By James Duffy, news correspondent
On a crucial road trip to Virginia, the Northeastern University (NU) field hockey team (4-10) took down the College of William & Mary on Friday, notching its first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) victory. However, the women could not overcome No. 18 James Madison University (JMU) and lost 3-1 on Sunday.
Against the Tribe of William & Mary on Friday afternoon, NU came away with a 2-1 win with goals from sophomore forwards Mia Martin and Kristin Abreu. Martin’s goal was the first of her collegiate career.
Abreu scored the game-winner with 10 seconds left off of a penalty stroke.
“It was nerve-wracking,” Abreu said in an email to The News. “With 10 seconds left, the power was in my hands to dictate the final outcome of a very competitive match… it was terrifying. Nothing could take away the joy I felt the moment I knew we had achieved our first CAA win.”
The Huskies only managed six shots on net but were able to make the most of their limited offensive opportunities. Freshman forwards June Curry-Lindahl and Abbey MacLellan each had a pair of shots on goal in the contest.
Junior goalkeeper Becky Garner had another strong game, stopping nine of the 10 shots that came her way.
“It was a relief, a confidence boost and a statement we needed for ourselves and for our competitors,” Abreu said.
Against a strong JMU team on Sunday, the Huskies were unable to overcome an early deficit. The Dukes scored three goals in the first half and Northeastern only managed to score once.
The lone Husky goal came from MacLellan, who, like Martin, scored the first goal of her career.
Garner made eight stops in the game, bringing her season total to 100 saves.
The Huskies now have a 1-2 record in the CAA, placing them sixth in the conference with four games remaining in the regular season. To make the CAA tournament, Northeastern will need to fight its way to a top-four spot.
The four remaining games are against CAA opponents. Head Coach Cheryl Murtagh is confident in the team’s chances to rise in the standings.
“Based on their attitudes and the way we’ve been improving, I really like our odds to get into the tournament,” she said. “We have players stepping up, and our young forwards are playing well.”
Next weekend will feature just one game for the Huskies when they host the University of Louisville at Dedham Field on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Photo courtesy Jim Pierce, Northeastern Athletics
