2012-13 Infographic | 2012-13 Highlight Video

BOSTON -- The 2012-13 Northeastern Athletics season is in the books – and what a year it was.

Student-athletes from all 18 varsity sports experienced a remarkable year of success, from individual feats – earning three conference player of the year distinctions and five student-athletes achieving All-America status in their respective sports – to historic team accomplishments, including two conference titles, 14 conference tournament bids and four NCAA postseason appearances. But what is likely to be remembered most from 2012-13 is the competitive spirit, pride and respect displayed by every Huskies student-athlete, which resulted in one of the most successful years in the history of Northeastern Athletics.    

FALL SPORTS
Northeastern had arguably one of its most successful seasons ever in the fall, beginning with the men's soccer team. NSCAA South Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year Brian Ainscough guided the Huskies to a 14-3-4 record, establishing program-best marks for most wins and fewest losses along the way. CAA Player of the Year Don Anding paced the NU offense with 35 points (14 goals, seven assists) -- the most since Bjorn Hansen in 1995 -- en route to becoming the school's first NSCAA All-American. On the other end of the pitch, goalkeeper Oliver Blum anchored a stingy Northeastern defense, finishing with the lowest single-season goals against average in team history (0.56). A program-record 12 match unbeaten streak earned Northeastern its first-ever national ranking, as it entered the NSCAA/Continental Tire NCAA Division I National Poll at No. 25. After a second-place finish in the regular season, the Huskies ran the gauntlet in postseason play for the program's first CAA Championship, as Anding broke a scoreless draw in double-overtime for a 1-0 victory over Hofstra.

The victory over Hofstra earned the Huskies their second-ever spot in the NCAA tournament, and first since 2002. Northeastern welcomed cross-town rival Boston College to Parsons Field, where the Huskies made a first-half header by Dante Marini stand in a 1-0 victory over the Eagles. The following week, Northeastern stood tall against UConn, the tournament's No. 4 seed, but the Huskies in red fell to the Huskies in blue, 1-0. Two months later, Anding became the first Northeastern men's soccer player to be taken in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft, going to the Philadelphia Union with the 26th overall selection.

Equally as impressive was Northeastern's field hockey team, which clinched a berth in the NCAA tournament without ever having played a true home game. With "home" contests in Cambridge, Chestnut Hill, and Durham, N.H., the Huskies (14-7, 5-2 CAA) made the best of their situation, starting the season white-hot with a pair of wins over top-25 opponents Louisville and Northwestern to clinch the Sherrill Brakmeier Classic. After a 4-1 victory over Dartmouth, the Huskies took a 3-2 decision over No. 6 Virginia before knocking off No. 20 Michigan State the following afternoon, helping the Huskies to peak at No. 7 in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division 1 National Coaches Poll. With the No. 2 seed in the CAA tournament, the Huskies reached their second-consecutive CAA Championship game, a rematch against the Drexel Dragons, but the Huskies were bested in overtime by a score of 2-1.

The loss to Drexel failed to qualify the Huskies for the NCAA tournament, but with a little help from their 12th-ranked RPI, the Huskies earned an at-large bid for their second NCAA berth in as many years and 16th tournament appearance in 25 years under head coach Cheryl Murtagh. With Crystal Poland, the CAA Player of the Year, unable to play due to injury, CAA Rookie of the Year Deirdre Duke paced the Northeastern offense, taking No. 4 UConn to double overtime before falling 2-1. The Huskies finished the season 6-4 against teams in the NFHCA Top-25.

Poland was named an All-American for the third time in her career, finishing with back-to-back First Team recognitions. She was also named the Northeast Region Player of the Year, as her 28 goals were the third most in the country and second most in program history. During the course of the season, Poland became the program's all-time leader in career goals (78) and points (179). After a stellar freshman campaign (14 goals, six assists), Duke was voted a member of the All-American Third Team. Senior goaltender Lizzie Priest finished second in program history in career wins (46) and career minutes played (5,772). Not to be outdone by her student-athletes, Coach Murtagh was voted to the Zag Field Hockey / National Field Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame Class of 2012.

Following up one of its most successful years under head coach Ken Nichols, the Northeastern women's volleyball team (20-7) locked up its second-consecutive 20-win season in 2012, the first time it had achieved the feat since 2003-04 when the Huskies were still in the America East. Led by CAA Player of the Year Kelly Bacon (team-high 346 kills) and fellow All-CAA first teamer Nicole Bishop (team-high 86 blocks), the Huskies began the season by clinching the Beanpot Classic crown with wins over Alabama, Holy Cross and Sacred Heart. Northeastern then took flight to Santa Barbara, Calif., where it took on one of the best teams in the nation in No. 3 UCLA, dropping a 3-0 decision to the Bruins at the UC Santa Barbara Invitational. After a runner-up finish at the Duke Classic to the host Blue Devils, the Huskies dropped just one set during the three games of the New England Classic, defeating local competitors Boston College, Harvard, and Connecticut. Following a 9-3 record in conference play, the Huskies entered the CAA Tournament with the third overall seed. The team drew James Madison, a team they had swapped 3-0 victories with, and were ultimately upended by the Dukes by a score of 3-2.

With an undefeated record at home, the Huskies pushed their home-court winning streak to 19 games, having not lost at Solomon Court since a 3-0 decision to Delaware on Sept. 30, 2011. After the conclusion of the season, it was announced that Bacon had earned a spot on the 2012 Division I American Volleyball Coaches Association All-East Region Team. The following week, she was named a member of the 2012 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American team.

The success of the women's soccer team this past season came from their intense schedule to start the season. Head coach Tracey Leone elected to take on a demanding non-conference slate that pitted Northeastern (9-9-1) against six 2011 NCAA tournament participants in its first seven games. After being shut out four times in the seven games en route to a 1-6 record, the women's soccer team exploded for eight wins in their final 11 contests (including a 7-3-0 record in conference play) to finish with nine wins for the third straight season. After splitting home contests with Georgia State and UNCW to begin conference play, the Huskies blanked James Madison, 2-0, for the squad's first-ever win in Harrisonburg, Va. The team's lone tie came in the CAA playoffs against fifth-seeded Hofstra. With the score 2-2 after the full 90 minutes, neither team scored in either of the two 10-minute overtime periods, but in the shootout round, Hofstra escaped with a 3-1 victory in penalty kicks. Senior captain and All-CAA second teamer Greta Samuelsdottir led the Huskies with nine goals, while junior Hannah Terry, an All-CAA First Team member, tallied a team-high five assists. Sophomore Paige Burnett started every game in net for the Huskies, while newcomer Oksana Nicholls earned a spot on the CAA All-Rookie team, playing in all 19 contests while leading the team in minutes.

Rounding out the fall slate was Northeastern's cross-country squad. Led by first year coach Cathrine Erickson, the Huskies took first and second against Bryant and Boston University, respectively, at the season opening Nassany Invitational. Two weeks later, freshman Wesley Gallagher claimed the individual title with a time of 25:29.43 as the Huskies emerged with the first-place victory at the Ted Owen Invitational in New Britain, Conn. After a top-10 finish at the New England Championships, the cross country team finished third at the CAA Championships behind Stephen Sollowin's 10th place finish. Two weeks later at the NCAA Northeast Regional in Madison, Conn., the Huskies place 20th out of 34 teams, with Stephen Sollowin (31:52.10) in the 10K and Danielle Klein (23:08:10) in the 6K leading Northeastern's men's and women's competitors, respectively.

WINTER SPORTS
The men's basketball team enjoyed its most successful campaign since joining the CAA, winning its first-ever CAA regular-season title and earning an NIT berth for the second time in four years. The Huskies navigated a challenging non-conference stretch, which included a runner-up finish at the Great Alaska Shootout in November, before reeling off a 14-4 record in conference play, tying their most CAA wins since joining the conference in 2005-06. The Red and Black reached the championship game of the CAA tournament for the first time after a thrilling 24-point comeback win over No. 4 George Mason in the tournament semifinals, culminating with a buzzer-beating layup by senior Jonathan Lee to seal Northeastern's victory. The comeback was the largest in the history of Northeastern basketball. The Huskies' senior standouts, Lee and Joel Smith, cemented their places in Northeastern lore after surpassing the 1,000-point plateau for their careers and earning All-CAA Third and First Team accolades, respectively. Lee garnered the CAA's prestigious Dean Ehlers Leadership Award and was named a national finalist for the Senior CLASS Award. Smith also captured NABC District 10 First Team honors. Sophomore Quincy Ford was named All-CAA Third Team and freshman David Walker received All-Rookie team honors, proving the Huskies will continue to be a powerful conference force. Head coach Bill Coen was recognized with USBWA District I Coach of the Year and NABC District 10 Co-Coach of the Year.

Women's basketball captured the respect of the CAA with a record-setting season that featured the biggest turnaround of any team in the conference and the program's first winning record in 13 years. The Huskies won nine more games than their 2011-12 campaign, including a program-best 11 victories at Solomon Court and seven-game home winning streak to begin the season, tied for the longest all-time. Their 293 three-pointers, a single-season program record, and 10.4 steals per game led the CAA, and their 17-13 record earned them the No. 4 seed in the postseason tournament, Northeastern's highest ever. The season concluded with five postseason conference honors, highlighted by Daynia La-Force's CAA Coach of the Year award.

Men's ice hockey also opened its season with a hot start on home soil, knocking off No. 19 Merrimack and No. 1 Boston College in a span of four nights to open with a 2-0-0 mark for the first time since 1999-2000. The win over the top-ranked Eagles was BC's first loss since Jan. 21, 2012, a span of nearly nine months, and marked the third time in five years the Huskies defeated the top-ranked team in the country at Matthews Arena. The 2012-13 season saw numerous record-shattering individual performances, including senior netminder Chris Rawlings setting the career record for shutouts (11) and junior Cody Ferriero becoming the first Husky since 1982 to score four goals in a game when he accomplished the feat at Harvard on Dec. 29. Rookie sensation Kevin Roy turned in one of the most sensational Beanpot performances of all-time, netting a hat trick against Boston University in the semifinals for the Huskies' first Beanpot victory over their crosstown rivals since 1988. He followed that up by potting a pair in the 6-3 loss to Boston College in the championship game, earning him tournament MVP honors. Roy finished the season with a 1.17 points per game clip, making him the highest-scoring rookie in the NCAA, and was a unanimous selection to the Hockey East Pro Ambitions All-Rookie Team.

The women's ice hockey squad continued to impose its will upon Hockey East foes, making its second appearance in the conference championship game in three years and beating a pair of conference foes, Boston University and Boston College, en route to a second consecutive Beanpot title and 16th in program history. Sophomore and AHCA/CCM Second Team All-American Kendall Coyne led the team with 68 points (37 goals, 31 assists), the most by a Husky since 1989, while seniors Rachel Llanes and Casey Pickett surpassed the 100-point benchmark for their careers and set career-highs in goals, assists and points. Sophomore goaltender Chloe Desjardins registered 21 wins for the Huskies, the fourth-highest single-season total for an NU goalie in program history, and helped lead NU to a 23-11-2 overall record, Northeastern's highest win total since 2001-02. The loss to Boston University in the WHEA championship snapped a season-high nine-game winning streak, and the Huskies ended the season ranked No. 10 in the USCHO.com Division I Women's Poll, marking 47 consecutive polls in which Northeastern has either been ranked or received votes.

In the water, the swimming and diving team took another step forward and improved its postseason finish at the CAA Championship for the third consecutive season. The Huskies finished fifth, their highest place since 2007-08, and broke six school records in the process, including the 200 medley relay, 200 individual medley, 100 breaststroke, 100 backstroke, 200 breaststroke and 400 freestyle relay. The Huskies finished with an 8-7 record, marking their third consecutive campaign with at least eight victories. After the season, senior Kelley Becherer earned a spot on the U.S. World Paralympic Championship team when she won three events – the 100-meter freestyle, 50-meter freestyle and 50-meter backstroke – and set a new world record in the 50-meter backstroke at the Paralympic Nationals in Minneapolis, Minn.

SPRING SPORTS
As the calendar moved to spring, Northeastern kept its successful year going. Men's rowing made quite a splash in their 2013 campaign as well, spending eight weeks in the national rankings and peaking at No. 3 in the country. The Huskies had a nearly unblemished regular regatta slate, going 6-1 with wins in the Burk, Arlett and Dreissigacker cups. At the EARC Sprints Championship in Worcester, Mass., all four Northeastern crews advanced to the Grand Finals and the varsity eight finished third, marking the second trip to the podium by an NU crew in as many years and the first medal-winning performance for a varsity crew at the Eastern Sprints since 2005. Northeastern placed three crews in Grand Finals at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships in Rancho Cordova, Calif., highlighted by a second-place finish in the Open Four Grand Final and fourth place in the Varsity Eight Grand Final. NU was one of only four schools in the nation to have at least three boats in grand finals, and the Varsity Eight finish gave the Huskies a No. 4 final national ranking. But Northeastern's work is not yet done – the Huskies will prepare for their trip to the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta,July 3-7, in Henley-on-Thames, England.

With the loss of eight seniors and with a roster that boasted 33 underclassmen, the Northeastern women's rowing team (3-12) navigated a challenging 2013 slate, but showed the great promise of its future. Northeastern took victories over Central Florida, MIT, and Dartmouth before heading to the conference championships. The Huskies entered the CAA Championship looking to claim their fourth title in five years, but finished second to Boston University by a score of 32-29. Still, the Huskies claimed gold in the Varsity Four, and named three athletes to the All-CAA Team (Amanda Brem, Katherine Halbig, and Evelyn Justine Lowe).

The baseball team capped its resurgent season with a magical march to the CAA semifinals last month. After a 28-24 (12-15 CAA) regular-season mark – the squad's first winning record since 2009 – earned a No. 5 seed in the CAA tournament, the Huskies three times staved off elimination, including a pair of walk-off wins, before bowing out to William & Mary in the semifinal. Their postseason run followed a 6-3 triumph over the UMass Minutemen at Fenway Park on April 29 that captured the Huskies' first Beanpot championship since 2009 and sixth all-time. The Huskies also made a pair of successful early-season trips to Florida, going 5-0 at the Snowbird Baseball Classic in Port Charlotte less than two weeks after falling, 3-0, to the Boston Red Sox at Jet Blue Park in Ft. Myers, the tightest result ever between the two clubs.

The men's and women's track and field teams showed they had some of the best talent in New England this spring, with the men and women placing third and fifth, respectively, at the New England Championships during the second weekend in May. Coming off a combined eight conference titles (five men's, three women's) at the CAA Championships, Northeastern sent four representatives to the NCAA East Preliminaries in Greensboro, N.C. For the women's squad, Nia Howard placed 15th overall in the long jump competition with a distance of 6.06-meters, just 0.02-meters shy of qualifying for the NCAA Championships.

For the men, Max Milder returned to the East Preliminaries and finished 20th in the hammer throw with a heave of 58.22-meters, while Brian Doyle finished the 5000-meter run with a time of 14:39.85 (37th) and the 10000-meter with a time of 30:45:67 (30th). As the East Region's top seed, Eric Jenkins, who shattered the school record in the 5000-meter run earlier in the year (13:18.57), qualified for nationals with a 5000-meter time of 14:05:25. A few weeks later at the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., he would finish 10th overall with a time of 14:00.08 before teammate Wesley Gallagher captured the silver medal in the 5000-meter run at the USA Junior Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Jun. 20.