HARRISONBURG, Va. - The No. 3 Northeastern women's soccer team will battle No. 1 James Madison for the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title on Sunday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. The Huskies advanced through the CAA Championships after topping both Delaware (quarterfinal game) and William & Mary (semifinal game) in penalty kicks.
Northeastern's improbable run
When the Huskies began their season 0-6-3 though nine games against non-conference opponents, a CAA title seemed out of the question. With 12 freshmen on its roster, the most in the CAA, NU's slow start may have been expected. However, Northeastern found its stride once conference play started. The Huskies finished the regular season with a 5-2-1 record in the CAA including four shutouts. NU was ranked sixth in the CAA preseason coaches' poll.
NU in the CAA tourney
The Huskies earned the No. 3 seed and hosted Delaware in the quarterfinals. The Huskies and Blue Hens reached penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw through two overtimes, and NU prevailed in the shootout, 4-2. Northeastern then faced No. 2 William & Mary in the semifinals. Goals by
Haley Sinclair and
Hanna Terry helped the Huskies reach a 2-2 tie with the Tribe through two overtimes, and once again NU needed a shootout to advance.
Paige Burnett made two saves during penalty kicks and
Bianca Calderone capitalized on her penalty kick to advance the Huskies to the CAA final.
JMU in the CAA tourney
The Dukes earned the No. 1 seed and the right to host the CAA Championships. After a first-round bye JMU beat Hofstra, 3-1. JMU got goals from Allie Bunner, Sam Lofton and Katie Hyland, while goalkeeper Ellen Forrest made five saves in the winning effort.
Scouting JMU
Ashley Herndon and Katie Hyland are tied for the team lead with 17 points, good for sixth in the CAA. Herndon has six goals and five assists while Hyland has tallied seven goals and three assists. As a team, JMU ranks second in the conference in total shots (284), points (111) and goals (38). Goalkeeper Ellen Forrest ranks third in the CAA with a 1.09 GAA, aided by a defense that allows just 4.4 shots on goal per game.
Working overtime
Northeastern's semifinal match against W&M marked the ninth overtime game for the Huskies this season. Since joining the CAA in 2005, the most overtime games NU had endured in a single season was five. The Huskies are 1-2-6 in overtime games this year (note: CAA Championship games that reach penalty kicks count as ties towards the team's overall record).
CAA awards
Six Huskies earned conference awards at the CAA banquet preceding the tournament.
Hanna Terry was named to the All-CAA First Team, while
Hannah O'Donnell and
Bianca Calderone were both named to the Second Team.
Carina Deandreis and
Mackenzie Dowd each earned All-Rookie honors, and
Maria Lanyi made the All-Academic team.
Their last meeting
The Huskies hosted and lost to the Dukes, 2-0, on Oct. 25. Entering the game, the two teams were in a three-way tied with William & Mary for first place in the CAA, each sitting at 5-1. The Dukes grabbed a 1-0 lead just 5:24 into the game on Katie Hyland's seventh goal of the season. However, that was the only shot JMU could muster during the opening period as Northeastern controlled the tempo through most of the first half. The Huskies continued their offensive pressure in the second half, and
Hanna Terry nearly put NU on the board when she put a free kick from 25 yards out on net, but Forrest made the diving save to her right side. Later in the half Blackwood drilled a long shot that went over Forrest's head, but the scoring bid went off the cross bar and the Dukes cleared the rebound wide of the net. JMU added an insurance goal in the 63rd minute when Haley Miller headed in a long throw in from Becky Sparks, giving the Dukes a 2-0 lead. The Dukes capitalized on the few scoring chances they saw, as Northeastern outshot JMU, 14-5. The Huskies also earned eight corner kicks to the Dukes' two.
They've been here before
Northeastern has one CAA championship under its belt when it came away with the title in 2008. James Madison has won the conference title twice, one in 2002 and the other in 2010.
.
