By Andy MacDougall, News Staff
The Northeastern field hockey team got back to its winning ways Sunday afternoon at Solomon Field in Dedham, snapping a six-game skid by upending the La Salle University Explorers full name by a score of 5-3.
“It’s a game where we needed to come out strong,” freshman Natalie Stewart said. “We were saying this was the start to the second half of our season, so to get the win today and to win from here on out, that was our goal. This is just a starting point for us.”
From the first whistle, the Huskies showed great pressure through the offensive zone, and it paid off early. Taking the ball from the top left of the circle, Stewart spun and rifled a shot that snuck past La Salle goalie Lisa Shaffer. The goal was Stewart’s third of the season, and gave the Huskies the quick, 1-0 lead just 2:22 into the contest.
The Explorers would knot the game at one just five minutes later. Maddy Tettelbach jammed home a rebound past Northeastern netminder Becky Garner following a shot from Olivia Shoemaker.
Northeastern would reclaim the lead less than a minute later as Stewart struck again. Looking the part of a seasoned softball player, Stewart batted a bouncing bid out of midair and into the back of the cage, putting the Huskies back on top, 2-1.
“The second [goal] was more of a lucky baseball swing,” Stewart admitted. “It just popped up, but I managed to make contact with it. I don’t think the goalie saw it coming.”
The score would remain in favor of the Huskies through halftime, but Tettelbach would again tie things for La Salle as she hammered home a loose ball less than four minutes into the second half.
The Huskies would respond with a trio of goals to clinch their first win since Sept. 13. Freshman Emmy Zweserijn made something out of nothing 15 minutes into the second half, dribbling the ball along the goal line to the left of the cage before tucking it just inside the far post for a 3-2 Northeastern lead. Alyssa Carlson and Hannah Wein were credited with the assists on Zweserijn’s sixth goal of the season.
Eight minutes later, senior Lindsay Bennett tallied the game-winner off the redirection of a Kelly Dunn shot. The goal was Bennett’s fifth goal of the season – matching her career-high in just 11 games played – and gave Northeastern the 4-2 advantage.
Vanessa Pryor added an insurance goal with a redirection of her own, this one off of a Caroline Judge shot from the right side of the circle. Shoemaker would cut the Explorer deficit to two with 5:58 remaining, but the Huskies would hold on for the win.
“We worked on [tip drills] in practice yesterday, actually,” Bennett said. “I think a very positive aspect of today was our circle entries, where we were able to take the ball on an angle and just cross it into the circle. We had people on the post having their stick there ready to receive the ball and score. “
For her efforts, Stewart was named the Colonial Athletic Association’s Rookie of the Week for the week of Oct. 8. For Stewart, a freshman from Vancouver, British Columbia, the award is the first of her collegiate career and serves as the program’s first accolade from the conference this season.
Northeastern will return to the pitch in search of its first back-to-back wins since early September as they welcome Drexel University to Solomon Field Friday at 6 p.m. before heading to Orono for a date with the Maine full name Black Bears Sunday at 3 p.m.
