BOSTON -- Coming off a 5-3 win against La Salle on Sunday afternoon, the Northeastern field hockey team closes out its five-game home stand on Friday night against CAA rival Drexel at 6 p.m. on Dedham Field. Following Friday's contest against the No. 19 Dragons, the Huskies will travel to Maine for a 3 p.m. game on Sunday.
For Northeastern students interested in attending Friday's game, shuttle buses will depart from Chicken Lou's one hour, and 30 minutes prior to the start of the game, and return to campus following the game.
Last time out
Natalie Stewart scored a pair of goals, and Northeastern recorded three second half tallies to knock off La Salle on Sunday afternoon at Dedham Field, 5-3.
The victory snaps a six-game winless streak for NU, which outshot the Explorers 18-14 in the game.
Emmy Zweserijn,
Lindsay Bennett and
Vanessa Pryor all scored for the Huskies, while
Becky Garner made six saves in goal.
Against the best
The Huskies haven't been afraid to take on the nation's top teams this season. Friday marks the fourth time in the last six games that Northeastern has squared off against a team ranked in the top 20 of the NFHCA Coaches Poll.
Overall, NU has played four ranked teams in 2013, and has one game remaining against ranked squads.
Stewart earns CAA accolades
Natalie Stewart picked up her first career conference honor on Tuesday when the freshman forward was named the CAA Rookie of the Week. Stewart collected her first career multi-goal game on Sunday, Oct. 6 against La Salle. She netted two goals on two shots in a 5-3 home victory over the Explorers.
The Vancouver, British Columbia native has netted four goals on the season (10 shots) and added two assists for 10 total points through her first 10 games. She is third on the team in goals, assists and points, and has also started each of the last eight games for the Huskies.
Zweserijn among the league's best
Freshman
Emmy Zweserijn is off to a strong start to her career with the Huskies, leading the team with 15 points (six goals, three assists) in her first 11 collegiate games. The Ziest, Netherlands native has tallied a point in six of her 11 games this season, including a four-game point streak from Aug. 30 to Sept. 13. Zweserijn is among the league leaders in both goals and points this season, and is also 70th in the nation with 1.36 points per game.
Murtagh collects No. 350 at NU
NU's 5-0 win against Dartmouth on Sept. 13 marked a milestone in the illustrious career of head coach
Cheryl Murtagh, who secured her 350th career victory at Northeastern. Murtagh is 368-212-13 in 28-plus seasons as a collegiate head coach, including a 351-197-10 mark on Huntington Ave. Murtagh, who was inducted into the NFHCA Hall of Fame last season, began the 2013 campaign ranked eighth in the nation in career victories among active Division I head coaches.
Rookies off to a hot start
After the departure of its top two scorers from last season, including two-time All-American
Crystal Poland, Northeastern welcomes 11 freshmen to the 2013 squad. The group, made up of five forwards, three midfielders, two back and one goalkeeper is tied with Lock Haven, Michigan State and Sacred Heart for the most true freshmen in the nation.
A little help from my friends
Through 10 games this season, the Huskies have recorded five defensive saves, which is tied for second in the conference and 11th in the nation. Freshman
Jessica Unger leads the team with two defensive saves, while
Alyssa Carlson,
Laura Dimitruk and
Zoe Kale have all recorded one.
Scouting the Dragons
The 8-3 Drexel Dragons are coming off a 1-0 home loss against Rutgers on Sunday, ending their six-game winning streak in which they outscored opponents 20-5. The match against the Huskies will be their first CAA contest of the season. In their last meeting, the Dragons beat the Huskies 2-1 in the CAA title game last season. Drexel won both games against NU last year by a single goal, though the Huskies own the all-time series with a record of 14-6-1.
Three players who play both midfield and forward are at the top of the Drexel leaderboards. Senior Elise DiDonato is the offensive leader with three goals and seven assists for 13 total points. Juniors Christina Conrad and Meghan Plank have identical 4-3-11 totals.
Junior goalkeeper Jantien Gunter has started all 11 games this season for the Dragons, compiling an 8-3 record. She leads the CAA in goals against average (1.70) and save percentage (.763) and is also tied for the lead with two shutouts.
Scouting the Black Bears
The Maine Black Bears are 6-5 on the season and have won four of their last five, including three straight shutouts in which they scored a total of 12 goals. In their last match, they defeated Bryant 3-2 in overtime on Oct. 6. The Huskies have won the last eight games against Maine, giving them a dominant all-time record of 23-5-1. Northeastern won 4-3 in overtime against Maine on Oct. 14, 2012 in their last meeting.
The offense has been potent for Maine this season, boasting four players with at least five goals. Midfielder Annabelle Hamilton has added four assists for a team-leading 16 points, while forward Holly Stewart's three assists put her in second with 15.
Sophomore Natasha Ford has started all 11 games for Maine in goal this season. She has picked up three shutouts to go along with her 1.79 goals against average and .710 save percentage over 703:40.
The road ahead
The Huskies will have a week off upon their return to Boston until Oct. 20 when crosstown rival Boston University comes to Dedham Field for a 2 p.m. contest.
