Women's soccer rally from early 2-0 defecit to stay undefeated

The Hofstra women’s soccer team came back from a 2-0 deficit to remain undefeated in their conference as they played through two overtime periods to a 2-2 draw with the Northeastern University Huskies on Thursday, Oct. 3, at Parsons Field.

Hofstra’s two goals came from Lucy Shepherd and Anja Suttner. Sabrina Bryan led all players in shots taken with nine, while Lucy Porter was right behind her with six. The duo combined for seven shots on goal. Nine of the Pride’s 10 starters, excluding the goalkeeper, recorded a shot in the match, and seven tallied a shot on goal.

Of the Pride’s 29 total shots taken, 24 came during regulation, compared to 11 from the Huskies who finished with 14 after both overtimes.Hofstra took a staggering 16 shots in the second half of play while allowing just seven from their opponents.

The Huskies took just five shots on goal in the contest, with Pride goalkeeper Skylar Kuzmich bringing in three saves. Northeastern goalie Angeline Friel had her hands full with the Pride’s relentless offense. Hofstra had 13 shots on goal and tallied 11 saves on the night. 

Hofstra opened the game sluggish and vulnerable, falling into a 0-2 deficit after just 10 minutes of play. Northeastern’s Kerri Zerfoss opened the contest with a goal three minutes in, getting the assist from Chelsea Domond. Domond then put in a goal of her own just before the clock reached 10 minutes.

In the 23rd minute, a pass from Bryan set up Shepherd to put in her third goal of the season, cutting Northeastern’s lead in half. However, Northeastern’s attempt to tie up the match four minutes later was negated by an offside ruling that kept the Pride trailing by halftime.

After a shot from Bryan was blocked 71 minutes in, Suttner headed a corner kick from Miri Taylor into the goal. Suttner, a freshman, scored her first goal with the Pride, and Taylor recorded her seventh assist this season, leading the team in the category.

An attempted game-winner from Porter fell short just before time expired, leading to extra time to settle the score. Despite both teams having opportunities to score through the two overtime periods, neither squad could capitalize, leading to a 2-2 draw between the conference rivals.

With this first tie of the season, the Pride’s record is now 8-3-1, with a 2-0-1 record against Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opponents. The team will look to improve their CAA record in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, when they face the College of Charleston Cougars on Sunday, Oct. 6.

Image courtesy of Adam Flash