Although the Northwestern women’s soccer team currently sits in seventh place in the Big Ten, the Wildcats are mathematically guaranteed to be excluded from the eight-team conference tournament if they don’t post points in the standings this weekend.
The Cats (4-7-2, 2-5-1 Big Ten) will have to earn at least a tie against either No. 13 Michigan or Michigan State — both teams that have clinched playoff berths — if they hope to extend their season.
NU’s first attempt will come at 4 p.m. today at Lakeside Field against the Spartans (10-4, 5-3). The Cats will also be at home for their final game, against the Wolverines (11-3, 6-2) on Sunday at 12:30 p.m.
NU only has these two opportunities to notch points, while the rest of the conference has three games remaining, making this weekend’s games even more important for the Cats.
NU would lose in the first tie-breaker to Ohio State, one of the two teams that is tied for seventh place. NU holds the tie-breaking edge with a win over Iowa, the third team sharing seventh, but Iowa has Illinois left on its schedule.
The Fighting Illini are just one point behind the Cats, so no matter what the outcome of the Illinois-Iowa matchup, NU will be passed in the conference standings if it stays at seven points.
The many possibilities are potentially distracting, but the Cats are trying to concentrate on what they can control.
“We just need to worry about getting done what we need to get done this weekend,” senior Kelli Wilson said. “We’ll focus on ourselves and on our team — if we win two we won’t worry about anyone else.”
But even if they do post results, the Cats will only be treading water.
NU’s Big Ten season ends Sunday, but the other 10 teams in the conference have another match on Oct. 25, meaning the Cats will have to wait five days before knowing if their year will be continued. Even if NU beats both playoff-bound opponents, the team won’t secure a slot in the postseason.
NU head coach Jenny Haigh said the tight pack of teams competing for the final few tournament spots could be a positive for the Cats.
“It adds a little bit of energy,” Haigh said. “We put ourselves in position to get (to the tournament), and now we have to do it.
“A lot of funny things happen in the Big Ten. We’re ready to be opportunistic.”
In its weekend matchups, NU will have to deal with two very fast squads that both employ a 4-4-2 formation.
The speed concentrated in the middle has led to two potent offenses — Michigan trails only No. 9 Penn State in goals scored in the Big Ten, and the Spartans are right behind the Wolverines.
One advantage the Cats may have is the experience of playing tired. Both the Wolverines and the Spartans have yet to play a 110-minute match this year, while the Cats have done so twice.
An overtime game would be even more grueling because of the expanse of Lakeside Field — NU’s home turf is the biggest allowed by the NCAA.
“We’re a team that does well when we play high pressure and battle through the entire game,” Wilson said.
Michigan State (10-4, 5-3 Big Ten) at NU (4-7-2, 2-5-1)
4 p.m., today
Lakeside Field
Michigan (11-3, 6-2) at NU
12:30 p.m., Sunday
Lakeside Field
