By Bailey Knecht, sports editor

With the home-opener came the first win of the season for the Northeastern field hockey team. This past Sunday, the Huskies took on Providence College at Dedham Field, defeating the Friars 5-3.

After falling to Temple University and University of Maryland last week in Lancaster, the Huskies looked to turn around their slow start to the season.

“The opening [weekend] was a little bit disappointing,” head coach Cheryl Murtagh said. “I thought they stepped it up and played a complete game this time.”

With the win, Northeastern now has an all-time 19-7 record against Providence.

“Providence is a very good field hockey team, so winning is not a thing we take for granted,” coach Murtagh said. “Our team is just working very hard right now.”

Solid defense led to a number of Northeastern fast-break opportunities. Goals were spread across the board for the Huskies as four different players scored in the matchup. Sophomore midfielder Natalie Stewart was the star of the game, with one goal and four assists.

“I do think Nat had a good game, she had some great assists,” Murtagh said.

Stewart also pushed the ball more on attack with great success, according to the longtime head coach. Northeastern outshot Providence 13-11 in the game.

Redshirt junior defender Kate Carlson also had a strong game, putting two points on the scoreboard for Northeastern.

Redshirt senior captain Kelly Dunn scored the first point of the game just under 13 minutes in, marking the forward’s only goal of the season thus far.

Just two minutes later, the Friars tied it up with a goal from Providence senior Daniella Bernasconi, who now has three goals on the season.

The Huskies widened the gap in the second half with goals from Stewart, Carlson and sophomore forward Emmy Zweserijn. Carlson proved that she is a force to be reckoned with when she drilled a shot into the net at just under 56 minutes and another 10 minutes later.

Many of the veterans have improved in terms of leadership, according to Murtagh.

“The sophomores understand what is really expected of them more than last year,” Murtagh said. “The seasoned players have made sure that everyone is held accountable.”

Sophomore goalkeeper Becky Garner had three clutch saves to ensure the victory. She now has 13 saves on the season and a .56 save percentage. Before the matchup, Providence goalie Diedra Clymer had only allowed two goals in 2014. She now has 16 saves and a .615 save percentage.

Northeastern returns to Dedham Field on Friday to take on Dartmouth College.

“We need to play better defense while maintaining our offense,” Murtagh said of the upcoming match. “It’s important we stay consistent in our performance.”

Photo by Jim Pierce, Northeastern Athletics