BROOKLINE – As Northeastern fifth-year Jesse Hunt punched in her third goal of the 2024 campaign to tie the game in the 57th minute, the Huskies’ momentum was palpable and the team’s first win of the season seemed within reach.
But Hofstra junior Thorhildur felt differently when she finished off a perfect volley from sophomore Sasha McTiffin just minutes later, which would hold up as the game-winner in a crushing 2-1 loss for the Huskies.
It was Northeastern’s Pride Night on Thursday, as the team looked to build off their strong defensive showings against Charleston and UNCW last week. Coming into the game, Northeastern graduate student goalie Sophie Theresia Augustin was riding a two game shutout streak, and the Huskies hadn’t given up a goal in 241 consecutive minutes. Still though, they remained winless 13 games into the season.
Hofstra posed a difficult challenge for the Huskies, scoring goals in 11 straight games entering the contest. Led by graduate student Ellie Gough, the Pride were coming into the matchup in search of their first road win of the year, and they would have to get creative on offense trying to break through against a pesty Northeastern defense.
In the first half, both teams produced limited chances, but the Huskies were clearly the better team. Northeastern graduate student and defensive leader Faith Rosenblatt set the tone early, with a timely clear amidst a dangerous corner kick for the Pride. That would be the Pride’s lone serious attack in the first half though, as Northeastern kept the ball primarily on Hofstra’s side of the pitch for the remaining 40 minutes.
The Huskies’ attack was cohesive as Hunt and graduate student Addison Davis commanded the mid-field and consistently made sharp, crisp passes to their teammates. In the 32nd minute, after a patient build-up, junior forward Lauren Ahles nearly put one in the back of the net — narrowly missing just a couple feet to the left.
Despite a scoreless 45 minutes, Northeastern looked hungry, out-hustling the Pride on loose balls, and dominating possession.
The second half was action-packed with plenty of offensive chances for both teams. The Huskies applied early pressure, when graduate student Sofie Fox juked out a Pride defender and just missed — her shot deflecting off the right post.
It seemed like Northeastern would be the team to break the 0-0 tie as they continued adding pressure on the offensive end, but Hofstra drew blood first in the 52nd minute, when senior Mathilde Braithwaite found the back of the net. Thanks to a gorgeous cross from Thorhallsdottir, all Braithwaite had to do was deflect the ball past Augustin, who stood no chance of making the point-blank save. The Huskies’ first and early-second half momentum were wiped away in an instant.
But just four minutes later, Hunt scored a well-deserved Huskies goal to even up the score. Junior Maggie Cochran chased down a through pass rolling towards the goal-line, and delivered a one-touch cross into the middle of the box. Simultaneously, Hunt cut towards the Hofstra goal in front of McTiffin, the main Pride defender in the area. The Northeastern midfielder deflected the ball to herself initially and stuck with the play, finishing softly with her left foot.
The game stayed tied for a mere 11 minutes, in which the Pride withstood plenty of Northeastern pressure. In the 66th minute, Husky senior Avery LeVangie cut down the Hofstra goal-line, beating her defender and opening up a golden chance in front of the net. LeVangie didn’t get much power on her shot and it ended up being a relatively easy save for Hofstra goalie Synne Danielsen, but the build-up was threatening.
Quickly after the Huskies’ chance, the Pride flipped the field and launched their counter attack. After a Hofstra throw-in, McTiffin sent a fast volley into the Northeastern box, where Thorhallsdottir used her inside right heel to connect with the ball and score. Once again, the Huskies seemed defeated.
After falling behind 2-1, the Huskies struggled to mount a comeback and the Pride shut them down, coasting to their fifth win of the season. Although the Huskies outshot the Pride 11-7 and developed more quality chances, the home team couldn’t finish when they needed to most, resulting in their eighth loss on the year.
The Huskies are set to visit Drexel on Sunday, where they should be able to put up a serious fight. The Dragon’s are one of the weaker teams in the conference and so Northeastern has a legitimate shot to win on the road.