Hofstra suffers double-OT defeat to Northeastern in CAA opener

The Hofstra field hockey team lost 2-1 in a double overtime game against Northeastern University at Hofstra Field Hockey Stadium on Friday, Sept. 30, in what was the first Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) game of the season for both teams.

“There is some pride I have in the fight that we have,” said Hofstra head coach Courtney Veinotte. “I have this immense amount of respect for the grind.”

The beginning of the first quarter was back and forth between both teams. Northeastern was aggressive on the attack, but Hofstra’s swarming defense made it difficult for any Husky ball handler to get a shot on net.  The first shot on goal of the game from Northeastern’s Lara Taylor was denied by Merlijn van der Vegt, but it did swing the momentum in the Huskies’ favor as they dominated the time of possession in the opening quarter.

Although Hofstra's offensive attempts were limited, their defense kept them in the game as van der Vegt tallied three of their saves in the first quarter, denying multiple scoring opportunities for Northeastern. The Pride tried for numerous sideline passes to get an offensive push but failed to connect the dots early on.

In the second quarter of the contest, Northeastern’s Emmy Stubbs put the visitors up by one off of a rebound that van der Vegt couldn’t corral. It wasn’t until seven minutes into the quarter that the Pride tested Husky goalkeeper Joanna Kennedy with their first shot on goal of the afternoon.

Coming out of halftime, Hofstra achieved their first corner of the game when Cami Larsson passed to Pilar Penaloza, but the subsequent set up was missed by Cami Valor. Hofstra spent a lot of time in the shooting circle this quarter but failed to get a shot off.

As the fourth opened, Hofstra was desperate for a scoring chance to stay in the game. Back-to-back corners for the Pride by Tara McNally put a jolt into the offense, as Hofstra finally broke through when Samantha Spera cleaned up a rebound for her third goal of the season.

With the score deadlocked at one goal as side, both teams made desperate attempts to end the game in regulation. The Huskies thought they did when they scored off a penalty corner, but the referee waved it off due to a player's foot making contact with the ball. The Pride battled to garner another shot on net but couldn’t get the ball across midfield. van der Vegt held their own in the waning moments of the match, fighting off Northeastern with a flurry of saves at the end of regulation.

To start overtime, Spera had a lone breakaway that looked like it was going to give Hofstra the win but was stymied by the Huskies’ defenders. Hofstra had multiple opportunities to win the game, but they couldn’t find a way to put the ball past Kennedy.

After 70 minutes of action, Mak Graves gave Northeastern the victory, scoring less than a minute gone into the second overtime period. An assist by Maria Armaganian gave Graves her fifth goal of the season.

The loss puts Hofstra to 4-6 overall and 0-1 in conference play. The Pride have a quick turnaround as they will be home for a battle with Bryant University on Sunday, Oct. 2, at 1 p.m. Photo Courtesy of Neil Miller/Hofstra Athletics