LOWELL, Mass. -- In a strong defensive outing by both squads, the UMass Lowell women's soccer team battled to a 0-0 double overtime draw with Northeastern on Sunday afternoon in the season opener at Cushing Field.
 
"I'm really happy with the way we applied ourselves," commented head coach Mira Novak. "The level of competitiveness the team brought today was great and we saw some solid performances all around. I'm extremely grateful we we're able to get to this stage of play."
 
With the tie, Lowell starts the year 0-0-1. Northeastern moves to 0-1-1 on the season.  
 
The River Hawk defense held steady throughout the game and kept the Huskies off the scoreboard, junior Farrell O'Shaughnessy (Bedford, Mass.) coming away with two saves, while sophomore Taylor Burgess (Mendon, Mass.) grabbed three.
 
In the first half, Northeastern fired five shots, including two on-goal, but were unable to convert as O'Shaughnessy was there with the stops.
 
Lowell had their share of opportunities in the first half, but were unable to break through against Northeastern keeper Angeline Friel. Junior Hailey DuBose (Raynham, Mass.) had a chance in the 32nd minute, but her shot passed just over the top of the crossbar. The Huskies held a 5-4 shot advantage entering the break.
 
The near misses continued for each side throughout the second half. In the 61st minute, senior Courtney Coleman (Antioch, Ill.) struck low from the center, but the shot was stopped by the Huskies defense to keep the match scoreless. The River Hawks saw their best opportunity in the 68th minute when Coleman sent a cross pass to freshman Calliste Brookshire (Kingston, Mass.), unfortunately the goal was called back due to an offsides violation, sending the game into extra minutes.
 
While the River Hawks could not muster a goal in the first overtime period, the home team delivered clutch work on defense, stopping two of the Huskies shots.
 
Heading into the final minutes, Burgess continued her excellent play down the stretch, making a save at the 100 minute-mark to keep the Huskies from advancing. The match would end in a tie as neither side was able to find the back of the net.
 
The River Hawks and Huskies are back at it on Thursday, February 25. Kickoff is at 6:00 p.m. on Parsons Field.