Box Score Box score

The Northeastern men's soccer team defeated Marist College, 2-0, in their home opener at Parsons Field on Thursday night.

After an evenly matched first 20 minutes, the Huskies got on the board first.

Forward Mike Kennedy released Ricardo McDonald with a pass down the left sideline. McDonald cut inside on his right foot at the top of the penalty area, before playing the ball back across to Kennedy in space on the opposite side of the box. Kennedy hesitated briefly to let the play develop, before playing the ball square across the area, where an arriving Dante Marini dispatched it coolly into the back of the net for his first collegiate goal. Kennedy and McDonald picked up their first assists of the year on the play.

Northeastern continued to press following the tally, as they looked to place a stranglehold on the contest. Ryan Burnham had a strong penalty appeal turned down after being brought down inside the penalty area following a clever run into box, while Mike Kennedy's shot from distance was only punched away nervously by Marist keeper Steve Skonieczny.

The offensive pressure, combined with another strong defensive effort, had Marist chasing the game as the contest ticked into the second half.

That pressure was rewarded seven minutes after the intermission, as Kennedy and Marini combined to score the second Husky goal, this time with Kennedy filling the role of goal scorer.

After a quick 1-2 combination, Kennedy found himself with a yard of space at the top of the penalty area. The senior wasted no time getting the ball on net, as he buried his shot low to the left of the keeper, killing off the game in the process.

The win lifts Northeastern's record to 2-0-0 heading into Sunday's game against Harvard. Kick-off for that match is at 7 p.m at Soldier Field Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium.

A replay of this game is available on GoNUxstream. GoNUxstream is free to all viewers and features live and on-demand video and audio broadcasts, as well as live game stats, and is accessible on PC and Mac computers, as well as on iPhones, iPads and Android phones.