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DEDHAM, Mass. – In a hard-fought game right until the very end, the Northeastern field hockey team dropped its home opener to Cal 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at Dedham Field.
 
The loss was the first to the Bears since the 2010 season, as Cal improved to 3-3 on the season with the victory. Northeastern's three-game win streak was snapped as the Huskies fell to 3-2 on the year.
 
Megan Rodgers led the way for Cal with both goals on the day while June Curry-Lindahl tallied the Huskies lone goal of the day. In doing so, she extended her point streak to all five games this season.
 
Neither team was able to get on the board in the first half, mostly in part to the goalkeeping of Julia Ennis who notched six first half saves on 13 shots faced to blank the Golden Bears.
 
Ennis was replaced in goal in the second half by Julia Gluyas, as was custom through the first four games of the season, however, Gluyas gave up a pair of goals in the 50^th and 51^st minutes to Cal's Rodgers who smashed in a couple of backhanded shots to give the Golden Bears a 2-0 lead.
 
The Huskies were unrelenting as, just a few minutes later, Curry-Lindahl stuck her stick out to deflect a shot past Cal's netminder Danielle Mentink. Mentink allowed just the lone goal and made 12 saves on the day, including a few big saves down the stretch to keep the Golden Bears ahead.
 
Ennis did the same for the Huskies after re-entering the game in the 51^st minute. And while the Huskies outshot the Golden Bears 13-8 in the second half, just one shot connected as Cal was able to spoil the Husky homecoming Sunday afternoon.
 
Northeastern will keep the home schedule rolling on Friday night when they return to Dedham Field to face cross-town rival Harvard at 6 p.m. followed by a Sunday afternoon matinee against Brown.