BOSTON– They say fathers and sons are supposed to share a special bond. Lynnfield’s Paul and Matt Filipe are a prime example of just how special the bond between a father and his son can be.
A sophomore forward/left wing, Matt Filipe has emerged as a key piece to a Huskies puzzle that ended the school’s 30-year Beanpot drought last Monday when Northeastern took down Boston University, 5-2, at TD Garden. The win marked the school’s fifth Beanpot.
“Everyone was aware that we had a 30-year drought,” Filipe, a Malden Catholic product, said. “It was the first year in a while that we were the highest-ranked team in the Beanpot. A lot of people predicted that this would be our year. We tried to block out that noise and focused on what we had to do. To be part of a team that ended a 30-year drought was incredible. The support that we had from the students, alumni and the school was incredible.”
Making the feat even more memorable for Filipe is that he’s following a path that was carved out by his father, Paul, who knows what it takes to bring a Beanpot to Huntington Avenue. A former Huskie, Paul starred at Northeastern from 1978-1982 and was a sophomore on the 1980 team that won the school’s first Beanpot.
The Filipe’s are the first Northeastern father-son pair to each have won a Beanpot.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Filipe said. “My father has coached me throughout my entire career. It was really cool to see him after the game. He gave me a big hug and that’s something I’ll never forget. It’s something that’s really special for me and my family to experience together.”
Paul was in attendance at last Monday’s game, alongside his wife Judy, and daughters Hannah and Samantha, among the pack of Northeastern faithfuls who witnessed Filipe and the Huskies end the drought.
“I was real happy for him and his teammates,” Paul said. “I knew that feeling. I was so happy that he got to experience that feeling. All those kids put so much work into it. When they win the Beanpot, it’s special.
“I was really happy that we built a bond that nobody can take away. Not too many people can say that they both won a Beanpot as a father and son. I started thinking about what it meant to us and it’s very special.”
Filipe’s toughness was tested during the first period of the championship game, when he suffered a leg injury after taking a hit on the boards. He knew something felt off, but powered through it and played the remainder of the game. After the game, Filipe learned he’d sprained his MCL.
“I knew I felt a tweak but I didn’t really know what it was until after the game,” Filipe said. “Knowing how big a game it was I wanted to do everything I could to stay out there and finish it.”
The season has been a turnaround year for the Huskies, who stand at 19-8-5 through 32 games. Northeastern’s third in the Hockey East standings, behind Boston College and Providence, with two regular season games remaining.
Last winter, the Huskies finished at 18-15-5 before being bounced by Boston University in the quarterfinals of the Hockey East Tournament.
“At the end of last year we talked about how it was a little bit of a letdown in terms of results,” Filipe, who was chosen 67th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2016 NHL Draft, said. “We have the same goals as last year: to win the Beanpot, Hockey East and a national championship. We’ve put ourselves in a better position this season. The mentality is the same but the execution has been better overall.”
Filipe has scored five goals this winter, while dishing out eight assists for 13 total points. He scored twice in Northeastern’s season-opener, a 7-3 Huskies victory over Sacred Heart on Oct. 6. The next day, Filipe led the Huskies to a season-sweep over the Pioneers when he scored once and logged two assists in a 7-0 win.
“I worked hard all summer to get ready for the season,” Filipe said. “I had a good first season there. I got hurt that Saturday and missed the following weekend but I think that’s the start I was looking for. That’s the start the team was looking for too and as long as the team wins, that’s all that matters. I’m just trying to do the little things to help us win.”
Throughout the season, Filipe has worked on making improvements in his confidence and his defense. He has also cherished his role as a player that takes care of key areas that don’t always show up on the stat sheets, the “little things.”
“I went through a stretch in the middle of the season where I wasn’t getting many points,” Filipe said. “I had to work on getting my confidence up a little bit. I’m working on my defensive game too. We have the top two scorers in the country on our team. I’m just playing my role and focusing on the little things: making a hit, blocking shots, killing penalties. Our first line’s the best in the country. I’m just trying to play my role and help the team succeed.”
As the regular season winds to a close, Northeastern will look to cap the 2017-2018 campaign with a pair of wins this weekend against New Hampshire (Friday at home for Northeastern’s senior night, Saturday on the road), before gearing up for another run at the Hockey East Tournament.
Filipe won’t be on the ice this weekend but is expected to return for the tournament.
“We have two games left and we just have to take care of business,” Filipe said. “We have to focus on those two games only. We have to take care of what we can take care of. We can still win the Hockey East and that’d be awesome but we have to focus on UNH. I won’t be in the lineup but my focus is on rehabbing and getting ready for the playoffs.
“We have a chance to do something special with this team,” Filipe added. “We set three goals at the beginning of the year. We checked one of those boxes off and the other two are right there in front of us. The playoffs are going to be exciting and our whole team’s looking forward to it.”
And while the Huskies fight to make their mark in Hockey East Filipe will have the unwavering support of his father from his father, who’ll be watching from the stands.
“It’s great to see him,” Paul said. “What I’m happy about is all the commitment that these kids have, including Matt. To see it pay off is the most rewarding thing as a parent. It’s good for him, that he gets the chance to accomplish this. It’s a special moment in my mind. It’s been nice to see that. It’s been nice for our family. We love watching the games and hope they succeed.
“It’s really good to see it happen. It’s so good for him to experience it. I’m just proud of him as a father.”
