DEDHAM, MA – Junior Alyssa Ercolino (West Long Branch, NJ/Shore Regional) and freshman Teresa Warner (Lower Hutt, New Zealand/Sacred Heart) scored goals in the final 2:30 to erase a two-goal deficit, but Northeastern's Vanessa Pryor hammered in a rebound on a penalty corner with time expired to give the Huskies a 5-4 win, Friday evening at Dedham Field. Sophomore goalkeeper Christen Piersanti (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) recorded a career-high 20 saves for the Hawks, while Warner finished with a seven points with three goals and an assist.
Following the Hawks goals in the final minutes, the Huskies pushed the ball into the circle where they earned its 15th penalty corner of the game. Piersanti turned away the initial two shot attempts, but Pryor found the back of the cage to give Northeastern the victory.
NU (3-6) controlled the first half earning nine penalty corners and firing 17 shots in the opening 35 minutes, 13 of which reaching cage. Piersanti recorded 11 first-half saves, while Casey Hanna (Seaville, NJ/Ocean City) posted her second defensive save of the season. The Huskies broke the ice in the 24th minute when Kate Carlson converted a corner play to take a 1-0 lead into halftime.
The Hawks (3-6) responded to start the second stanza, scoring a pair of goals in the opening 10 minutes. Warner collected a loose ball in the center of the circle and connected with a shot that got past the Huskies' goalkeeper, Becky Garner. Warner notched her second of the game in the 45th minute when she converted a feed from Hanna to give the Hawks a 2-1 advantage.
June Curry-Lindahl knocked in a rebound in the 52nd minute to even the score at 2-2 before Natalie Stewart scored twice in less than four minutes to put NU up 4-2 with 3:53 to go in regulation.
The Hawks rallied behind Ercolino's and Warner's goals. On a penalty corner in the 68th minute, Hanna sent a shot attempt that tipped off Warner's stick to Ercolino on the doorstep for her second goal in as many games. Warner completed her hat trick with under 60 seconds remaining as she deflected in Hanna's shot from the left side of the circle.
The 20 saves for Piersanti is the first time in her career the sophomore recorded a double-digit save total, while Warner's seven-points is a season-best for the rookie.
Northeastern outshot the Blue and White, 33-12, while the Huskies yielded seven defensive corners. Garner finished the night with four saves.
Monmouth returns home on Sunday, September 27, at 1 p.m. when its welcomes No. 5 University at Albany to West Long Branch. It marks the ninth-straight season the Hawks have played a nationally-ranked opponent and fifth occasion when they played host.
-@MonmouthFH-
