The men’s soccer team has been having a season that gives most fans heart attacks. All but two of its eight games have been decided by one goal or less, with five of those going to double overtime. They make it impossible to know the result of the game until the final whistle.
The Huskies have a 5-1-2 overall record, and their only Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) game thus far (against William & Mary on Sept. 22) ended in a 1-1 tie. They are now on a four-game unbeaten streak, with a 2-0-2 record during those games.
But they have struggled offensively throughout the first stretch of the season. Their 5-2 win over the College of the Holy Cross on Sept. 25 marks only the second time the Huskies have score more than one goal in a game this season.
Northeastern’s biggest star has been senior forward Don Anding, who was named CAA Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 1 after a hat trick against Holy Cross and the equalizing tally against Virginia Commonwealth University. Anding leads the Huskies with six goals and two assists in eight games, with two of his goals being game-winners. He is also ranked third in the conference in points and goals.
Unfortunately, they have had difficulty finding another offensive threat. Anding accounts for just under half of the Huskies goals and one-third of the team’s total shots. While he has been playing sensationally, the Huskies have to find a way to give him support.
Freshman forward Terence Carter and sophomore forward Donovan Fayd’Herbe de Maudave each have two goals and no assists. Carter has only played in four games, so hopefully he can help the Huskies offense as he gets more playing time.
Without a second offensive threat, the Huskies will have trouble winning games because teams could try to lock down Anding. Either Carter or Fayd’Herbe de Maudave – or both – will need to provide that support for the Huskies to continue winning games.
Northeastern’s defense has been outstanding at keeping the Huskies alive late in games. Starting senior goalkeeper Oliver Blum has only allowed five goals in 628:30 of playing time and touts an impressive 0.72 goals against average (GAA), the highest in the CAA. With him in net, the Huskies are 5-0-2.
Freshman goalkeeper Dylan Faber also has had a good start at Northeastern. He has a GAA of 1.38 in 261:38. The defense and the goalies have kept the Huskies in tight games, including the five double OT games. The Huskies also have three shutouts through the first eight games.
Northeastern matches up very well in the conference on defense. They are tied with James Madison University for first place in the division in goals against (9) but fall at only seventh in goals per game (1.62). Old Dominion University leads the conference with 3.12 goals per game, which is a large difference to make up if the Huskies want make a run for the CAA Championship – but that’s still a long time away.
In the meantime, Northeastern continued conference play last night on the road on the road against Drexel University (6-2-1), pulling off at 2-0 regulation win.
The Dragons had been involved in higher scoring games than the Huskies, but also have let up more goals. Drexel is ranked third in the conference in goals per game with 2 and is ranked fifth in goals allowed with 1.22 per game.
As long as the Huskies’ defense continues to play at the same level they have all year, they should be in a lot of close games. However, it seems that at some point in conference play, they will need an offense to emerge. They have an impressive record, but five of their games have gone to double overtime.
Unless someone can step up to support Anding and present a bona fide one-two scoring punch, Northeastern may not be able to keep up its impressive record with so many games coming down to the final minutes.
– Chris Judd can be reached at [email protected]
