) and this one kid had one on and was pointing it at the Falcon's goalie. Except that the other guys had him on their shoulders, so he was parallel to the ground as his buddies propelled him toward the goalie. Greatest taunt I ever saw. Anyway, neither team could gain any advantage after 120 minutes of action. A 2-2 tie in Game 1, and a 2-2 tie after regulation of Game 2. The tension was unbearable. Luckily, it didn't last long. Just 16 seconds into overtime, Bob Averill picked up a loose puck that Bowling Green's goalie tried unsuccessfully to clear. He had an open net and didn't miss. I've never seen such pandemonium at the Arena. Sadly, among the celebration, I lost an NU T-shirt that my father had bought me that night. As I was climbing the glass going out of mind with Rich, a Bowling Green player noticed me as he was leaving the ice. He tapped me on the shoulder and gave me his stick. I still have that, too.
3. Northeastern 4, Maine 3 (March 11, 1988 Hockey East Championship at Boston Garden) -- After the Chris Terreri Show in the league's first championship game in 1985, this still ranks as the second best title game ever. Both teams were already assured of NCAA berths, but the Huskies felt a win could secure a first-round bye. As usual, we got screwed after the win and watched Maine get the bye anyway, but that's another story. The Huskies boasted a senior-laden team with the likes of All-Americans Bruce Racine and Brian Dowd. Also leading the Huskies were David O'Brien, Kevin Heffernan, Claude Lodin, Mike McDougall, John Ridpath and Joe (Mr. Garden) MacInnis. NU came out flying, as Rico Rossi cashed in a feed from super sophomore Harry Mews just 33 second into the game. MacInnis, who earned his nickname for his knack of scoring at the Garden, made it 2-0 late in the period and the Huskies looked solid. The Black Bears stormed Racine in the second, however, scoring three times to take the lead into the third. MacInnis was there once again, tying the score a minute into the third. Things settled down from there as the team traded scoring chances, but neither could squeak one past Racine nor Maine's Scott King. (Aside to reader: Before the game, Maine coach Slippery Shawn Walsh was quoted as saying, ``Scott King doesn't just make the tough saves, he makes all the saves.'' Our question is this: How, then, does he have a goals against average of over three)? The clock wind down and overtime seemed inevitable. With three minutes to go, Maine's Dave Nonis gathered the puck in his own zone and made a Bobby Orr-like rush down ice, turning NU defenseman Marty Raus inside out in the process. After going coast-to-coast, he centered a pass for Todd Studnicka, who one-timed it as Racine desperatley sprawled across the crease. Somehow Racine deflected the shot over the net with his stick side arm. An absolutely astonishing save. As if that drama wasn't enough, the Huskies sent the puck into the Black Bears zone where Nonis tried to bank the puck out. Raus was able to keep it in, alluded a defender and slid a wrist shot along the ice past King for the go-ahead goal. Adding to the excitement, Raus was NU's seventh defenseman and only played that night because Lodin had the flu. As time wound down, I can still hear Sean McDonough's voice exclaiming, ``Northeastern wins!'' That's a tape that's been played many times in the Perillo house.
4. Northeastern 8, Boston College 5 (Jan.25, 1986 at Matthews Arena) --Some good, old-fashioned hatred going on in this game. The Huskies entered the game ranked third in the country while the Eagles owned the No.1 slot. BC boasted the likes of Craig Janney, Scott Harlow, Neil Shea, Doug Brown, Kevin Stevens, Ken Hodge, Tim Sweeney, Scott Gordon and the infamous Bob Sweeney. Not to be outdone, Northeastern countered with Rod Isbister, Kevin Heffernan, David O'Brien, Stew Emerson, Racine and a player who enjoyed a storybook senior season -- Jay Heinbuck. A Hockey East record crowd of 5,519 jammed into Matthews, with many more standing around the top of the balcony. Goals by Heffernan, Isbister and Roman Kinal gave NU a 3-1 lead after one. The Eagles barraged Racine in the second, as Harlow, Brown, Hodge and Sweeney put the Eagles up 5-3 late in the second. It was Sweeney who drew the ire of the Huskies faithful on this night when, in typically BC and Sweeney fashion, he taunted the crowd after his seemingly harmless shot trickled past Racine for the fifth goal. A year earlier, Sweeney was involved in an altercation with Emerson at the old McHugh Forum. The fight ended with the 6-4 Sweeney kicking the 5-9 Emerson in the knee, causing the NU sparkplug to miss several games. So Sweeney was already hearing the now glorious chant of ``Sweeney Sucks'' at that point. His antics after scoring only added to it. Isbister broke free for a breakaway goal with less than a minute left in the period to get NU within one at 5-4 entering the third. The final frame belonged to the Huskies. Emerson tied it with a tip in just seconds into the period. He stood there for what seemd like hours with his stick high in the air, as if to say ``?*%&$-you Sweeney!'' O'Brien, Dowd and Scott Marshall added goals and the rout was on. The last five minutes was nothing more than garbage time, and we tossed plenty of it at Sweeney. The best moment came in the final minutes, as Sweeney took a run at Emerson, missed, and was called for roughing nonetheless. Again I remember McDonough's words on the NESN telecast: ``And there goes Stewie Emerson to tell Sweeney just how dumb he thought that penalty was.'' For regular-season excitement, this one is tough to beat.
5. Northeastern 2, Boston University 1 (ot) (Jan.16, 1998 regular season game at Matthews Arena) --You might call this a ``re-surg-ence'' of sorts for the Huskies. I'm sure everyone remembers this one from last season. After failing to break through in 12 previous tries, NU finally defeated the hated cross-town rival Terriers. With 4,189 loonies armed and ready with their complimentary bottles of Surge, NU didn't disappoint. This was truly playoff hockey, even if the calendar read January. The teams played a scoreless first period as Marc Robitaille and Tom Noble kept the offenses at bay. BU's Nick Gillis finally opened the scoring with less than five minutes remaining in the second period. Just 22 second later, Justin Kearns ripped a slap shot past Noble to tie the game, setting the stage for a heart-palpitating third period. As is usually the case in close games involving BU coach Jack Parker, Northeastern was forced to kill three penalties in the final 10 minutes. Not only did the Huskies do it, they had the better opportunities down the stretch. The game moved to overtime and no one left their seats. Neither team was going to settle for the tie, as the players sped up and down the ice looking for an opportunity to be the hero. At the 3:02 mark, it was Todd Barclay who would assume the role for Northeastern. He took a feed from Bobby Davis in the neutral zone and carried down the right wing. As he got closer and closer to Noble and the BU net, the crowd sensed something was imminent. You know when the noise level rises in anticipation of something happening? That's how it happened here. Barclay's backhander beat Noble through the pads and the Huskies raced off the bench to mob the sophomore from Fairbanks, Alaska. As if it was in the script, the fans pelted the Arena ice with the Surge bottles, turning the Husky logo at center ice into the Celtics green leprechaun. Great game. Great finish. Easily the best memory from a season a great ones.
BEST ARENAS
1. Matthews Arena (Northeastern) - Of course we're biased. Old-time balcony and site lines, along with the league's best varsity club, set North America's oldest indoor ice arena apart. The Camden Yards of college arenas-old but new.
2. Tsongas Arena (UMass-Lowell) - The River Hawks new arena is beautiful. Just big enough but you don't get lost in it. Has all the extras that new arenas have. Great concessions, televisions everywhere, nice scoreboard and affordable prices.
3. Walter Brown Arena (Boston University) - Seats between the blue lines are great, but the ends are useless when the puck is at opposite end. Low roof only magnifies an already deafening home-crowd advantage.
4. Whittemore Center (New Hampshire) - Spacious seating and proximity to the ice give UNH nod over BC.
5. Conte Forum (Boston College) - While Kelly Rink holds more people than UNH, most of the seats are benches and are situated far from the ice. Still a great building.
6. Mullins Center (UMass) - The House That John Calipari(used car salesman) Built is known more for basketball, but the same amenities exist for hockey as well.
WORST ARENAS
1. Volpe Complex (Merrimack)- Complex??? This is actually an oversized icebox. Possibly the coldest arena on the face of the earth. There are space heaters hanging from the ceiling which they turn on for about one minute a period. Just long enough to tease you. Also, would somebody please turn on the lights?
2. Nothing can compete with the Volpe Complex.
3. Nothing can compete with the Volpe Complex.
4. Nothing can compete with the Volpe Complex.
5. Snively Arena at UNH was pretty bad. A giant quonset hut with ice but: Nothing can compete with the Volpe Complex.
