By Andy MacDougall, News Staff
As it is with many sports at the start of a new year, it’s easy to point out the things that are missing on the field hockey team.
Looking at the losses Northeastern field hockey must cope with is glaring. Gone is a two-time All American, who is also the reigning Colonial Athletic Association Most Valuable Player and the program’s all-time leading scorer. The 2012 CAA Rookie of the Year is gone, as well as one of the winningest goalies in program history. Forty-six of the 62 goals scored last fall, as well as a defensive stalwart in the backfield will need to be replaced as well.
This season, like few others in the 26 years Cheryl Murtagh has been head coach, the Huskies are young — the roster being made up of eight upperclassmen and 15 underclassmen.
Twelve letterwinners from last fall anchor a roster of 11 freshmen. Some sophomores played key minutes off the bench last fall, but many more will be depended upon in game-changing situations this season. Only Lindsey Bennett, one of this year’s captains and a staple of Northeastern’s offense for the last three seasons, is a senior.
Yet the potential and excitement surrounding the 2013 field hockey season is distinctly palpable. The caliber of players Murtagh has brought in should impact the program for years to come, and in many ways, the freshmen are already starting to make their mark.
The excitement is most noticeable when players talk about their new home. After a season spent on the road and practices spent at fields of neighboring schools, Solomon Field, located within the boundaries of Solomon Track in Dedham, is home to the program’s new state-of-the-art playing surface.
Following a strong scrimmage against the University of Albany, the Huskies, ranked No. 15, finally had a true home game for the first time in nearly a year as they welcomed Monmouth University to Dedham.
After falling behind 1-0 off a set play following a penalty corner, one of Northeastern’s newest faces responded. Emmy Zweserijn, a freshman from Julianaplein, Netherlands, netted the first goal of Northeastern’s 2013 season just minutes into the second half.
The Huskies stayed resilient in the second half, taking nine total shots, but could not find the back of the cage. Once in overtime, it took only three minutes for sophomore Vanessa Pryor to net the game-winner, her first on the team, for the first win of the season.
“I really was just looking to get a corner,” Pryor said. “Once I realized the defense that was on the other team was out of position, I realized I had a one-on-one with the goalie. They were actually calling me off the field to substitute because in overtime we substitute frequently, but I didn’t know that until after the goal.”
Two nights later, the Huskies faced a true challenge against the No. 11 Wildcats of Northwestern in front of a boisterous crowd of 550-plus at Solomon Field. The first minutes were a defensive struggle for the Huskies as a relentless Northwestern attack looked for the game’s first goal.
Five minutes in, however, the Huskies had taken an early 1-0 advantage. Freshman Jessica Unger sent a ball towards goal from outside the shooting circle. The ball found the stick of sophomore Leah Edmonson, whose tip careened the ball past Northwestern’s Maddy Carpenter for the sophomore’s first collegiate goal.
“Our sophomore class has been stepping it up,” Murtagh said. “Vanessa scored the other day, Leah, Zoey [Kale]. They’re stepping up, and I think we need it a little bit more.”
It didn’t take long before Northwestern answered, however, as a goal 2:15 later from Nikki Parsley beat freshman netminder Becky Garner to tie the score.
The rest of the first half was a neutral zone battle, with both teams sending near-misses just wide of the net.
In the second half, the Wildcats potted three goals to put the game out of reach. Dominique Masters and Carolin Troncelliti scored eight minutes apart to send Northwestern to a 3-1 lead. Zweserijn scored her second tally in as many days with just over eight minutes remaining to bring the Huskies back to within one, but Tara Puffenberger reclaimed the two-goal lead for the Wildcats with a goal off the penalty corner with 3:31 remaining.
“It boosts my confidence,” Zweserijn said of her early impact. “I’ll keep trying to do my best, but of course, the team is more important than my goals.”
“I think Northwestern was a good experience for the underclassmen because it was a game where you either give 100 percent or you get off the field,” Pryor said. “I think it was perfect to have that in the beginning of the season because they know the level they need to be at to be on the field.”
The first few games are bound to carry some growing pains for the Huskies, but that is to be expected. Many of the stars and role-players the program has relied on are gone, players fans have come to know by name.
Those days may be gone, but the expectations remain the same.
