Box Score | 2011 Media Guide

ORONO, Maine – On the strength of two goals and an assist from Crystal Poland, the Northeastern field hockey team opened its 2011 regular season with a 3-2 win over the Maine Black Bears on Friday night.

The Huskies (1-0) trailed, 1-0, just 1:10 into the first half before Poland took command of the game, scoring twice in a 4:11 span to put the Huskies up, 2-1. Senior forward Carolyn Malloy notched the eventual game-winner just 1:56 into the second stanza and junior goalkeeper Lizzie Priest made seven saves to preserve the victory.

Maine (0-1) took an early lead when Stephanie Gardiner, stationed at the left post, took a feed from Kelly Newton and put it in the back of the cage.

Poland, the CAA preseason Player of the Year, responded at the 3:33 mark of the first frame when she carried the ball in alone and blasted a shot from the right side past Maine goalkeeper Brittany Fleck (six saves) to even the score, 1-1.

The Huskies earned a penalty corner nearly four minutes later, and after an insert from Malloy, junior forward Nicky Graham stopped the ball for her classmate Poland, who rocketed a shot in the back of the cage for the 2-1 lead with just 8:45 gone by in the first half.

Northeastern opened the second half with a bang. Poland rushed up the field and evaded several defenders before dishing the ball to her right, where Malloy was set up for the finish to give NU a 3-1 lead.

Gardiner scored off a penalty corner at the 48:31 mark to bring the Black Bears within a goal, but that was the last blemish on Priest's performance. Her best and most important save of the evening came in the waning minutes when she stacked the pads and denied Maine the tying goal off of a penalty corner.

It was the first time since 2008 that the Huskies opened the regular season with a victory. They have now won seven straight meetings with Maine, dating back to the 2002 America East tournament.

Northeastern was scheduled to travel to Providence for a 1 p.m. tilt on Sunday, Aug. 28, but due to the forecasted storm this weekend, that game was rescheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 30, at 6 p.m.