Box Score | 2011 Media Guide

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Junior forward Crystal Poland netted a hat trick and sophomore forward Hannah Hoelscher potted her first collegiate goal to lead Northeastern past Providence, 4-0, on Tuesday night.

Poland, the CAA preseason Player of the Year, now has five goals in the Huskies' first two games of the 2011 season. Junior goalkeeper Lizzie Priest made seven saves to earn her first shutout of the year.

Northeastern (2-0) opened the scoring just 1:05 into the proceedings when Poland converted the Huskies' first penalty corner of the contest. Senior forward Carolyn Malloy and junior forward Nicky Graham earned assists on Poland's third goal of the year.

Then, at 15:25 of the first half, Poland struck again off of a penalty corner. Senior forward Annie Clayman served as the insert while Graham earned her second assist of the evening as a stick stopper. Graham, along with Malloy, now has assists in each of the first two games this year.

The Crofton, British Columbia, native completed the hat trick at the 50:44 mark of the game when she beat Providence (0-2) goalkeeper Kathi Weidman (seven saves) low to the right corner to make it 3-0.

Hoelscher gave the Huskies a 4-0 lead when she capitalized after a scramble in front of the Friars' net. She is just the third different scorer for Northeastern this season. Poland and Malloy are the other two Huskies to have hit the back of the cage in 2011.

The Huskies have won four straight road games at Providence dating back to a 3-2 win on Sept. 16, 2009. This is also the first time since 2004 that Northeastern has won its first two games of the year. That year, the Huskies began the season 6-0 and finished with an 18-4 record en route to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

NU returns to action on Saturday, Sept. 3, when the Huskies face Lafayette. The game will take place at Jordan Field on the campus of Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. Game time is set for 12 p.m.