Mari Creatini’s goal to tie the Northeastern field hockey team’s single season scoring record was almost anti-climatic.
The 12th ranked Huskies led visiting Maine 3-0 and were well on their way to trouncing yet another America East opponent. With four minutes left in the Saturday game, NU’s Jay Quinn fired a shot at the Maine net that was saved and smothered by goalie Jaye Lance, resulting in a penalty stroke. Creatini was automatic with the free shot, burying it in the lower lefthand corner for her 24th goal of the season, sealing the 4-0 victory and tying the mark set by Kelly Wilk in 1990 and matched in 1997 by Keri Bettenhauser. Senior captain Sara Webber scored the second goal of the game, swatting a bouncing ball past the Black Bear goalie from the top of the circle.
For the fifth week in a row, Creatini led the nation in goals (24), goals per game (1.41), points (60) and points per game (3.53).
The tally was Creatini’s third of the game (her fifth of the season) and keyed a welcomed victory for the Huskies, who fell 2-0 to rival UConn, the no. 13 team in the country on Wednesday. The loss was only their fifth at Sweeney since NU adopted the site as their home field.
“I’m really happy how the team pulled together, the commitment was there,” said head coach Cheryl Murtagh after the Maine victory. “They really played a great game and made some great decisions.”
Murtagh also had praise for her junior forward after she tied the school’s scoring record.
“[Mari] has some great offensive skill,” she said. “I love the fact that our offense has come along and she really helps because she can finish.”
Creatini deferred when asked about her record-tying season.
“I just play,” she said. “I’m not into the whole individual aspect, I’m just happy as long as the team’s winning.”
Northeastern struck 10 minutes into the game when Creatini deflected a Quinn shot that bypassed Lance’s legs and into the net. Quinn was involved in the action all day, getting an assist on the first goal and taking the shot that resulted in Creatini’s penalty shot.
Webber potted her sixth goal of the season three minutes later, sniping the near corner off a broken penalty corner.
Creatini tallied the game’s third goal by dribbling out of traffic and whistling a shot past the keeper from 15 yards out.
The ball just didn’t bounce Northeastern’s way in the first half Wednesday against rival UConn. Despite having a 4-2 penalty corner advantage and peppering goalie Melissa Bostwick with shots, NU came out empty-handed.
With 10 minutes left in the first half, Northeastern goalie Diane Nelson came up with a pair of spectacular saves. The first came as she turned away two rebounds off a penalty corner and kicked the ball to safety. Seconds later made a diving blocker save to avert a goal.
The effort was futile, as a minute later Connecticut counterattacked to spring Mary Jo Malone in alone on Nelson for the go-ahead goal. The score would stay at 1-0 going into halftime.
In the second half, any Northeastern attack evaporated, as the home squad languished with only one penalty corner and zero shots.
“In the first half we had our chances, no doubt, we just missed those opportunities,” said Murtagh. “In the second half we just caved.”
Nelson had a season-high nine saves, some of them the most challenging of the season. Despite her effort, Northeastern dropped to 26-5 over two-and-a-half years at Sweeney Field.
