It had been 455 minutes since Northwestern scored its last goal, 41 days since its last victory and 13 months since its last Big Ten win.
Junior forward Katie Walshauser put an end to all of those ugly numbers with one stroke.
With 38 seconds left in regulation and both teams anticipating overtime, Walshauser pounced on a bouncing ball in the circle and drove it into the back of the net to give the Wildcats (6-12, 1-5 Big Ten) a 1-0 win over Indiana (6-12, 1-5) Friday at Lakeside Field.
“We just brought it down the left side of the field, and the entry ball came into the circle,” Walshauser said. “It was a little behind me, and I just hit it in.”
Forward Michelle Cifelli, one of six seniors playing their last games at Lakeside Field, was credited with the assist.
It was a game played mostly within the 25-yard lines, with the Cats outshooting the Hoosiers 12-2.
“I felt good about the whole 70 minutes of play,” NU coach Marisa Didio said. “We did what we set out to do — quick free hits, heavy pressure and good play within our defensive 30.”
Both teams also had to deal with cold and windy conditions, as the temperature dipped into the 30s as the game wore on.
Didio took a timeout with 1:40 remaining in an attempt to rally her troops.
“There were a few things I wanted them to keep in mind for the last moments,” Didio said. “We’re always prepared for overtime, but I wanted to make sure we didn’t get to that point.”
The timeout paid off, as NU scored and held off a furious Indiana rush in the final 38 seconds to preserve the victory.
Walshauser’s goal sent the NU sideline into euphoria.
“I looked up to the sky and said, ‘Thank you, there is a God,'” Didio said. “It was a huge relief.”
Walshauser was modest about her late-game heroics.
“I don’t think I’ve been in a game that was decided that late,” Walshauser said. “Most importantly, I’m just excited and happy that we won.”
But NU couldn’t celebrate too much, as it still had its regular season finale to worry about two days later against Colgate.
And the Cats showed on Sunday that they could follow one strong performance with another.
Cifelli, Candice Cooper and Lindsey Millard all scored in a 3-0 shutout of Colgate (6-11).
The two shutouts were senior goalkeeper Kendra Mesa’s first of the year. She recorded five saves in the two contests.
“It’s good to have these games going into the (Big Ten championships),” Didio said. “Everyone really came together and took responsibility for the entire team.”
The victory against Indiana guaranteed the Cats the No. 6 seed in the Big Ten championships, which start Friday in Columbus, Ohio. NU will face No. 3-seed Penn State (15-3, 4-2).
NU is hoping its successful weekend propels it to a positive showing at the tournament.
“(The victories) give us a lot of confidence,” Walshauser said. “It shows that we have the capabilities to play a strong game and win.”
