On Friday, the Quinnipiac Bobcats were able to shut out Villanova to win their 4th consecutive game, breaking a 12 year record and inching them closer to double digit wins for the first time since that same 2013 season. 

On Sunday, the team honored their five seniors: Midfielders Lauren Kane and Mo Quaile, Forward Cameron Brower, Defenseman Lily Wolfe, and Goalkeeper Cristina Torres. 

Unfortunately, Quinnipiac was not able to honor their seniors by extending their record-breaking win streak as they took on Northeastern University on Sunday. The hard-fought battle ended in a controversial 3-2 win for the Huskies. 

The Huskies started off scoring quickly with sophomore defenseman Camille Armaganian scoring just five minutes in, before Brower celebrated her senior day with a shot into the back of the net to tie it with under two minutes left in the first half. After a brief intermission from the dance team, play resumed in the second quarter tied at one. That’s when Armaganian scored her second of the game to give Northeastern the lead before halftime. 

Junior forward Alex Mega scored the third goal of the afternoon to double the Huskies’ lead and create separation with less than ten minutes left. Brower was able to manage her second goal of the game in the fourth quarter but it was too late and left Quinnipiac with three minutes to match the three from Northeastern. 

Following a kick from a Husky in the circle that led to a corner, the Bobcats were able to do just that. Or at least they thought they did. 

Quinnipiac was awarded a penalty corner. The tension was palpable. The insert was clean, the shot redirected, and as if in slow motion, the ball hovered in front of Northeastern’s net before being batted in by a Bobcat stick.

The stands exploded. Players jumped in jubilation, as the scoreboard flickered to 3-3. But the celebration lasted only seconds. A sharp whistle pierced through the chaos, the referee had waved off the goal. The call, unclear and hotly contested, sent confusion and frustration throughout the crowd. What could have been a dramatic equalizer on Senior Day was erased in an instant.

While the team didn’t win on senior day, Quinnipiac understands their long-term goal. “In the locker room we talk about, ‘let’s do it for the seniors’,” sophomore midfielder Francisca Eschoyez said. “We do whatever we can to get to our goals.” 

Despite the heartbreaking loss, Head Coach Nina Klein is proud of her “vision team.” As an assistant, Klein was tasked with recruiting for the Bobcats, and now her vision is coming together with the group of seniors she recruited five years ago. The team is loaded with talent and the “vision” has come together for Klein. That being said, the job isn’t done. 

The loss may have halted the win streak, but the drive of the Bobcats remains unbroken. The history is nice, but will be all for nothing if the team can’t make their way to the Big East Tournament. The Bobcats return to the field Friday against Georgetown with a chance to mark their tenth win of the season, and a crucial third Big East Win.