By Eoghan Kelly, News Staff
For the first time this season, the men’s soccer team won a game on the road without going into double overtime.
The Huskies beat Drexel University 2-1 in Philadelphia on Wednesday to improve to 6-1-2 (1-0-1 Colonial Athletic Association) on the season.
After a scoreless first half in which the Huskies outshot Drexel (6-3-1) by an 8-1 margin, sophomore defenseman Simon Cox broke through to give Northeastern the lead in the 50th minute. The London native converted a free kick from freshman forward Terence Carter when he headed a ball past senior goalkeeper Tim Washam (three saves).
Senior forward Don Anding added the eventual game-winner in the 83rd minute when he beat Washam with a shot from the top of the 18-yard box. He now has seven goals and nine points in nine games.
Senior goalkeeper Oliver Blum tied his season high with five saves, but Drexel sophomore forward Fabio Machado spoiled the clean sheet with a goal in the 90th minute.
Northeastern played Virginia Commonwealth University to a mundane 1-1 tie in Richmond, Va., on Saturday, overshadowing impressive performances by Anding and Blum.
VCU dominated the first half, producing nine shots and six corners to just three and one, respectively, for Northeastern. After only 12 minutes, the Rams took a 1-0 lead when junior forward Jason Johnson capitalized on a through ball in the 18-yard box from junior midfielder Nate Shiffman and beat Blum low to the left corner.
Anding took a feed from junior midfielder Dante Marini and tucked a shot past senior goalkeeper Andrew Wells to level the score in the 58th minute.
Of Anding’s seven goals this season, two have come when the Huskies have trailed by a goal and three have been game-winners.
Blum was the story of the night, though. The North Yarmouth, Maine, native – whose 0.72 goals against average ranks in the top 30 of the NCAA – made four game-saving stops in the final 75 minutes of play to keep the score level.
The Huskies will host James Madison University at Parsons Field on Saturday at 1 p.m.
