By By Jonathan Raymond, News Staff

A weekend that began on a high with the women’s soccer team beating Boston University 1-0 Friday night ended on a low yesterday afternoon when the Huskies traveled to Maine and fell 4-1.
In Northeastern’s last non-conference game before Colonial Athletic Association play begins Thursday, the Huskies allowed a goal in the fourth minute and couldn’t rebound from there, allowing three more over the course of play including an own goal in the 69th minute.
Head coach Ed Matz said he was disappointed with the result against a Maine team he felt his squad was more talented than. He said he thought the team’s mental miscues ultimately undid them.
‘It’s very disappointing,’ he said. ‘It was a game that we really had no business losing. We did not play well, we came out flat, we were very tired.’
The Black Bears struck early when Laura Martel scored on a cross from the left post by Carolyne Nellis. Maine struck again in the 39th minute, courtesy of Josee Descoeurs’ first goal of the season, and sealed it with the third goal in the 51st minute with Hannah Breton’s goal, her first of the season as well.
Senior captain Liza Rebello gave the Huskies their only goal of the day in the 57th minute before an own goal in the 69th made it 4-1.
‘Physically I thought we played okay, but mentally we were a step behind,’ Matz said. ‘Our passes weren’t crisp and we just didn’t read the game well.’
Yesterday’s effort was in stark contrast to the Friday victory at home over BU. Sophomore keeper Stephanie Gordon recorded her fourth shutout of the season in the 1-0 win, bringing her career total to 11, which ties her for third all-time at Northeastern.
The Huskies played a tight defensive match against BU, shutting down a frenzied Terrier attack that took 19 shots, though only five on goal. NU put six shots on goal. Northeastern’s goal came early, in the ninth minute, when sophomore forward Veronica Napoli connected on a low shot on a pass from freshman forward Sandra Magnusdottir. The goal was Napoli’s first of the season.
But it was yesterday’s startling loss to Maine that stuck with Matz and his squad he said. Maine was just 2-3-1 coming into the match, and the Huskies were flying high after quality back-to-back wins over New Hampshire and BU. Matz said the effort expelled in the game against the Terriers may have left NU feeling drained.
‘We put a lot of emotion, a lot of energy into the BU game Friday,’ he said, ‘and we played a well-rested Maine team that was well prepared for us. I still felt that we had enough talent to win this game today, and I’m disappointed that mentally we weren’t as prepared as we should have been.’
The split for the weekend leaves the Huskies at 5-2 as they are about to begin the conference portion of the schedule. Drexel will be the first test, when NU travels to Philadelphia to play the Dragons Thursday at 4 p.m. before hosting Delaware Sunday 1 p.m. at Parsons Field.

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