By Jason Kornwitz

Following victories in two closely contested games last week at home, the Northeastern women’s soccer team looked poised to continue its winning ways when they took to Cambridge’s Ohiri Field for the Harvard Crimson Invitational.

Unfortunately, they hit a stumbling block, scoring only one goal in two games against nationally-touted Ohio State Saturday and Miami of Ohio Thursday.

The losses bring the Huskies’ record to 3-4 on the season and 0-4 in games at neutral sites.

Despite the disappointing results, coach Ed Matz was proud of the way his team responded against reigning Big 10 champion Ohio State after an uninspired effort the previous game.

“We came out of the game and we totally had them back on their heels,” Matz said. “We were totally dominating. The team that showed up [Saturday] has a chance of contending.”

The 2-1 setback to No. 20 Ohio State saw the Huskies best their opponent 8-3 in shots on goal.

The Buckeyes started the scoring during the 19th minute of play off a header from a corner kick.

For the remainder of the half, NU posted five shots on goal, but couldn’t take advantage of their opportunities.

“In the match we came up against a team that has more scholarship [athletes] than us. They were able to go a bit deeper,” Matz said. “That’s what it came down to. We couldn’t have played better.”

In the first period, freshman forward Caitlin Whelan, who already has six goals, rolled her ankle and missed much of the first half and a portion of the second half. She later returned to finish the game.

Having Whelan on the bench shifted the momentum to OSU.

“It was an untimely loss,” Matz said. “She does a lot of other stuff for us besides score goals. She is able to distribute the ball from midfield and we lost that part of our offense.”

Matz thought his team adjusted well to Whelan’s absence and still had a strong chance to win the game.

During the second half, the Huskies put a quick score on the board just five minutes in. Freshman defenseman Brenna Matthews was credited with the goal after a corner kick deflected off an OSU defenseman and into the net. Junior forward Kristen Kowalik tallied an assist on the goal.

But with more than five minutes left in regulation, OSU took the lead for good when their leading scorer, freshman Lisa Collison, stole the ball from a NU defender and put it past junior goalie Mariel Wilner.

The Buckeyes nearly made it 3-1 late in the action, on a missed penalty shot.

“After [Saturday’s] game, I’m very optimistic about the rest of the season,” co-captain Jessica Pfeifer said. “I think everyone that was at that game knows that we should have and deserved to win.”

Against Miami of Ohio earlier in the week, the Huskies failed to score and lost 3-0 in what Matz called a disappointing effort against an opponent that had managed just one goal in its previous five games.

“They basically get in our end six times all day long and they score on three of them,” Matz said. “We made very costly mistakes in our own end.”

Miami of Ohio scored on all of their shots on goal, while NU posted eight shots but let several excellent scoring opportunities go to waste.

Matz said that it was more difficult to miss some of their scoring chances than it would have been to make them.

The Red Hawks took the lead in the final minute of play of the first half. They added another goal on a penalty kick at the 64- minute mark after Wilner was whistled for a tackle inside the box.

Miami of Ohio tallied a late goal with fewer than two minutes to play after Wilner was pulled for junior goalie Annie Petrofsky.

“Each game we are adding another piece to the puzzle,” Wilner said. “We’re doing a lot better job of finishing the games strong. We’re getting closer.”

After the tournament, the coaches of opposing teams named Wilner to the All-Tournament team.

“My job back there [in goal] is to try and prevent mental mistakes,” Wilner said. “I’m trying to do as much as I can to keep us on the same page.”

NU has a 3 p.m. start time today against crosstown rival No. 9-ranked Boston College at Parsons Field.

BC is among a handful of ranked Athletic Coast Conference team. At ninth, this is the highest they have ever been in the NSCAA polls.

The CAA era officially opens for the Huskies on Saturday, against Hofstra, at Parsons at 6 p.m.

Hosftra is a defending co-champion of the CAA.