By Jill Saftel, News Staff
In a season that has spanned just seven games, the women’s soccer team has already had to ward off a three game losing streak. Despite the semi-sour note to a relatively young season, coaches and players remain optimistic that 2011 will turn out for the best.
“We’ve had our ups and downs so far, but we’re headed in a really good direction,” head coach Tracey Leone said.
The Huskies opened their season Aug. 19 with a 2-1 win at Connecticut, with goals scored by junior defender Sandra Magnusdottir and freshman forward Lahaina Zoller. Zoller’s goal marked the first collegiate point for the rookie from Hawaii.
“It’s nerve-wracking on the field, but there’s a lot of support from the upperclassmen players and coaches,” Zoller said. The freshman is one of four first-year players on this season’s starting lineup.
Freshman goalkeeper Paige Burnett also made her mark in the match, blocking seven shots in her debut.
The squad’s first win of the year was followed by another first – a loss, just two days later at Boston University. The Terriers took a quick lead, scoring in the fourth minute of the game. Despite the early goal, the Huskies were unable to answer and were defeated 2-0.
The Huskies finally got their chance to play at home when they faced Loyola at Parsons Field Aug. 26. Northeastern took an early lead when senior forward Veronica Napoli took a feed from sophomore forward Hanna Terry, giving the Huskies a 1-0 advantage. The lead was extended when junior forward Greta Samuelsdottir scored her first goal of the year, and Kirby Anderson put the team up by three when she capitalized on a penalty kick.
Northeastern gave up just eight shots in the match and vastly outshot Loyola, 20-8. The match marked Burnett’s first collegiate shutout and 100th career victory for head coach Leone.
Despite the victory over Loyola, the Huskies weren’t able to start a winning streak and dropped the next two consecutive matches at South Carolina and Clemson.
The losing streak continued for Northeastern on Friday night when they faced LaSalle at home. Despite a scoreless first half, the Huskies maintained control of the ball and outshot the LaSalle Explorers 9-4. While LaSalle had several opportunities on the rookie Burnett, the freshman goalkeeper was able to shut down the Explorer offense.
Despite the Husky defense’s best attempts at blocking LaSalle’s continued advances in the second half, things finally clicked for the Explorers when forward Renee Washington found the back of the net with just two minutes to play in the match, making the game Northeastern’s third consecutive loss.
“We played well and played hard against Clemson and LaSalle,” Leone said. “We were really happy with the fight even though the result wasn’t what we wanted.”
After a loss at home, the Huskies looked for a victory as they headed north to battle New Hampshire on Sunday. The Wildcats gained an early lead when senior Jordyn Krall scored in just the second minute of the match, but the Huskies were quick to answer Krall’s goal when Samuelsdottir took a feed from Napoli and scored from the top of the box, tying the game with one piece.
Napoli extended the Husky lead to 2-1 in the 58th minute with an unassisted goal, bringing the senior to 29 career goals and just one goal shy of Northeastern’s all-time program record of 30 goals.
“Sunday’s game was terrific for us and we came home with a good win on the road,” Leone said. “We’re much fitter now than we were coming into the preseason. We’re going to keep trying to improve and play a high energy, physically demanding style.”
The victory brought Northeastern to 3-4-0 on the season and they sit in sixth place in the overall CAA standings.
“We’re excited to play more home games,” Zoller said. “The fans definitely have an impact; they get us amped. It’s exciting to have people in the stands motivating us to play our best.”
The Huskies will return to Parsons Field when they take on Rhode Island this Friday at 6 p.m. in the first of four consecutive home games.
