By Matthew MacCormack, news correspondent
It was exciting while it lasted, but the Northeastern women’s soccer team’s winning streak finally came to an end against the Hofstra University Pride.
With a 65th minute corner kick goal proving to be the difference in a tight 1-0 contest, the Pride snapped the Huskies’ five-game winning streak Saturday in Hempstead, N.Y.
Hofstra (8-6-0) was picked by many as a preseason favorite to lead the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA), but coming in it was NU who held the top spot in the CAA rankings with an unblemished 4-0-0 conference record. All eyes fell on Long Island as Hofstra’s potent offense was set to battle the impressive back line of Northeastern.
It proved to be a back-and-forth fight all afternoon, with the game remaining close until the final whistle. The Huskies had two chances in the closing minutes of the first half but failed to capitalize on their opportunities. Sophomore midfielder Kimberly Slade had a shot on frame in the 39th minute, but was denied by Hofstra’s sophomore keeper Friederike Mehring. Minutes later, NU sophomore striker Taylor Caparo came within inches of a goal when her effort collided with the crossbar after sailing past the outstretched arms of Mehring. The half ended with the score knotted at 0.
In the second half, Hofstra’s offense finally got its break. The Pride earned a 65th minute corner kick and freshman midfielder Emily Hulbert was there to slot home the eventual game-winner against the Huskies. Northeastern would have one more chance to equalize in the closing minutes when redshirt sophomore midfielder Breeana Koemans fired a corner kick into the box, but sophomore defender Mackenzie Dowd couldn’t place her header into the back of the net. Despite mustering 12 shots over the course of the game, NU was unable to alter the 1-0 score.
Although the Huskies (9-4-2) suffered their first conference loss, it’s not time to panic for NU. Hulbert’s game-winner was the first goal scored on Northeastern in 514 minutes of play, a statistic that Head Coach Tracey Leone called “extraordinary.” In addition, senior keeper Paige Burnett and the rest of the Huskies lead the nation with 0.253 goals against average.
The women will try to get back on track this weekend with road games against the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and the College of Charleston. Leone knows how grueling the conference schedule can be, and with more travel on the horizon she said she tried to give her players some rest over the long weekend.
“Hopefully they’re really refreshed and rejuvenated and got some time away from soccer a little bit,” Leone said. “They got a nice little break and are ready to refocus and go on the road again.”
Photo courtesy Jim Pierce, Northeastern Athletics
