Field Hockey by Arielle Schwartz
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. This phrase probably rang in the ears of the No. 14 Northwestern field hockey team (9-5, 2-2 B1G) as they were dealt a crushing home defeat in overtime by No. 9 Stanford (8-3, 0-1 Pac-12), 3-2 on Friday.
Following last week’s shutout win against Iowa, the ‘Cats started off the first half strong, scoring within the first ten minutes of the game. The first goal, a penalty corner, was credited to goal leader, Isabel Flens, who now leads the team with 14 goals this season.
It seemed like the ‘Cats would pull off yet another victory until Northwestern gave up two consecutive goals to the Cardinal. This put an immense amount of pressure on the team as the players ran off the field at the end of the first half. But at the beginning of the second half, the Wildcats looked like a new team.
Flens scored her second goal off a penalty corner at 66:25, tying the game at 2-2, but neither team could break the tie. The game went to a six-on-six sudden death-style overtime.
At the beginning of the overtime period, the ball appeared to hit off of a Stanford player's foot, but it went unseen by referees. The play continued, allowing Stanford to score and secure the victory.
Coach Tracey Fuchs said she is determined to turn things around in the next few games.
“We just have to get better every day," Fuchs said. "We’ve been the better team in most of our losses, but it doesn’t matter. We have to find a way to win.”
Although this was a tough loss for the team, they will continue to work on their corners, possession and their execution to prepare for the next game against Michigan, who is currently second in the Big Ten.
Men's and Women's Soccer by Will Fischer
The No. 22 ranked Northwestern women's soccer team (10-3-2, 4-2-1 B1G) snapped a two-game losing streak and recaptured their defensive prowess on Sunday, shutting out Michigan State (6-3-4, 2-2-2 B1G) by a score of 1-0. It was the ninth time the Wildcats have held their opponent scoreless this season.
Sophomore goalkeeper Lauren Clem notched a season-best seven saves for NU, and senior Niki Sebo scored her third goal of the year in the victory. With their tenth win of the season, the ‘Cats have already surpassed their win total from last year.
There may have been reason for concern after NU dropped its last two games, falling to Penn State 3-0 and Michigan 1-0. But the 'Cats seemed to regain their form against MSU - with suffocating defense and immense toughness.
With four games left to play, three of which come against teams in the lower half of the B1G, the race for a conference championship will come down to the wire. Northwestern will look to better its title chances when they take on Nebraska on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. at Toyota Park in Bridgeview.
The men's soccer team's rollercoaster season continued on Saturday, as SIU-Edwardsville (7-3-1) topped the 'Cats (5-5-1) by a score of 2-1 at UIC Flames Field in Chicago.
SIUE got on the board first when Devyn Jambga beat two defenders and tucked away a pretty finish in the 32nd minute. The Cougars then extended their lead in the 56th, as a Brett Lane goal made it 2-0.
NU would strike back in the 68th minute off junior Mike Roberge's first goal of the season, but it would be too little, too late for the Wildcats as SIUE held on for the 2-1 victory.
SIUE outshot the Wildcats 12-8 and racked up eight corners to Northwestern’s three. NU senior goalkeeper Zak Allen made 3 saves in the contest.
It was more of the same for the 'Cats, as inconsistency is threatening to muddle this team in mediocrity. NU has shown what it is capable of in the past, knocking off No. 13 Maryland 2-1 in College Park just a week ago.
However, the Wildcats were dominated by Michigan this week and would have tied with DePaul had it not been for the help of an own goal late in the game. Until the 'Cats can find a nice rhythm and consistently play their game, they will continue to suffer mixed results.
NU will have a good opportunity to generate some momentum when it resumes B1G play on Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m., taking on Rutgers at Toyota Park.