• List of Northeastern team championships
• Dog Days: Northeastern and the Husky Nickname
Northeastern University is an integral part of the New England sports community, fielding 18 varsity teams in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I sports as well as other teams and individuals in national and international arenas. The university's teams, nicknamed the Huskies, are also some of the region's most successful.
Northeastern began a new chapter in its history in 2005 when the Huskies joined the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). The CAA has produced 16 national team champions in five different sports, 33 individual national champions, 12 national players of the year, 12 national coaches of the year and 12 Honda Award winners. Even more impressive, however, are the honors accumulated away from competition, which include five Rhodes Scholars and 20 NCAA post-graduate scholars. In 2008-09, the CAA had more than 1,700 of the league's 4,000 student-athletes receive the Commissioner's Academic Award after posting at least a 3.2 grade point average while lettering in a varsity sport. The conference ranked in the top 10 in the nation in 12 of its 23 sports in the latest APR report released by the NCAA. The CAA now sponsors 23 sports with the addition of a football league in 2007 and women's rowing in 2009. The Huskies competed in most sports in the America East Conference from 1979-2005.
14 of Northeastern's 18 varsity sports compete in the CAA. The men's and women's hockey teams compete in Hockey East, the nation's premier league, while the men's and women's rowing teams compete in the Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges (EARC) and Eastern Association of Women's Rowing Colleges (EAWRC), respectively. The Hockey East Association is consistently labeled the strongest men's hockey conference in the nation from top to bottom. Over the last 17 seasons, Hockey East has cemented itself as the nation's most elite league, having earned 26 of the 68 berths in the NCAA Frozen Four championship tournament and boasting seven NCAA title winners: the University of Maine in 1993 and 1999, Boston University in 1995 and 2009 and Boston College in 2001, 2008 and 2010. Three of the four Frozen Four participants in 1999 came from the Hockey East ranks. The 2002-03 season brought the inaugural year of women's Hockey East play.
NU plays host to some of the biggest collegiate events. Northeastern, along with Harvard, successfully hosted the 2006 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston. Northeastern also hosted the Northeast Regional Cross Country Championship at Franklin Park in 2003 and 2005. Northeastern hosted the NCAA field hockey championship at Parsons Field in 1994 and 1999. The 2001 Women's Hockey National Championship was played at Matthews Arena. NU hosted the 2002 America East Men's Basketball Championship at Matthews Arena and then co-hosted the 2003 event with Boston University at Walter Brown Arena.
All intercollegiate teams welcome new members to try out. To qualify, students must be in good academic standing and making acceptable progress toward the completion of a degree. Potential student-athletes must also be registered as a full-time student at Northeastern. This means they must be carrying a minimum of twelve quarter-hours of credit during an academic quarter, or working on a co-op assignment, doing student teaching, or performing clinical work. Students also must follow all regulations and rules of the NCAA and the college in which they are enrolled. Student-athletes must maintain the required Quality Point Average and remain in good academic standing as defined by your degree program. Their anticipated graduation date cannot have changed due to poor academic performance. Specific policies and guidelines relating to academic eligibility for athletics are distributed in writing to all student-athletes.
Northeastern Athletics Quick Facts
• The Northeastern athletic teams had their finest collective performance ever in the 2002-03 season. The Huskies sent four teams to the NCAA playoffs and won a total of seven conference titles, Northeastern's most ever in both categories. NU competed in 14 sports offered by the America East Conference and won six championships, or 43 percent. The Huskies were the runners-up in two other sports. In addition to its America East success, NU won a share of its first ever Atlantic 10 football title. The total of seven conference titles breaks the mark of six set previously in the 2001-02 season. The 13 championships in the two-year stretch is more than the previous four seasons combined (10).
• Northeastern has adjusted to life in the Colonial Athletic Association and has undergone a two-year stretch like no other with two conference championships, three conference championship runner-ups and two NCAA Tournament team appearances and three NCAA Championship individual appearances during the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons.
• The baseball team has competed in one College World Series and played in the NCAA regionals seven times, including the 2003 season after winning the America East title for the third time. NU won back-to-back America East regular season titles in 2004 and 2005.
• The men's basketball team has appeared in the NCAA Tournament seven times. During its time in America East, Northeastern earned more tournament berths than any other school in the conference. Recently, the team has appeared in postseason in back-to-back years, playing in the College Basketball Invitational in 2009 and the NIT in 2010.
• The women's basketball team has earned four conference titles, and advanced to the NCAA tournament in 1999.
• The field hockey team has qualified for 14 NCAA tournaments, including three final four appearances. The team won 10 America East championships and advanced to the title game in 14 of 15 years in the conference.
• The men's hockey team has made four NCAA championship appearances, and has won four Beanpot titles, one ECAC and one Hockey East title. The 2008-09 season was a banner year for the program, tying a school record with 25 victories and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
• The women's ice hockey team, a pioneer in the growing sport, won three ECAC titles, at the time the equivalent of the national title. The team has also won 14 Beanpots.
• The men's and women's crew programs are some of the finest in the country. The men's team has won four national titles and the women are annually among the elite in the nation.
• The men's and women's soccer teams are both on the rise. The men's team won the America East title for the first time in 2002 and earned its first NCAA berth. The Huskies then reached the CAA Championship for the first time ever in 2007 and has reached the finals of the tournament in back-to-back seasons from 2008-09. The women's team won its first CAA Championship in 2008 and advanced to the second round after beating Harvard. The squad then won the CAA regular season title in 2009.
• The women's swimming and diving team won five straight America East championships from 2000-04. The Huskies recently completed only the second undefeated regular season in school history with a 10-0 mark in 2007-08. The Huskies regularly send individual competitors to the NCAA Championship.
• The men's track team is one of the best in the history of New England. The Huskies have won 24 New England indoor and outdoor titles since 1969 and won 17 America East indoor and outdoor championships from 1989-2005. In the Huskies' first four seasons in the CAA, they have taken home 13 individual titles. Hammer thrower Boris Djerassi is Northeastern's only NCAA champ in any sport, as he won the title in 1975.
• The women's track team has long been a regional power and is now moving onto the national scene, as the Huskies have had nine NCAA qualifiers since the 2002-03 season. While in the America East conference from 1989-2005, the Huskies won 20 America East indoor and outdoor championships, more than all other schools combined. The Huskies won Northeastern's first CAA championship, winning the outdoor title in 2007. In their first four seasons in the CAA, the Huskies have taken home 13 individual titles and one relay title.
• The volleyball team is quickly becoming a regional power. The Huskies won the America East title and earned their first trip to the NCAA playoffs in 2001. The Huskies also won the CAA regular season championship in 2008.
• Northeastern athletes have played in Super Bowls, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Championships.
• Reggie Lewis ('87) led NU to four straight America East titles and four straight NCAA appearances, and then went on to become an NBA All-Star and captain of the Boston Celtics.
• 19 Northeastern athletes have competed in the Olympics, including Marshall Godschalk (Men's crew), Zara Northover (women's track & field) and Dan Walsh (men's crew), who competed in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Walsh, a rower on Team USA, captured the bronze medal in the heavyweight eights race. Women's hockey athletes Florence Schelling and Julia Marty both played for Team Switzerland at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Former track & field athlete Steve Langton competed for Team USA in the bobsled in Vancouver as well.
• Dan McGillis ('96), an All-America hockey player at NU, had a standout pro career that began in Edmonton and took him to Philadelphia, San Jose, Boston and New Jersey. In nine NHL seasons, he had 56 goals and 182 assists.
• Several Huskies in recent few years have gone on to sign professional contracts: Brad Thiessen (Pittsburgh/NHL), Joe Vitale (Pittsburgh/NHL), Jose Juan Barea (Dallas/NBA), Mike Ryan (Buffalo/NHL), Jim Fahey (San Jose Sharks/NHL), Graig Mischler (San Jose Sharks/NHL), Francois Bouchard (Toronto Maple Leafs/NHL), Dave Klemic (Kansas City Chiefs/NFL), Matt Comella (New York Jets/NFL), Liam Ezekiel (Buffalo Bills/NFL), Ryan Gibbons (Jacksonville Jaguars/NFL), Kendrick Ballantyne (Baltimore Ravens/NFL), Justin Hedrick (San Francisco Giants/MLB), Matt Keating (San Francisco Giants/MLB), Greg Montalbano (Boston Red Sox/MLB), Carlos Pena (Texas Rangers/MLB), Jordan Thomson (San Francisco Giants/MLB) and Luke Carlin (San Diego Padres/MLB). Pena, in fact, was the 10th overall pick in the 1999 MLB Draft by the Rangers. He is now the starting first baseman for the Tampa Bay Rays and was named MLB's Comeback Player of the Year in 2007.
• In 2006, Northeastern had four players selected in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, highlighted by RHP Adam Ottavino's first round selection (30th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals. Also drafted were junior Dave Pellegrine (Los Angeles (A)/11th round) and seniors Matt Morizio (Kansas City/17th round) and Chris Emanuele (Toronto/26th round). Dan Milano was selected by the Boston Red Sox in the 20th round of the 2007 Draft, Mike Lyon was picked by the New York Yankees in the 26th round of the 2008 Draft and Ryan Quigley was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 22nd round of the 2009 Draft, giving the Huskies seven selections in four seasons.
• Former women's hockey standouts Chanda Gunn ('05) and Shelley Looney ('95) helped the United States to its first ever World Championship in 2005. Gunn shut out Canada in the final. Looney, Hilary Witt ('00) and Brooke White ('03) were members of the 2001 U.S. National Team. Looney was the first Husky to win a gold medal, which she did as a member of the 1998 U.S. Olympic Women's Hockey Team. Looney scored the game-winning goal in the gold medal game. Gunn also helped the United States to the bronze medal at the 2006 Olympics. Laura Schuler ('94) won a silver medal as a member of Team Canada.
• Diana Nelson ('05) is a member of the U.S. Field Hockey National Team and has competed in international competitions. Sarah Broderick ('04) was a member of the 2001 U.S. Field Hockey Under-21 Team. Broderick and classmate Fior Arrindell also competed for a spot on the 2002 U.S. National Team.
• Current field hockey head coach Cheryl Murtagh has also taken her expertise to the national level, coaching with the U.S. National Program at several levels. |
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