For Husky football, homecoming weekend marked another milestone in the season, upsetting No. 11 University of New Hampshire in a 36-35 victory in overtime in front of a sold-out Parsons Field crowd.
Alex Broomfield, sophomore running back and The Northeastern News Player of the Week, played a key role in the Husky victory. With five catches for 28 yards, none was more exciting than his catch on the 2-point conversion in overtime to win the game.
“We worked on that play since summer camp, every day, all week,” Broomfield said. “It was the best feeling ever.”
Broomfield dominated the Huskies’ last drive during regulation. In three runs, he tallied 66 of his 93 yards rushing and scored his only rushing touchdown on a 38-yard dash to put the Huskies up 28-21 with 53 seconds left on the clock.
In the game, Broomfield was 1-2 passing for 20 yards, and threw a touchdown pass to senior co-captain Kendrick Ballantyne for the first score of the game. He also returned one kickoff for 30 yards.
“This win let us know we could play against anyone,” Broomfield said.
The Huskies came into their homecoming game off another upset against then-No. 12 Delaware. That victory knocked Delaware out of the top 25 teams in Division 1-AA football. Both wins were Atlantic 10 victories for the Huskies, giving them an A-10 record of 2-2 and 3-4 overall.
“I knew I had to focus on the fundamentals,” Broomfield said. “I had to go out and practice hard every day.”
After redshirting the 2004 season, Broomfield finished the 2005 campaign with 917 all-purpose yards, and set a Northeastern game record against Georgia Southern with 151 kick-return yards. Part of that 151-yard performance was a 94-yard kick return for a touchdown, which earned him A-10 Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
“Just the little things we work on each game, they make the difference,” Broomfield said.
Husky football faces another tough matchup this Saturday against Massachusetts. UMass, which is coming off a 41-16 win against Rhode Island, was the highest-ranked A-10 team going into the weekend. After the Huskies’ last two games, morale is high.
“The coaches believe in us, our talent, and our ability to bring it in key situations,” Broomfield said.
– Danielle Ossher, News Correspondent
