Apparently the women’s soccer team isn’t made up of many Oakland A’s fans.
The team, along with a small group of supporters, gathered Monday night in the George Makris Varsity Club in Matthews Arena to watch the NCAA women’s soccer selection show on the 8 p.m. edition of ESPNEWS.
But the opening segment was dominated by news regarding the trade of slugger Matt Holliday from the Colorado Rockies to Oakland, eliciting scattered groans from the team. But those groans were replaced by a wave of cheers when it was announced several minutes later that Northeastern had drawn Harvard as a first round matchup in the Huskies’ first ever NCAA appearance.
“It’s going to be a great game, I’m really happy with the draw,” head coach Ed Matz said. “We played them early on in the season, they beat us 2-1 in overtime [but] it was a back and forth match. It could have gone either way.”
It’s fitting that news of the Holliday trade preceded the selection announcements, as Holliday’s former team, the Rockies, rode an amazing second-half improvement to a National League Pennant in 2007 after finishing last in their division the year before.
The Huskies’ 2008 season could be summed up in much of the same way.
The overtime loss Sept. 17 dropped Northeastern’s season record to 3-3-1. Since then, they’ve gone 10-5, thanks in large to part to an improved defense.
“It’s going to be an exciting match,” Matz said. “The one thing that is different from when we played them is that our defense is vastly improved. We haven’t given up a lot of quality shots. Our defense is organized [now].”
Harvard (10-3-4, 5-1-1 Ivy) clinched the Ivy League title by defeating Columbia in double-overtime Saturday. Including this season’s loss, Northeastern is 0-3-1 all-time against the Crimson.
The Huskies were slotted in the Notre Dame Region and will play Harvard at 7 p.m. at Boston College’s Newton Soccer Field Friday. No. 10 BC (13-5-2, 6-3-1 ACC) will play Northeast Conference (NEC) champs Central Connecticut (12-6-4, 7-2 NEC) at 4 p.m.
While Northeastern is staying close to home, America East champion Boston University (15-5-1, 8-0 America East) will travel to Utah to face defending champion and No. 8 USC (15-4-1, 5-3-1 PAC-10).
William ‘ Mary (14-6-1, 9-2 Colonial Athletic Association) and James Madison (12-6-2, 8-3 CAA), who the Huskies beat in the CAA semifinal, are also among the 64 teams going to the tournament.
“You can see the difference in our conference when we get to stay home regionally and they [the selection committee] send a very, very good team like BU out to face USC, who’s a No. 1 seed. You can see what they think of the CAA,” Matz said.
While the trip to the tournament might be sinking in now, Monday was still a blur for much of the team, who didn’t get home until 2 a.m.
“I’ve been walking on campus trying to make up all my tests and stuff and then I just stop and smile, and I’m like ‘wow,'” said senior defender and co-captain Emilee Ellison.
