A season that began with so much promise for the field hockey team came to end with a loud thud this past weekend.
The Huskies were picked third in the Colonial Athletic Association’s (CAA) preseason coaches’ poll and received several votes in the National Field Hockey Association’s preseason coaches’ poll.
The team entered the weekend needing to win a pair of road games against No. 5 James Madison (16-2, 8-0 CAA) and Virginia Commonwealth (5-14, 1-7 CAA). Instead, they dropped both games by a combined score of 7-0.
The Dukes peppered twelve shots in the first half, including seven on goal. Senior Colleen Duffy turned away all seven to keep JMU off the board.
But the Huskies weren’t quite as lucky in the second half, as James Madison kept up their offensive pressure, getting off eleven shots in the half. Five of those found the net, starting four minutes into the second half when forward Ashley Walls sent a pass from the right side of the circle to forward Meghan Bain. Bain laced a shot from four yards out that made its way past Duffy, giving the Dukes a 1-0 lead.
The Huskies weren’t able to generate much offense, as they were out-shot 23-2. JMU piled on four more goals, finishing with a decisive 5-0 victory. Duffy finished with eleven saves for Northeastern.
On Sunday, VCU scored two second half goals to secure a 2-0 shutout. The Huskies out-shot the Rams 12-9, but weren’t able to find the net.
The Huskies finished with an overall record of 7-13, including a 1-7 mark in CAA play. The one conference win was the lowest ever in head coach Cheryl Murtagh’s Husky career. This season was also the team’s third straight season with an overall losing record, after only posting one such season since 1982.
Despite the disappointing season, several Huskies finished among CAA leaders in scoring.
Sophomore forward Pam Aldridge’s ten goals led the team and were a good tie for seventh in the CAA. Sophomore Anne-Reike Stuhlmann finished with a team-leading nine assists, which placed her in a tie for fifth in the league.
Murtagh could not be reached for comment.
