UNH upends Northeastern, Pacific over weekend

The No. 21 UNH field hockey team picked up two key victories this weekend, beating Pacific University 7-1 on Friday night and handing the No. 7 Northeastern Huskies their first loss in a double-overtime thriller on Sunday. The Wildcats are now 4-3 and winners of three straight games.

In the first game, the Wildcats turned the ball over just 20 seconds into the game, leading to an easy Pacific goal. Down 1-0 early, the Cats stormed back and tied it up two minutes later when Kellie Joyce took the ball along the end line and shot it over the head of the keeper. The goal was Joyce’s fourth of the season and added to her four-game point streak.

Hannah Richard scored two goals and Casey Pohlmeyer added another on a shot off a corner in the first half. UNH dominated in every aspect of the game, giving up only three total shots on net and allowing zero corners for the opposition.

The second half was controlled entirely by the Wildcats, with goals from Meg Carroll, Meg Flatley, and Cari Posternak. It was Posternak’s first of her career, while Flatley added to her own goal streak. 

“I was extremely pleased with our performance tonight,” head coach Robin Balducci said. “The biggest thing was our possession. The emphasis for me and what I’m most happy about is that we stayed with the game plan and executed well.

“I thought Casey Pohlmeyer, Megan Bozek, Kellie Joyce and Emma Erler were outstanding in the beginning of the game for us. They set the tone and the tempo with what we needed.”

In the second game, played on Sunday at Memorial Field, the Wildcats won a thrilling double-overtime game against Northeastern. 

In the first three minutes of the game, goalie Carlie Tarbell came up with two clutch saves on good shooting opportunities by the Huskies. The ‘Cats answered back with a goal from Hannah Richard, who extended her personal point streak to five straight games. 

With 4:12 to play in the first half, the Huskies’ Dierdre Duke tied the score at one on a running shot, going across the circle and putting the ball just beyond Tarbell’s outstretched pad. 

Late in the half, UNH’s Casey Pohlmeyer was shaken up after putting her body in front of a shot, but managed to stay in the game, moving from midfield to backer. 

In the second half, NU took a 2-1 lead with 21:55 to play when Duke scored her second goal of the game, after Tarbell surrendered a long rebound off a corner shot. 

UNH had a few late opportunities, missing on two corner shots, but they managed to tie it after Megan Bozek put away her third of the season on a corner shot from the top of the circle with just 5:43 to play.

In the first overtime period, there was a lot of controversy with the officiating. NU was awarded six corners, many of which were hotly contested by both the UNH coaching staff and fans, but Tarbell and the UNH defense came up huge with three saves and forcing three NU turnovers. 

UNH didn’t manage a shot in the first overtime period, but the game-winner was scored by Flatley just 2:29 into the second overtime on a fast break. 

“Kellie Joyce gave a great (pass), it was a whole team effort, everyone did a really great job of working the ball out (of the defensive zone) and just getting the ball up field,” Flatley said. “Everyone’s been really helpful towards me, been feeding me great (passes) and in practice everyone’s been really helping me out to help me become a better player.”

The Wildcats will face the University of Connecticut Friday, Sept. 21 in Storrs, Conn.