Looking at the 2-4-1 Big Ten record of the Northwestern women’s soccer team, some could say that the Wildcats are not great this year. They might be mistaken.
While the Cats may not show it on paper, and though they sometimes fail to show it on the field, this is one of the best teams that NU (6-6-1) has had in recent memory.
After losing the first two games of the season to Kansas and Missouri, NU’s defense began to show up on the field and looked like it could win a conference championship.
NU won six of seven games, beating four teams with shutout victories. These shutouts, by the way, are credited to Whitney Jones, a 17-year-old freshman goalkeeper who has held her own through every minute of play this season.
Also coming to the rescue was defender and freshman walk-on Tori Bohannon. In addition to playing defense, Bohannon makes other teams cringe when she sets up in front of the opponents’ goals to receive corner kicks.
And, you can’t forget senior Molly Greene, the two-time All-Big Ten selection, and clearly the on-field leader for all defensive purposes.
So, how did NU allow four conference losses?
“Three of the last four games we were up 1-0, and we let in,” said senior midfielder Aileen Guiney. “That Minnesota and Wisconsin weekend, we really let ourselves down. We should have had at least one of those games, probably both.”
Guiney is exactly right. There was no excuse for NU’s sub-par play in a 2-1 loss to Minnesota (5-6-2, 2-4-1), especially since the Cats were coming off a three-game winning streak.
In losses to Wisconsin (7-6-1, 3-4) and then-No. 14 Penn State (12-2-2, 6-1), the Cats played decent games, having been beat at crucial points.
But they exploded in a draw with then-No. 11 Ohio State, displaying determination and drive that needed to be there in every game.
“Our identity is that we’re fit and feisty,” Greene said. “We’re scrappy. We fight for everything. We don’t give them an inch, whether we’re winning or losing.”
The team is “fit and feisty.” But it needs to show this mentality in games against teams like Minnesota and Michigan State, where NU should be the heavy favorite.
If the Big Ten tournament selection were to take place today, NU would miss a bid by just one spot. But with five games left — three in conference and two of them against nationally-ranked opponents — NU has a shot at an NCAA tournament bid.
“We still have many opportunities in front of us,” said coach Jenny Haigh. “We’re going to have to be sharp because we don’t have a soft schedule. We’re on track to reach our goals, but it’s getting down to crunch time.”
If the Cats can pick up where they left off with Ohio State, which means playing the last five games like the upper-tier team that they should be, NU could be seeing women’s soccer deep into November.
