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By Michael Flanagan
Hometown Weekly Sports Editor
The 2017-2018 season was filled with incredible success for the Northeastern men’s ice hockey program, as the team won the Beanpot for the first time in 30 years and returning to the NCAA Tournament.
NU fell to eventual Northeast Regional champ Michigan in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, and several of the core pieces that helped the Huskies to such great success a season ago in Adam Gaudette (Vancouver Canucks), Dylan Sikura (Chicago Blackhawks), and Nolan Stevens (St. Louis Blues) have departed for the NHL.
However, despite some key pieces being gone, Walpole native and rising-senior forward Lincoln Griffin says that the Huskies will not only look to get back to where they were a season ago, but also take that next step and compete for a national championship. Other local ties to Northeastern men’s hockey include Wellesley native and rising-junior forward John Picking.
“The three main goals that our team has for each season are to win the Beanpot, Hockey East, and obviously a national championship,” said Griffin on he and his team’s general goals for the 2018-2019 season. “A lot of people are counting us out this year, but I think that’ll just give us more motivation.”
During Griffin’s time at Northeasterm, the Huskies have won the Hockey East Tournament (2016) and the Beanpot last season. In terms of how NU will put their foot forward and compete for a national championship, Griffin says it comes down to guys buying in, staying hungry for more, and executing.
“Coach reminds us all the time that ‘we want more,’” said Griffin. “It’s nice to win the Beanpot, it’s great to win the Hockey East as that makes winning a national championship possible with getting you into the tournament automatically. But, I think the biggest goal is winning that national championship. In order to do that, the key thing will be all of us coming together as a group and believing in one another and I think that we can do that this year.”
Northeastern opens up its season on the road with a weekend series at Sacred Heart beginning on October 12.
For funny and incisive sports analysis, follow Mike Flanagan on his personal Twitter at @fLAno0.
