Northeastern women’s soccer (0-6-3, 0-1 CAA) looked to bounce back Sept. 22 against Elon (6-0-1) after suffering a five goal deficit and loss Sept. 19, but the Huskies fell to the Phoenixes, 2-1. 

From the whistle, Northeastern controlled the game with great possession and ball movement in Elon’s half. In the second minute, fifth-year midfielder and captain Jessie Hunt took a free kick for Northeastern outside Elon’s box, leading to a dangerous attacking opportunity that was narrowly cleared away by the Phoenixes. Elon quickly responded with a free kick outside Northeastern’s box, which was saved by graduate student goalkeeper Sophie Theresia Augustin. In the fifth minute, Elon had another shot on goal that sailed over the crossbar, fueling Northeastern to pick up their game. 

The Huskies moved play back into their attacking half, and got the first corner of the game in the seventh minute. Crossed in by Hunt, the ball streaked into the box, but went wide off a diving header from graduate student defender Jayden Newkirk. Junior midfielder Maggie Cochran followed up with another long ball across the net, but Elon’s freshman goalkeeper, Katie Bisgrove, came off her line to intercept. As Northeastern continued to create opportunities on goal, Elon managed to keep holding off their attack, so the Huskies struggled to find the back of the net.

Nevertheless, Northeastern was persistent, and their hard work paid off in the 18th minute when a corner from graduate student defender Faith Rosenblatt found junior midfielder Ava Nace in the box, who tapped the ball right past Bisgroves to put Northeastern up 1-0. Elon ramped up their intensity, but the Huskies stayed aggressive despite their early lead and kept generating chances in their final third. 

In the 27th minute, a strike from distance by graduate student defender Addison Davis missed the top corner of the frame by inches, and a minute later, a cross from Hunt was intercepted by Bisgrove. As Northeastern continued to miss chances, Elon started to turn the game around. The Phoenixes sent a threatening through ball past Northeastern’s defense, their first attacking opportunity in a while, but it was saved by Augustin. Elon continued to hold play within the Huskies’ defensive third, and in the 34th minute, a loose ball near the box was settled by Gabby Hoschek, who placed it right past Augustin to tie up the game.

After relaxing in their lead, it was time for Northeastern to swing into action to regain control of the match. A minute after the Phoenixes’ goal, freshman forward Lughano Nyondo got a shot on net that was deflected by Bisgrove, and the rebound shot by senior forward Megan Putvinski was cleared off the goal line by Elon’s defense. Northeastern followed this chance with a few more shots wide and high of the crossbar, but with no successes, the first half ended in a 1-1 draw.

As the teams retook the field for the second half, both were eager for a game-winning goal. Northeastern continued to keep play in Elon’s half and build around their box, keeping Bisgrove on her toes. In the 48th minute, senior defender Natalie Olsen had a dangerous shot from almost 30 yards out that sailed just over the crossbar. After a couple more close calls from the Huskies’ offense, Elon transitioned the game back into Northeastern’s half. In the 58th minute, senior forward Kelly Degnan took the ball down the left flank and crossed it into the box, reaching sophomore midfielder Ava Hellner near the goal line, who found the back of Northeastern’s net.

After their early lead, the Huskies were now down 2-1. Elon, in the lead for the first time all game, played strategically and transitioned into a deeper defensive line. They needed to hold on for 30 more minutes to get the win, so they kept a disciplined, compact shape to keep Northeastern out of their box. 

As Northeastern tried to come back and Elon fought to preserve their lead, both teams started fouling, leading to free kicks for both sides. In the 84th minute, a free kick from senior defender Katherine Marchesseault soared into the box, but multiple players went down in a scuffle and no one got a touch on it, so it went out for a corner. Northeastern started to solve Elon’s compact defense in the last ten minutes and earned itself two corners, but both were cleared out by Elon. Seconds before the final whistle, Northeastern had its final chance as Davis sent a ball towards the net, but Bisgrove made the save to solidify the win. Despite Northeastern’s dominance in possession and goal-scoring opportunities, Elon managed to capitalize on their limited opportunities to eke out the 2-1 victory.

Northeastern will take to the road Sept. 26, facing reigning CAA Champion Towson at 4 p.m.