By Jason Kornwitz

Coming into the season, women’s soccer coach Ed Matz said that offense would be his team’s greatest strength.

Now, eleven games into the schedule, the Huskies find themselves winless in their last six games and shut out in four of those contests. NU fell 2-1 to a Delaware team that marched into Parsons Field last Friday and was blanked 1-0 on Sunday at Drexel. The losses bring NU’s record to 3-7-1 and 0-3 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play.

“The more you press, the harder it becomes to score goals,” Matz said. “We do have to solve our scoring woes, and it’s gotten to a point where it’s a real concern of ours.”

Despite dominating the majority of play against a Drexel team that improved to 6-4-1 on the season and 1-2 in the CAA, the Huskies failed to score a single goal. Although NU notched eight shots on net compared to the Dragons’ two, Drexel managed to capitalize on their first opportunity 28 minutes into the game. Sophomore Katie Kane ripped a shot that beat NU goalie Mariel Wilner high and to her right.

With the shutout, NU has tallied only two goals in its last six games.

“There’s only so many times that we can say that we played a team we were supposed to beat,” co-captain Tara McLarney said. “With the talent we have on this team, there’s no reason why we should not be winning.”

Earlier in the week the Huskies hosted conference foe Delaware (5-2-2, 2-0). NU fell behind 1-0 early on when midfielder Shelby Lawrence scored off of a cross from senior Mary Beth Creed.

Since switching to the CAA, Matz and his players have recognized that their conference opponents have considerably more talent than in America East play.

“It’s difficult for us to make a significant jump in our play,” Matz said. “There is parity across the whole conference. There are no poor teams.”

In the second period, tempers flared as NU senior Filippa Petrucelli and Creed were both handed yellow cards following a sideline scuffle. Soon after, the Huskies faced an even steeper deficit when the Blue Hens added another goal by Kendall Lytwynec off a rebound in front of the net.

In the 65th minute, the Huskies scored their first goal in 285 minutes. Laura Johnson headed one in off a corner kick by defender Hanna Olson, to cut the lead in half.

“A couple of [players] that scored big goals for us last year, are pressing,” Matz said. “The longer we don’t score, the harder it gets.”

With eight games remaining before the first round of the CAA Tournament, there is certainly time for the Huskies to put their scoring woes behind them and charge into the playoffs on a high.

“We’re still in charge of our own destiny,” Matz said.