By Connor McGann, News Correspondent
The winless women’s soccer team came from down a goal against the University of Maine on Friday in order to manage a 1-1 draw in their fourth overtime game of the season. The team came into the game touting a 0-5-2 record. Despite the persistent zero in the win column, the tie came as a relief after a physical match with a bigger, more experienced team.
“It was good for us to come back from down a goal,” Head Coach Tracy Leone said, “When you’re … trying so hard to get a win then all of the sudden you get a goal scored on you and you’re actually playing well and creating some good chances, I think it was a good testament of our character to come back from down a goal.”
Much of the game was a battle for possession as the Huskies managed to outplay Maine on offense in spite of the scoreline at Parsons Field. The game-tying-goal came in the 81st minute with a brilliantly arched header from sophomore midfielder Morgan Hilby off a corner kick from senior forward Hanna Terry. Hilby’s high-flying header came after hours of repetition in practice sessions in which set-pieces are often emphasized.
“Every practice, especially before game days, we go through a lot of set pieces and a lot of corners,” Terry said. “And we had what, like eight corners this game? So I was like, ‘okay come on one of these has got to go in.’ So I just knew that if I was gonna hit it back post someone’s gonna be there and Morgan’s one of our strongest players in the air. So I’m stoked. She nailed exactly what we had planned in practice.”
Northeastern began the game pressing hard into Maine’s half of the field with numerous attempts to work through their back line. The Huskies ended the scoreless first half with six shots from a variety of players including Terry and Hilby. Maine finished the half with just two.
It was in the 73rd minute that Maine scored the first goal of the game after Black Bear Nikki Misener, a threat throughout the night, found a swath of open space to work with in the box. She was able to thread a pass past junior goalkeeper Paige Burnett to Jordan Pellerin. Pellerin faced nothing but an empty net ahead of her and took advantage of the opportunity.
Despite Misener’s run through the box, for most of the game, the back line lead by junior Bianca Calderone was solid. They allowed six shots from Maine, only three of which were on goal. Calderone, who has yet to play a full season due to injury, demonstrated maturity at her position as she controlled much of the play in Northeastern’s half.
“She’s playing like a great experienced leader,” Leone said. “I thought she was the class tonight. She was awesome, she was composed, she was leading, she stepped up. Honestly our whole back line played really well, it really did. And the backs are starting to come together, I think it’s a work in progress.”
As the Huskies continue to gel together, they believe they are bound to step up and win their first game of the season very soon. The players and coach alike maintain that the offense is beginning to click and the defense played a solid game for most of the night.
“We’re not down-and-out for the count,” Leone said of the team’s chances this season. “We haven’t had a win yet so you wanna have a win to get your team confident and to make them have that feeling of getting a reward for their hard work and getting a reward for their investment. And I think it’s coming and I’m really proud of our team for staying positive and really fighting for that.”
