Maryland, Virginia, Boston College, Iowa, Penn State, Ohio, Ohio State.

Of the thirteen matches the Northwestern field hockey team has played this year, eight have been against these once-top 25 teams.

After this weekend, Central Michigan and Michigan will be added to the list.

“I’m really proud of the fact that we have such a tough schedule,” senior Michelle Cifelli said. “We want to play the best, and we are used to it.”

So this weekend should be just another day at the office for the Wildcats (4-9, 0-3 Big Ten), who start a road trip today by squaring off against No. 20 Central Michigan (10-4).

After experiencing the best that Mount Pleasant, Mich., has to offer, the Cats will head to Ann Arbor for a Big Ten matchup against No. 2 Michigan (12-1, 3-0).

The Cats have built up a small reputation by playing the nation’s best on a consistent basis, but they must start scoring goals if they want to garner any national attention.

NU has scored two goals — both by freshman midfielder Christine Nannicelli — in its last five matches, three of which were shutouts.

In all fairness, NU has gone up against No. 6 Penn State and No. 11 Iowa twice during its current losing streak. But the Cats make no excuses.

“We don’t care how good the team we play is,” freshman Holly Palin said. “We have to go out there and win.”

Toppling the Wolverines will be a challenge. Michigan destroyed Central Michigan 5-0 in a Sept. 7 matchup.

But the Cats have an extra weapon in first-year assistant coach, Jeanne Shin, a Michigan alumna. A 2001 graduate, Shin was a three-year starter for the Wolverines and helped them reach the Final Four in 1999.

Her experience as a winner at Ann Arbor was what NU head coach Marisa Didio wanted in an assistant.

“(She) knows what it’s like to win on the big stage,” Didio said. “I want her to teach our kids what’s it’s like to have been through all that.”