Huskies host UNH in 2014 season opener on Friday at Parsons

Buses will depart every 15 minutes from Chicken Lou's on Forsyth St. beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday

Game-day information: Game 1 vs. New Hampshire \| Game 2 at Hartford
When	Game 1: Friday, Aug. 29 \| 6 p.m. Game 2: Monday, Sept. 1 \| 7 p.m.
Where	Game 1: Brookline, Mass. \| Parsons Field \| Directions Game 2: West Hartford, Conn. \| Al-Marzook Field \| Directions
Broadcast and stats	Game 1: Live Stats \| Video \| Audio
Notes	Game notes (PDF)
Promotions	ISSI Tailgate Party \| Northeastern Soccer Scarf Promotion
Social media	@GoNUmsoccer facebook.com/GoNUmsoccer \| RSVP to the Facebook event instagram.com/GoNUathletics Use #GoNU

The Northeastern men's soccer team begins the 2014 season on Friday night when the Huskies host regional rival New Hampshire at 6 p.m. from Parsons Field. The former America East foes will be meeting for the first time since 2006 as the Huskies look to secure their fourth straight home opening victory. Admission to all Northeastern soccer matches at Parsons Field is free of charge.

Friday will be the first of four chances to receive a free Northeastern soccer scarf. Students who attend two of the following four matches at Parsons Field will receive the scarf:
• August 29, 6 p.m. - men's soccer vs. New Hampshire
• August 31, 1 p.m. - women's soccer vs. New Hampshire
• September 3, 6 p.m. – women's soccer vs. Boston College
• September 16, 6 p.m. – men's soccer vs. Boston University

Students will be able to sign up for the promotion at the Northeastern merchandise table, located near the entrance to Parsons Field. Shuttle buses for all Northeastern soccer games will be available for all students interested in attending any home game this season. Buses will depart from Chicken Lou's on Forsyth St. one hour, 45 minutes, 30 minutes and 15 minutes prior to the start of the match.

In addition, the International Student & Scholar Institute (ISSI) will be hosting a tailgate party at this Friday's men's soccer game. Students are encouraged to come eat, cheer, meet new friends and become a part of Husky Nation. The ISSI will hand out tickets to the tailgate on a first come, first serve basis on the shuttle buses.

2013 in review
Northeastern is coming off a 6-9-3 season in 2013 during a year that saw the Huskies finish fifth in the CAA standings with a record of 3-3-1. NU was then faced with the task of traveling to Delaware for a conference quarterfinal matchup, ultimately dropping a heartbreaking double overtime game (1-0) to the Blue Hens on a penalty kick in the 107th minute. Delaware would go on to earn an at-large berth to the NCAA tournament.

Senior captain Dante Marini (6-5-17) led the charge up front for the Huskies, finishing his career ranked fourth all-time at Northeastern with 17 career assists. Dylan Faber, in his first season as the NU starting goalkeeper, led the league in goals against average (0.96) and save percentage (.776) along with six shutouts.

NU picked to finish sixth in CAA
The Huskies were picked to finish sixth in the CAA this season following a vote by the conference's head coaches on Aug. 12. Northeastern collected 33 points overall, including one first place vote, and coaches were not allowed to vote for their own teams. Delaware claimed the top spot in the poll after receiving four first-place votes and 58 total points. Defending CAA champion Drexel also got four first-place votes and finished second with 49 points.

Cox collects preseason CAA honors
Senior Simon Cox was named to the All-CAA Preseason team, the conference announced on Monday, Aug. 18. It marks the second straight season that the Husky defender was earned league preseason accolades.

Cox, one of three captains this season, is coming off a very successful junior campaign in 2013. He started all 18 games, logging a team-high 1688 minutes, and registered 23 shots, the fourth most on the team. He led a Northeastern defense that held opponents to 1.06 goals per game, and held opponents to one goal or less in 13 games last season, including six clean sheets.

The London, England, native has been a member of the All-CAA first team in each of the past two seasons, and was the conference's Co-Defender of the Year in 2012. Fifteen players in all were named to the preseason team, with Delaware's Guillermo Delgado voted the 2014 Preseason Player of the Year.

Huskies name 2014 captains
The Northeastern men's soccer team has chosen its leaders for the 2014 season. Seniors Jacob Aduama and Simon Cox, along with redshirt senior Ambry Moss, were selected as tri-captains for this season.

This marks the second straight season that Cox will wear the armband, while Aduama and Moss have earned a captaincy for the first time. Moss and Cox have anchored a defensive line for Northeastern for the last three seasons, while Aduama has provided depth at goalkeeper and provided leadership both on and off the field.

The series with New Hampshire
Northeastern and New Hampshire will be squaring off for the first time since the 2006 season, with the Wildcats holding a 17-6-1 advantage in the all-time series. NU will be looking for its first victory against UNH since 2003. New Hampshire was 12-5-0 last season, and reached the America East semifinal before falling Hartford on penalty kicks.

The series with Hartford
The Huskies and Hartford will meet for the second straight season as Northeastern looks to avenge a 2-0 defeat last season on Parsons Field. The Hawks have owned the all-time series with NU, going 15-5-2 against the Huskies.

Ainscough enters 10th season
Head coach Brian Ainscough is entering his 10th season at the helm of the Huskies, becoming the longest tenured head coach in program history. He is 71-69-32 while on Huntington Avenue, and is second in team history in career victories at Northeastern (Ed Matz, 83). Overall, Ainscough is 156-143-46 in 19 seasons as a head coach.

During his time at NU, Ainscough has led the Huskies to three seasons with 10 or more wins, including the 2012 campaign that saw the Huskies capture the program's first-ever CAA championship and return to the national tournament for the first time since 2002.

Ainscough's squads have been known for their staunch defense over the last nine seasons. His teams have allowed 20 goals or fewer four times, while the 2012 (16 goals allowed) and 2013 (19 goals allowed) teams surrendered two of the lowest goals against totals in team history.

Help is on the way
The Huskies will have a pair of new coaches patrolling the sidelines in 2014 after the hiring of Brendan Burke and Conrad Whyte as assistants during the offseason.

Burke was named the associate head coach after spending the past six years with the Philadelphia Union (MLS) organization. Burke spent three seasons as the first team assistant coach of the Union, beginning in January of 2011 as the youngest assistant coach in Major League Soccer. Whyte, meanwhile, comes to Northeastern following a stint at Stonehill in 2013. Prior to his arrival at Stonehill, Whyte spent two years as an assistant coach at Eastern Nazarene College in Quincy, Mass.

Huskies welcome 11 freshmen
Fans will see several new faces on the field in 2014 after the coaching staff added 10 freshmen to the roster. Lewis Aird, Brad Fountain, Daniel Korman, Leo Lehto, Ackim Mpofu, Charlton Muhlauri, Frantzdy Pierrot, Oliver Roberts, Harry Swartz and Jonathan Thuresson are expected to help fill the voids left by five seniors in 2013. The 2014 class consists of one defender, two goalkeepers, three forwards and five midfielders.

Geographic diversity
The coaching staff has travelled across the globe to assemble the 2014 Huskies. Take a look at where this year's squad hails from:
• United States: 14
• Bahamas: 1
• Brazil: 1
• England: 3
• Finland: 1
• Scotland: 1
• South Africa: 1
• Spain: 1
• Sweden: 1
• Zimbabwe: 1

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