NU defeats Hofstra in 2OT to claim CAA crown

by Matt Houde
November 11, 2012

Box Score  | Season Stats | Watch The Selection Show (Monday at 5:30 p.m.)

PHILADELPHIA – Senior forward Don Anding scored with 4:38 left in double overtime to give the Northeastern men's soccer team (13-2-4) its first-ever CAA Championship with a 1-0 victory against Hofstra on Sunday afternoon at Vidas Field.

With the win, Northeastern secures an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, the program's first since 2002. The Huskies also tied the team record for victories in a season, which was originally set in 2001.

On the game-winning play, junior Dante Marini touched the ball over to Anding. The CAA Player of the Year took a couple of dribbles to create space and then fired a 20-yard left-footed laser that hooked into the right side of the net. It was the league-leading 14th goal of the season for Anding, who was honored as the Most Outstanding Performer of the championship. In addition, Conner Alexander, Anding, Oliver Blum and Jonathan Eckford were all named to the CAA All-Tournament Team.

NU outshot the Pride 20-7 in the match and generated nine corner opportunities to Hofstra's three. Blum made one save in the match, while Pride goalkeeper Adam Janowski made a career-high 10 stops.

Northeastern controlled the tempo of the first half, outshooting the Pride 11-2, including 6-0 edge in shots on goal. NU had several scoring bids throughout the half, but three offsides calls thwarted the Huskies' efforts to take an early lead.

In the 10th minute, NU nearly capitalized on one of its corner opportunities as Donovan Fayd'Herbe de Maudave sent the ball into the box, where Simon Cox's shot sailed just wide. Anding also had a couple bids in the first 45 minutes, including a shot midway through the stanza that barely missed going inside the right post .

Hofstra and Northeastern continued to battle in the second half with several scoring chances, but neither team could break the deadlock. Anding would send multiple shots on goal during the second frame, but Janowski was up to the task.

NU thought it had taken a 1-0 lead midway through the second half when Alexander sent a header into the back of the net off a corner, but NU was whistled for a foul, negating the tally and sending the Huskies to overtime for the ninth time this season.

After a quiet first overtime period, the Northeastern heroics appeared once again. With less than five minutes left in extra time and penalty kicks looming, Anding took possession and sent a missile from 20 yards out into the top right corner for the victory.

NU will await to see who it plays next with the NCAA Selection Show tomorrow night at 5:30 p.m. 

Game Notes: This is Northeastern's first-ever CAA Championship, and second conference title in program history; NU won the America East Championship in 2002; The Huskies earn the CAA's automatic berth into the NCAA tournament, its first since 2002; The Huskies tied the program record for victories in a season (13), which was originally set in 2001 ... NU's win on Sunday was the team's fifth double overtime victory of the season; they are the only team in the nation with five double overtime wins this season ... Anding's goal moved him into second place on the NU record list for goals in a season (14) and into third for points in a season (34) … Northeastern is one shutout away from tying the program record for clean sheets in a season, which was set in 2008 … NU is 12-6-0 all-time against the Pride, and has won each of the past six matches … The Huskies are now 5-5 all-time in the CAA Tournament.

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