Northeastern falls to La Salle, 1-0, in 2OT

August 24, 2014

BROOKLINE, Mass. – The Northeastern women’s soccer team dropped a tough, 1-0 double-overtime decision at the hands of La Salle on Sunday afternoon at Parsons Field.

The Huskies (1-1) outplayed the two-time defending Atlantic-10 champions for long stretches, but were beaten when La Salle’s Kelsey Haycook collected a pass inside the box and fired a shot off the underside of the crossbar in the 102nd minute to give the Explorers (1-1) the victory.

Northeastern outshot La Salle by a 20-9 count and held an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks. Freshman Kayla Cappuzzo led all players with six shots and consistently tormented the Explorers’ defense with her speed and strength on the ball.

Cappuzzo, who had two assists in her collegiate debut on Friday vs. UMass Lowell, nearly had a third point midway though the second half. On one of her many positive runs down the right flank, Cappuzzo rolled a pretty cross toward the back post, but the ball just eluded an onrushing Carly Wilhelm and skipped inches wide of the frame.

La Salle created only two clear-cut chances in regulation, and both times, goalkeeper Paige Burnett was up to the task. With 20 minutes to play in the second half, Jessika Kagan raced in alone on a breakaway, but Burnett came out to challenge and forced Kagan wide for an off-balance attempt that hit the side netting. Minutes later, Kagan tested Burnett with a low blast from the left wing, but the Huskies’ keeper dove left and tipped the shot around the far post to keep the game scoreless.

The Northeastern back line of Mackenzie Dowd, Awnalisa Walker, Bianca Calderone and Skylar LeBlanc stayed organized and composed throughout the game and shut down Haycook, a 41-point scorer last season, for the game’s first 100 minutes. But only 62 seconds into the second overtime, Haycook ran onto a feed from Gabrielle Carbone and lifted a shot over Burnett, off the crossbar and into the goal to hand the visitors their first win of the 2014 campaign.

Northeastern returns to action on Thursday, Aug. 28 at Providence at 7 p.m.

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