Thursday evening, the Huskies hosted crosstown rival Boston University for the first game of the regular season. The local teams drew plenty of support for both sides, and although weather drove out the energetic crowds and cut the event short just 20 minutes in, the time played offered a snapshot of what Northeastern’s 2025 season could look like.
The first few minutes were all BU, but that wasn’t much of a shock. With a young Huskies lineup facing off against a group of seasoned champions, the pitch was expected to tilt heavily in favor of BU. The Terriers have been formidable in recent years, capping off 2024 with the Patriot League title and an NCAA Tournament run. With little offseason change, the veteran squad entered the year as the Patriot League favorite, sweeping the board with their conference’s preseason selections for Offensive Player of the Year, Midfielder of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Goalkeeper of the Year.
But while the players didn’t change, the program itself had some internal soul-seeking to do, as they faced a series of harassment allegations and had to re-evaluate their coaching staff as a result. It’s likely that the chaos of the past few months put some cracks in an otherwise star-studded group, and combined with Northeastern’s preseason development and talented athletes, the Huskies spent much of the game in possession.
Goaltending was a strong spot for the Huskies. Captain Eliza Teplow shined between the posts, making a couple heads-up plays to keep BU off the board. The first minute of the game brought a heavy Terriers onslaught, but Teplow made a quick save on a deflected shot to keep things even. In the 16th minute of play, the keeper found herself alone against junior forward Ava Maguire, but a sliding save on the six-yard line drove the ball out of harm’s way before the attacker could take a shot.
On the front end, a few Huskies had great opportunities, but it was newbies Tamara Muñoz and Claire Murray who showed up the most. In the ninth minute, a nifty feed from Murray put Muñoz at a good angle at the right-hand side of the goal box, but her shot was just a foot too high. Muñoz later won the ball all by herself in the middle of the attacking zone, but booted it straight into the chest of BU goalie Susan Shobeiri for an easy save. Although they couldn’t quite break through yet, between Murray’s high energy and excellent vision and Muñoz’s fearless pressure, the pair bode well for Northeastern’s attack.
But it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Before the true thunderstorm erupted overhead, a few dark clouds descended over the Huskies’ play. Northeastern spent the first five minutes or so of play in their own end, getting backed into a corner by the Terriers. Once in a while, that pressure returned, and it took the Huskies a few attempts to get out from under BU’s thumb and into their offensive end. Additionally, Northeastern repeatedly got a bit too spread out. Although there were some calls from the net to “tuck in,” the middle of the pitch would quickly turn into a sea of red jerseys, stripping the Huskies of their offensive momentum.
While the ending wasn’t what anyone hoped for, the shortened matchup against BU showed what the Huskies can do in a high-stakes competitive environment. The odds may have been against them, but Northeastern held on against — and even, at times, outplayed — a historically strong soccer program to end 0-0 by the first crack of thunder.
The Huskies will be back in action Sunday afternoon when they host Holy Cross at Parsons Field at 1 p.m.
Amelia Ballingall is the Editor-in-Chief for WRBB Sports. She has been a writer and broadcaster with the organization since 2022. Read more of her work here.