Junior Crystal Poland fired a first-half brace as the nation's two top goalscorers went strike for strike in the first half, and senior Kaela Barker netted the winner as No. 17 Northeastern field hockey defeated Hofstra, 3-2, to win its sixth straight game.  The win moves the Huskies into second place in the CAA standings, 1.5 games behind No. 1 Old Dominion with two conference fixtures remaining.

The scoring came fast and furious as the Huskies tangled with the fifth highest scoring attack in the nation in the Pride.  After just four minutes, senior Carolyn Malloy and junior Nicky Graham combined on a penalty corner to set up Poland, who buried the shot to give Northeastern an early advantage.

Hofstra stormed back through the nation's points per game leader, Genna Kovar.  Kovar, who entered the night averaging 3.65 points per game, added to her tally with two markers inside of one minute.  The goals, her 23rd and 24th of the season, both came from the left side of the circle, and after 17 minutes, the Huskies had gone from a goal up to 2-1 down.

Just a minute later, the Huskies' trademark penalty corner execution brought the game level once again.  The recipe was the same: Malloy to Barker to Poland, with the latter delivering her 23rd goal of the season.  Pending other action around the country this evening, Poland trails only Hofstra's Kovar for the national scoring lead.

On the other side of the calamitous scoring outburst was junior Lizzie Priest, who might have come undone after allowing two in sixty seconds, but stayed strong throughout the remainder of the contest.  In contrast to Northeastern's recent win streak, Hofstra enjoyed a healthy shot advantage throughout, and laid siege to Priest's goal with 11 second-half shots, and 24 overall.  Priest, who entering tonight had stopped 30 of her last 35 shots, put a pad to 12 Hofstra shots to earn her 11th win.

With the defense standing solid, it was Barker who won it for Northeastern.   Eight minutes into the second half, Malloy found Barker at the top of the circle, and the tri-captain banged home her fourth goal of the year to give the Huskies a lead they would not relinquish. Malloy's three assists on the game bring her season total to 16, good for fifth in the country.

In keeping with the ebb and flow of the game, the Pride launched three shots on goal within minutes of Barker's tally, but once again Priest was up to the task.

It was a fitting moment for Barker, who scored the winner in anticipation of celebrating Senior Day against No. 16 Boston University on Sunday at Sweeney Field.  Northeastern will honor seniors Barker, Malloy, Keelin Quinn, Pam Aldridge, Beth Cobby and Annie Clayman in a pregame ceremony.  Game time is scheduled for 5 p.m.