By: Zach Hayes, News Staff
With just one win in its last five games, the men’s soccer team needed a boost from an unexpected source. The Huskies received just that from sophomore forward Don Anding, whose first two goals of the season paced the offense in a 3-1 victory over Drexel last night.
“Don had a great game,” junior forward Mike Kennedy said. “He was great holding the ball up and has explosive speed. He made some great runs tonight.”
With the win, the Huskies kept their postseason hopes alive. They now stand just one point away from being tied for third place in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) with a 3-3-3 conference record. The top four teams reach the CAA Championship played Nov. 12 to 14.
Anding’s first goal was the exclamation point during a dominating first half, in which Northeastern outshot the Dragons 8-1 and totaled three shots on net. Freshman midfielder Dante Marini intercepted a Drexel turnover in its defensive end and fed a streaking Anding on the left side of the goal box.
Anding’s strike to the opposite end of the net beat Dragons keeper Pentti Pussinen in the 10th minute to give Northeastern an early advantage.
FollowingCUT Kennedy’s team-leading sixth goal of the campaign gave Northeastern a two goal advantage, and Anding delivered another score midway through the second half. The pair teamed up to put the game away as Kennedy ran down the right side, attracting multiple Drexel defenders. The junior forward then fed a ready Anding near the goal whose shot gave the Huskies a decisive 3-0 lead.
“It was a great performance all around,” Kennedy said. “Everyone was involved and contributing tonight.”
The Huskies’ sophomore goalkeeper Oliver Blum provided a near-shutout performance in net. The lone Drexel score came with just forty seconds to play in the game, preventing what would have been the Providence transfer’s fifth shutout of the season. Blum made two saves, once again aided by the strong effort by the Huskies trio of senior captain defenders: Santiago Bedoya, Matt Sanford and Brendan Ennis.
“I have played with Ollie for a long time,” Kennedy said. “He’s a great goalie. I think the whole team has a lot of confidence in Ollie.”
The three-goal performance was a welcome change from what has been a frustrating losing spell for the Huskies. Despite outshooting CAA foe George Mason 19-11, Northeastern dropped a 1-0 home contest last Saturday to the Patriots. Kennedy and Anding combined for seven shots in the game, but it was George Mason’s Alex Herrera who provided the game-winning goal in the 77th minute.
“We’ve been out-shooting teams almost every game this season,” head coach Brian Ainscough said. “We can take positives from the standpoint we feel we have the momentum of the game and that’s always a good thing.”
The Huskies’ best scoring chance in the contest came in the 12th minute when George Mason goalkeeper Sean Cote left the box and Kennedy lofted a shot from 30 yards out. The ball was just high enough for Cote to recover and snag the attempt. Cote would make eight more saves in the game and hold the Huskies scoreless for the sixth time this season.
“The keeper miss-hit the ball and I knew he was out of position so I tried to chip him but I didn’t get much on the shot,” Kennedy said. “I didn’t really think it was that dangerous. I probably could have done better on that play.”
Unlike the George Mason loss, the Huskies were able to convert numerous scoring opportunities into goals during the Drexel victory, the team’s first road win in CAA play. Ainscough said he has hopes this trend will continue during the Huskies’ last two regular season games.
“Hopefully we can get a little luck,” Ainscough said. “If the law of averages goes right we should start winning games going forward. We’re just not getting the fruits of all our labor.”
Northeastern’s next game is another crucial road contest this Saturday at Old Dominion with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. The final regular season home game will be the following Saturday, Nov. 6, at Parsons Field against William & Mary.
