By Brad Rosenberg

One would think that a 3-0 loss to Hartford and a 2-0 loss to Brown University would be a tell-tale sign of a broken winning streak for the Huskies, but, in actuality, these girls are doing quite well.

“We played the best game we’ve played against [those teams] in three years,” women’s soccer coach Ed Matz said. “I don’t think we could play much better than that.”

Now 4-5-1, the Huskies seem to have hit their mid-season stride. This is in stark contrast to last year’s team, which began with a string of wins and deteriorated as the season passed.

“We’re playing very good soccer right now,” Matz said. “And this is the time [of the season] when you want to play good soccer.”

The Bear’s junior Molly Cahan, scored the first goal of the night at 28:26, tapping it past Slowik with the assist of senior Kristin Nabb.

The game-winning goal was made by senior Laura Iden, at the 81:20 mark. The score was her third goal of the season.

The Hartford game was more of the same.

One player that shined brightly during the two games was Husky goalkeeper, Cynthia Slowik. With eight saves in the Hartford game Sunday, and nine during the Brown game Tuesday, Slowik has made major contributions.

“Cynthia plays well,” Matz said, “but she’s learning, just like the rest of the team.”

The first shot that got by Slowik, during the Hartford game, came during the first half. Slowik slipped while backing up, allowing the Hawks the first goal of the game. Hartford senior defender, Annika Michaels, netted her first goal of the season with the shot.

The Huskies were able to hold off the Hawks until the 54th minute, when junior Cindy Walsh assisted senior Katharina Linder to her fourth goal of the season.

The third and final goal came at 81:48, when Walsh raised her season point tally to four, with a well-placed volley.

Despite the losses, this youthful soccer team shows promise. With players like sophomore, mid-fielder Liz Dyjak, who Matz describes as “an outstanding player,” the 2002 Huskies have more consistency than the teams of the past.

Most importantly, the Huskies’ coach feels confident about the team.

“We didn’t start off [the Brown game] well,” Matz said, “but we played well throughout. Next year we’ll [beat Brown].

“This team is gonna be very, very good. The most important thing is that we’re enjoying every game and every practice.”