By Jared Sugerman

Last week, the women’s hockey team may have brought new meaning to “one step forward, two steps back.”

The step forward: After letting a three-goal lead slip away at Providence, the Huskies scored two in the third and held off the Friars for a 5-4 win, their first victory of the season. By defeating Providence, Northeastern improved its Hockey East record to 1-1.

The two steps back: Back-to-back losses at home to Wayne State, who entered the weekend 4-4. Northeastern did not hold the lead at any point during the two games, and lost by a combined score of 13-4. The losses dropped the Huskies record to 1-8-1 overall, though their Hockey East record remains 1-1.

“I think that we can learn a lot from this weekend,” said head coach Laura Schuler after Sunday’s 7-2 loss. “The importance of being ready to play was probably the number one thing, and being focused and playing with intensity, because when you’re not focused, you make simple mistakes, and those simple mistakes can be really big.”

Schuler also credited Wayne State for consistently creating traffic in front of the Northeastern net. However, she believed there were times when Wayne State drove to the net a bit too zealously.

“We talked to the refs and it shouldn’t have been a goal. It was definitely interference. There should have been a penalty on it,” Schuler said, in reference to the second goal that Wayne State scored during the second period of Sunday’s game.

Northeastern also played the second game of the series without two players who have been key contributors thus far this year. Neither freshman forward Kristi Kehoe, the team’s leading scorer before Sunday, nor freshman goalie Leah Sulyma, the team’s leader in goals against average and save percentage, were on the ice Sunday.

Both left Saturday’s 6-2 loss early, as well. Kehoe went to the locker room with 8:21 left in the third period of Saturday’s game after being elbowed in the head by a Wayne State player. After Saturday’s game, she expected to be available for Sunday, but was scratched for precautionary reasons.

Sulyma did not make it to the third period of Saturday’s game. After giving up five goals on 15 shots through the first two periods Saturday, Sulyma was replaced by senior Sarah Belliveau.

Belliveau also got the start Sunday, facing a total of 53 shots over her four periods of action, making 45 saves.

“I would like to, but that’s completely up to the coaches,” Belliveau said about her prospects for getting more playing time. “So I’m just going to keep giving it everything I’ve got in practice and see what happens.”

Northeastern will go for its second straight Hockey East win tomorrow, when they will face Boston College at Conte Forum. The opening face-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.