BROOKLINE, Mass. – Senior defender Samantha Young and freshman defender Shawnee Nicholas each scored a goal in the first half as the Tigers (6-6-3, 2-3-1) rallied from an early deficit to edge Northeastern University (7-5-1, 2-3-1) by a 2-1 margin in a Colonial Athletic Association game at the Huskies' Parsons Field on Sunday afternoon.

The win allowed the Tigers to snap a three-game winless streak while the Huskies dropped their second straight game.

“We had to rearrange some things in our lineup today and we had some players in some different areas,” Towson Coach Greg Paynter said. “It took us some time to get things into place but once we did, things went well for us.”

The Huskies took a 1-0 lead less than two minutes into the first half when sophomore forward Greta Samuelsdottir scored her team-leading seventh goal of the season off a long pass from sophomore defender Sandra Magnusdottir.

“Northeastern scored so early into the game that it really didn't have the time to settle into one team having momentum or another,” said Coach Paynter. “We didn't panic after the goal, which is a credit to the leadership in the back, especially with Jocelyn Papciak and Melissa Gomes back there for us.”

The Tigers responded less than five minutes later to tie the game at 1-1. After junior midfielder Courtney McKee won a scramble in front of the goal, she passed the ball to Young, who scored her first goal of the season past senior goalkeeper Sarah Fylak.

With 14:46 left in the first half, the Tigers took a 2-1 advantage when Nicholas, who had entered the game just seconds before, scored off a corner kick from Gomes for the first goal of her college career.

The Huskies had several scoring opportunities in the second half, but Papciak made seven of her season-high ten saves after the intermission to hold onto the Tigers' one-goal edge.

“Jocelyn is playing at an extremely high level for us this year,” said Coach Paynter. “Not only is she making the routine saves when she needs to, but she is also making some spectacular saves, which helps us in close games.

“We will continue to play well if Jocelyn continues to play as well as she has this season,” Coach Paynter added.

Fylak, who was making her first start since a loss against 12th-ranked South Carolina on August 22, made five saves, including four in the first half.

The Huskies outshot Towson by a 15-13 margin, but the Tigers had a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks.

The win allowed the Tigers to improve to 5-0-1 in Sunday games this season.

“Being successful on Sundays shows that these girls have worked hard not only during the season but in the summer as well,” Coach Paynter explained. “They have been able to be focused mentally and remain sharp physically after playing less than 48 hours before. Sunday games are always a battle of attrition and I think our team has responded well all season long.”

The Tigers will return home for a pair of CAA games next weekend. After hosting Georgia State on Friday afternoon, the Tigers will welcome UNC Wilmington to the Towson Center Soccer Complex for a 1 p.m. game against the Seahawks.

College Women's Soccer: Towson University 2, Northeastern University 1
Towson (6-6-3, 2-3-1)  2-0 / 2
Northeastern (7-5-1, 2-3-1)  1-0 / 1

Goals: NU – Greta Samuelsdottir 1 (1:53); TOW – Samantha Young 1 (6:19), Shawnee Nicholas 1 (30:14). Assists: NU – Sandra Magnusdottir 1, TOW – Courtney McKee 1, Melissa Gomes 1. Saves: NU – Sarah Fylak 5 (90:00, 2 goals allowed); TOW – Jocelyn Papciak 10 (90:00, 1 goals allowed). Shots: NU – 15; TOW – 13. Corner Kicks: NU – 4; TOW – 2. Attendance: 168.

TIGER TIDBITS: 14 of the Tigers' 15 games this season have been decided by a goal or less … Young scored her first goal in over two years against Northeastern on Sunday … Her last goal came in a 1-0 victory over Lafayette on August 30, 2008 … Gomes tallied her first assist since her freshman year when she had an assist in the Tigers' 1-0 win over Northeastern on September 30, 2007 … Both of her career assists have come against the Huskies … McKee recorded her first career assist in the Tigers' win over Northeastern on Sunday … Nicholas became the fourth different Towson player to score their first career goal this season.