Following a loss to No. 22 Ohio State, the women’s soccer team (4-1-1) traveled to Boston and tied with Northeastern (3-3-2) on Sunday.
The Bears had control of the game throughout the first half and outshot the Huskies 6-4 with a 3-1 edge in shots on goal. Both sides seemed to have difficulty adapting to the rainy conditions and finished the half scoreless.
Seven minutes into the second half, Ava Seelenfreund ’23 put Brown on the board. Sheyenne Allen ’23 set up a ball in the box where Seelenfreund jumped atop a defender and headed it into the back of the net. The Bears continued to put pressure on Northeastern’s defense after the goal and tallied 11 more shots for the remainder of the game. Five of those were shots on net, including a Seelenfreund shot that hit the post in the 77th minute of the game.
Despite their offensive pressure, the Bears let up a goal in the 89th minute, tying the game at one goal apiece. Northeastern was able to knock a ball through the Bears’ defense and caught up to get a shot around a Brown defender that bounced in the goal.
Though the teams drew, the dominance of the Bears still shined, taking a total of 19 shots as opposed to Northeastern’s five, and putting 10 on net to the Huskies’ two. Corners were 8-1 in favor of the Bears.
The Bears’ veterans say the team’s strength is yet to be fully shown, given that they have failed to win in their last two matches. “This group is the best and most talented that we’ve had since I’ve been at Brown,” said Laryssa Hamblen ’23. “We are all on the same page and know what it takes to do what we want to do. Everyone is so passionate and ready for another ring.”
The Bears have proven to be able to handle the tougher schedule this year, said Head Coach Kia McNeill. “This is arguably one of the best Brown soccer teams this program has had, and now we are just working out the kinks to reach that potential,” said McNeill. “I think as a program we are at an interesting point because years ago we were the underdog in a lot of our games, and now we are the team to beat so everyone gives their A game against us. We have to adjust to that tactically, but we also have to adjust mentally and know that we earned that status and reputation. And we have to play like it.
Defender Kaitlyn Williams ’24 remains optimistic and excited to see where the season will lead, even after the slow start. “I am very excited for the rest of our season,” said Williams. “We started the season off with a few wins where we weren’t necessarily playing our best and were still able to get results. I feel like we still have so much room to grow and improve as a team to reach our potential as Ivy play starts in a few weeks … (and) are willing to put in the work to win another championship.”
The Bears return home this Sept. 15 for a 7 p.m. contest with cross-town foe Providence College (2-4-1).
