Northeastern needs Stryker Zablocki to finish what it starts

Northeastern didn't have an effort problem last Friday. It had a finishing problem. The Huskies outshot RPI 42-14 and lost 2-1 in overtime, and the fix starts this afternoon in Providence. It runs through Stryker Zablocki.

The sophomore from Prince Albert, Sask., won Hockey East's player of the year award as a freshman. She also shared rookie of the year with Boston College's Ava Thomas. She had 17 goals and 17 assists in league play, which isn't a rookie season. It's an MVP season from someone who happened to be a rookie.

The number

41. That's how many saves Sadie Bellissimo made in RPI's upset, a .976 night. Grace Sadura scored Northeastern's only goal early in the third. Kaylynn Fisher tied it on a power play, and Barbora Cerna-Proskova won it in overtime.

Zablocki didn't get on the scoresheet. One game, one hot goalie. But the voters noticed the loss: Northeastern slid from fifth to seventh in this week's USCHO poll.

Why this one matters

This is Hockey East's first league weekend, and the conference has three teams in the top 15: Northeastern, UConn at No. 9 and Vermont at No. 15. Northeastern is supposed to be the one at the top of that list. A loss in Providence would make two straight against teams the Huskies should handle.

There's a nice bit of history in it, too. Zablocki's first college goal came against Providence on Oct. 10, 2025, in a 4-0 win that opened Hockey East play. A year later, she gets the Friars again to open league play.

Providence has its own weekend to worry about. The Friars host Northeastern today and then play at Boston College on Saturday. Two games against two of the league's best teams in two days is a lot to ask.

The W read: Northeastern wins by two, and Zablocki has a goal and an assist. Forty-two shots doesn't happen every night, but it doesn't have to. It just has to go in once more than last week.