Northeastern University Athletics | Women's Soccer | Huskies finish tremendous season

Huskies finish tremendous season
Nov. 20, 2008
Boston, Mass.

The 2008 women’s soccer team had the best season in program history. Going 13-9-2 with a 6-5 CAA record, the team won its first-ever CAA Championship and made it to the second round in its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Coming off a 4-11-3 injury plagued 2007 season, head coach Ed Matz hoped to have a turnaround year in 2008. Matz and his coaching staff brought in a highly decorated group of recruits led by forward Veronica Napoli. Matz’s recruitment class was ranked No. 2 in the CAA by soccerbuzz.com. With a mix of talented freshmen and veteran leadership, the 2008 Huskies were a force to be reckoned with.

Napoli earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors after being a three-time Rookie of the Week, CAA Player of the week and leading the team with a scoring line of 12-5-29. Napoli also joined Gabbi Jatkola on the CAA All-Rookie team and All-CAA third team. Emilee Ellison, Stephanie Gordon, Jenna Lucchesi and Tinna Nielsen were all named to the CAA All-Tournament team and Lucchesi was also named the CAA Tournament MVP. The team made CAA history becoming the first-ever No. 6 seed to win the title.

The Huskies had a tremendous season posting a nine-win improvement, a 37-goal improvement and a 14-assist improvement from the previous year. The program sits just two wins away from the century mark.

“This team steadily improved each and every game and practice,” said head coach Ed Matz “The leadership and determination of the players along with the team chemistry helped us to peak in late October and early November.”

The Huskies will say goodbye to six seniors in Emilee Ellison, Kirsten Hjort, Jenna Lucchesi, Brenna Matthews, Lauren Meehan and Kelsey O’Rourke.

Season Recap:

After a loss and a tie in the first two games, the team headed off to the Regina Moench Tournament to take on Creighton and Ohio. The Huskies got their first win in a 2-1 double overtime decision against Creighton and took their winning ways into the next game against Ohio where they dropped the Bobcats 2-0.

The team returned back to Boston where they split the next four games. They defeated non-conference opponents New Hampshire and Bryant at Parsons Field and fell to Boston University and Harvard just across town.

CAA play started on Sept. 27 when the team faced Drexel. That game would prove to be tough as the Dragons forced the Huskies into overtime. Just 1:44 into the first overtime, Napoli was able to score the game-winner and record her first collegiate hat trick. The team would drop the next game to Delaware after traveling all night due to a rain delay.

The following week the Huskies were back at home and back to their winning habits. They were able to crush Towson 4-1 and comeback two days later to knock off George Mason in a 1-0 overtime win. The Huskies were now 3-1 in CAA play and ready to make the trip south to take on William & Mary and Old Dominion.

Once again, the team could not find its winning touch on the road; they fell to W&M 3-2 and then to ODU 3-0. The team fell back to .500 in the CAA but was headed home for two important conference games.

The Huskies dominated Georgia State and walked away with a 3-0 victory only to lose two days later to UNC Wilmington. The loss was the teams first at Parsons Field since their first game on Aug. 29. The future looked bleak as the team was headed out on a three game road trip sitting 4-4 in the CAA and just out of sixth place.

The first stop for the Huskies was James Madison. The Dukes were a well-known powerhouse but the Huskies held their own falling just 2-1. Sitting 4-5 in the CAA with just two games remaining, the young Husky team knew it had to come up big, and that it did.

The team marched in to Virginia Commonwealth and earned a 3-0 victory with goals from three freshmen in Napoli, Jatkola and K. Matthews. The team now knew the odds of their final regular season match. They had to either win, tie or hope for a VCU loss to solidify their sixth place seed in the postseason.

Trailing 1-0 to the Hofstra Pride for a majority of the game, Jatkola realized time was running out and decided to make a final push for the goal. She sprinted up the field dribbling in and out of defenders before firing a shot that beat the Hofstra goalkeeper to force overtime. It took Napoli only seven minutes in OT to score the game-winner and send the Huskies to the postseason.

In the post season, the Huskies quarterfinal match would be against UNC Wilmington. Jatkola would once again put the Huskies on the board from a long outside shot that found the back of the net for the game-winner in the 1-0 victory.

In the semifinal match, Northeastern had to face the No. 2 Dukes of James Madison. After a JMU penalty kick gave the team a 1-0 lead, the Huskies turnaround season seemed like an end. That was until Jatkola received a pass from K. Matthews at the top of the box. Jatkola was able to use her powerful leg to release another rocket into the back of the net to notch the score a 1 apiece. It was then Lucchesi who scored the game-winner in overtime to send the team to the championship match against Hofstra.

The CAA Championship against Hofstra was a hard fought, evenly matched game on the pitch. The game ended 0-0 in regulation and the two teams headed for overtime. Rebello scored the game-winner at 104:54 to give the Huskies their first ever CAA Championship in program history and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

After a tremendous selection show party held in the Varsity Club at Matthews Arena, the Huskies learned that they would face Harvard in the first round of the NCAA Tournament held at Boston College’s Newton Soccer Field.

Going into the first game, the Huskies had won their last five. The game was back and fourth with NU on the board first and then Harvard answering back with two of their own. It wasn’t until the 70th minute that K. Matthews ripped a shot past the Harvard keeper for the tie. After two overtime periods, the game headed for a shootout. Freshman Kirby Anderson scored first for the Huskies and NU goalkeeper Stephanie Gordon made a brilliant diving save on Harvard’s first chance. B. Matthews and Jatkola would tack on two more goals, as the penalty kick score was 3-2 in Northeastern’s favor. After a Harvard miss, the Huskies would look for K. Matthews to end the game. K. Matthews launched a shot to the left side of the net, which beat the Harvard keeper for the win and the chance to take on BC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The game against Boston College is where the dream season would come to an end. The Eagles won 4-0 but the spirits were high on the Husky soccer team. The team had posted a nine-win improvement, scored 37 more goals and recorded 14 more assists. The season was a remarkable turnaround from just one year ago. The team ended their season with the best record in program history, a conference championship and a second round loss to a very good Boston College team in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies held their heads high as they walked off the pitch.



	HUSKIES HEADLINES SCHEDULES & RESULTS CALENDAR OF EVENTS RADIO & TV SCHEDULE ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HUSKIES INSIDER NORTHEASTERN TWITTER CAA BLOOD CHALLENGE DIRECTIONS SPECIAL EVENTS TRAVEL RSS FEEDS HUSKY ATHLETICS FUND CORPORATE PARTNERS MERCHANDISE TICKET INFORMATION iPHONE APPLICATION NCENTIVES HALL OF FAME CHEERLEADING MISSION & GOALS HISTORY STAFF DIRECTORY FACILITIES CAMPS & CLINICS MEDIA GUIDES NCAA COMPLIANCE NCAA CERTIFICATION SPORTS INFORMATION SPORTS MEDICINE STRENGTH & CONDITIONING STUDENT ATHLETES FIRST SUPPORT SERVICES P.A.W.S. INITIATIVE NORTHEASTERN WEBSITE BOSTON CAMPUS RECREATION SPORT IN SOCIETY GoNU.com INDEX	Schedule Coaches Roster Stats Archives Huskies finish tremendous season Nov. 20, 2008 Boston, Mass. The 2008 women’s soccer team had the best season in program history. Going 13-9-2 with a 6-5 CAA record, the team won its first-ever CAA Championship and made it to the second round in its first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament. Coming off a 4-11-3 injury plagued 2007 season, head coach Ed Matz hoped to have a turnaround year in 2008. Matz and his coaching staff brought in a highly decorated group of recruits led by forward Veronica Napoli. Matz’s recruitment class was ranked No. 2 in the CAA by soccerbuzz.com. With a mix of talented freshmen and veteran leadership, the 2008 Huskies were a force to be reckoned with. Napoli earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors after being a three-time Rookie of the Week, CAA Player of the week and leading the team with a scoring line of 12-5-29. Napoli also joined Gabbi Jatkola on the CAA All-Rookie team and All-CAA third team. Emilee Ellison, Stephanie Gordon, Jenna Lucchesi and Tinna Nielsen were all named to the CAA All-Tournament team and Lucchesi was also named the CAA Tournament MVP. The team made CAA history becoming the first-ever No. 6 seed to win the title. The Huskies had a tremendous season posting a nine-win improvement, a 37-goal improvement and a 14-assist improvement from the previous year. The program sits just two wins away from the century mark. “This team steadily improved each and every game and practice,” said head coach Ed Matz “The leadership and determination of the players along with the team chemistry helped us to peak in late October and early November.” The Huskies will say goodbye to six seniors in Emilee Ellison, Kirsten Hjort, Jenna Lucchesi, Brenna Matthews, Lauren Meehan and Kelsey O’Rourke. Season Recap: After a loss and a tie in the first two games, the team headed off to the Regina Moench Tournament to take on Creighton and Ohio. The Huskies got their first win in a 2-1 double overtime decision against Creighton and took their winning ways into the next game against Ohio where they dropped the Bobcats 2-0. The team returned back to Boston where they split the next four games. They defeated non-conference opponents New Hampshire and Bryant at Parsons Field and fell to Boston University and Harvard just across town. CAA play started on Sept. 27 when the team faced Drexel. That game would prove to be tough as the Dragons forced the Huskies into overtime. Just 1:44 into the first overtime, Napoli was able to score the game-winner and record her first collegiate hat trick. The team would drop the next game to Delaware after traveling all night due to a rain delay. The following week the Huskies were back at home and back to their winning habits. They were able to crush Towson 4-1 and comeback two days later to knock off George Mason in a 1-0 overtime win. The Huskies were now 3-1 in CAA play and ready to make the trip south to take on William & Mary and Old Dominion. Once again, the team could not find its winning touch on the road; they fell to W&M 3-2 and then to ODU 3-0. The team fell back to .500 in the CAA but was headed home for two important conference games. The Huskies dominated Georgia State and walked away with a 3-0 victory only to lose two days later to UNC Wilmington. The loss was the teams first at Parsons Field since their first game on Aug. 29. The future looked bleak as the team was headed out on a three game road trip sitting 4-4 in the CAA and just out of sixth place. The first stop for the Huskies was James Madison. The Dukes were a well-known powerhouse but the Huskies held their own falling just 2-1. Sitting 4-5 in the CAA with just two games remaining, the young Husky team knew it had to come up big, and that it did. The team marched in to Virginia Commonwealth and earned a 3-0 victory with goals from three freshmen in Napoli, Jatkola and K. Matthews. The team now knew the odds of their final regular season match. They had to either win, tie or hope for a VCU loss to solidify their sixth place seed in the postseason. Trailing 1-0 to the Hofstra Pride for a majority of the game, Jatkola realized time was running out and decided to make a final push for the goal. She sprinted up the field dribbling in and out of defenders before firing a shot that beat the Hofstra goalkeeper to force overtime. It took Napoli only seven minutes in OT to score the game-winner and send the Huskies to the postseason. In the post season, the Huskies quarterfinal match would be against UNC Wilmington. Jatkola would once again put the Huskies on the board from a long outside shot that found the back of the net for the game-winner in the 1-0 victory. In the semifinal match, Northeastern had to face the No. 2 Dukes of James Madison. After a JMU penalty kick gave the team a 1-0 lead, the Huskies turnaround season seemed like an end. That was until Jatkola received a pass from K. Matthews at the top of the box. Jatkola was able to use her powerful leg to release another rocket into the back of the net to notch the score a 1 apiece. It was then Lucchesi who scored the game-winner in overtime to send the team to the championship match against Hofstra. The CAA Championship against Hofstra was a hard fought, evenly matched game on the pitch. The game ended 0-0 in regulation and the two teams headed for overtime. Rebello scored the game-winner at 104:54 to give the Huskies their first ever CAA Championship in program history and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. After a tremendous selection show party held in the Varsity Club at Matthews Arena, the Huskies learned that they would face Harvard in the first round of the NCAA Tournament held at Boston College’s Newton Soccer Field. Going into the first game, the Huskies had won their last five. The game was back and fourth with NU on the board first and then Harvard answering back with two of their own. It wasn’t until the 70th minute that K. Matthews ripped a shot past the Harvard keeper for the tie. After two overtime periods, the game headed for a shootout. Freshman Kirby Anderson scored first for the Huskies and NU goalkeeper Stephanie Gordon made a brilliant diving save on Harvard’s first chance. B. Matthews and Jatkola would tack on two more goals, as the penalty kick score was 3-2 in Northeastern’s favor. After a Harvard miss, the Huskies would look for K. Matthews to end the game. K. Matthews launched a shot to the left side of the net, which beat the Harvard keeper for the win and the chance to take on BC in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The game against Boston College is where the dream season would come to an end. The Eagles won 4-0 but the spirits were high on the Husky soccer team. The team had posted a nine-win improvement, scored 37 more goals and recorded 14 more assists. The season was a remarkable turnaround from just one year ago. The team ended their season with the best record in program history, a conference championship and a second round loss to a very good Boston College team in the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies held their heads high as they walked off the pitch.