Box score

The Northeastern University field hockey team earned its first win of the season Sunday afternoon as sophomore Carolyn Malloy's double overtime goal propelled the Huskies to a hard-fought victory against California at Maxwell Family Field.

Crystal Poland scored two goals for the Huskies and attempted a game-high five shots, all of which were on goal.

It was Poland who opened the scoring just 1:25 into the game as she blasted the ball past Cal keeper Maddie Hand off a penalty corner. Junior Anne-Rieke Stuhlmann was credited with the first assist as she placed the ball on the stick of a waiting Carolyn Malloy, who set it up for Poland's drive. It was the first goal allowed by the Golden Bears in 2009.

The lead was short lived, however, as the Golden Bears evened the score ten minutes later after a defensive miscue in the Husky end. Junior Natalie Nurnberg jumped on a loose ball and beat NU keeper Lizzie Priest for the game-tying goal.

Nurnberg then un-tied the game six minutes into the second half when she redirected an Erin Magill feed into the back of the net to give Cal a 2-1 advantage.

Down but not out, the Huskies battled back to even the score with three and a half minutes to play in regulation. Poland was able to dig the ball out of a scrum in front of the Cal net and push the ball across the goal line for the tie.

After a scoreless first overtime period, the Huskies finally got the goal that would earn them their first win in 2009. Sophomore Kaela Barker, the reigning CAA Rookie of the Year, fed Malloy for the winner at the 90:37 mark of the game on the team's 12th shot of the contest.

Poland now leads the team with five points in three games and Malloy is second with three points in three games. Anne-Rieke Stuhlmann earned her first point of the season today with an assist on Poland's first goal.

The Huskies return to the East Coast for a game at Quinnipiac on Friday, Sept. 11 at 4 p.m.