Northeastern field hockey (4-4, 0-1 CAA) lost its Sept. 26 game to the Towson University Tigers (5-4, 1-0 CAA) 2-1 in an inauspicious start to conference play.
Senior forward Emilia Adragna scored Northeastern’s only goal during a penalty corner, her third of the season. That goal made her the season’s highest scorer, just ahead of freshman midfielder Jessica Garden, junior captain, midfielder and forward Alex Mega and sophomore defender Camille Armaganian, each with two.
Graduate student goalkeeper Arabella Loveridge made three saves, her second lowest of the season after two saves against Stonehill.
Five minutes into the game, the Huskies earned a penalty corner, inserted by senior defender and midfielder Ashley Pappas and shot by Garden, but the shot went wide. Towson earned its own four minutes later, which Loveridge blocked. She also blocked a shot and another penalty corner in the next two minutes.
But Towson’s next corner at 12 minutes yielded a successful shot, the first goal of the game.
Earlier this season, head coach Pam Spuehler said the team was working on giving up fewer penalty corners. The Huskies gave away five to Towson, which is the lowest number since their season opener. Northeastern has given up 59 corners and earned 36 in this season’s eight games.
A corner by Northeastern early in the second period was unsuccessful, but another one nine seconds later earned the Huskies their first and final goal to tie it up at 1-1.
Northeastern defenders later blocked two Towson shots five seconds apart. The Huskies yet again earned a corner, and Garden again shot wide.
Garden made another corner shot in the third quarter that Towson’s goalie blocked. A shot by senior captain, midfielder and defender Maya Prasad went wide, as well as one by a Towson player, leaving the third quarter scoreless.
With the score even going into the final quarter, Loveridge saved another corner shot by Towson, but the Tigers earned their game-winning goal a minute later. Northeastern made two shots in the last five minutes but could not even the score, giving Towson the win, 2-1.
The Huskies will head to Virginia to play their second conference game against William & Mary (1-6, 0-0 CAA) Oct. 3 at 2 p.m.
