Northwestern’s field hockey team (6-4, 1-1 Big Ten) split its homestand last weekend, with a 1-0 double overtime victory against Iowa (4-5, 1-1) on Friday, and a 2-0 loss to No. 4 Michigan State (10-1, 1-0) on Sunday.
“We have confidence we can compete with and beat great teams, not just stay with them,” senior offensive captain Candice Cooper said.
On Friday, after two scoreless halves and an overtime period, the Wildcats put the game away in double overtime when Cooper scored the game-winning goal off a rebound in the 93rd minute.
“You have to lay everything out on the line, chances fall when you need them the most,” said Cooper, about her third game-winning goal of the season.
Sophomore goalkeeper Sherri-Anne Nyberg recorded her third shutout of the season and is giving up an average of only 1.34 goals per game through 10 games.
“We really wanted this game,” Nyberg said. “I stayed focused, and with everyone working so hard in front of me, I was inspired. We’ve wanted this game for a long time.”
With the win, NU moved to 3-1 in one-goal games. Coach Kelly McCollum said she understands why her team plays well in the tight games.
“We have a group of kids who believe in their ability to win and score. Fitness helps win the tight games, and we showed that,” said McCollum after the Iowa win.
Entering the game, three of the Hawkeyes’ losses came against top-five ranked teams in the country. Iowa averaged more than two and a half goals per game before they ran into Nyberg.
“We took a big step in those first five to ten minutes, this is the first time in four games we scored first,” McCollum said.
Sunday, the Cats had a more daunting task as they faced the Spartans, who just last weekend lost the top national ranking after losing to No. 5 Wake Forest (9-1).
Nyberg kept the game scoreless until the 51st minute when Annebet Beerman of Michigan State scored off a penalty corner. The Spartans scored again with just over a minute left, securing the win.
“It was a hard-fought game, and we came out to win,” McCollum said. We played our game, and the defensive performance was tremendous. The defense put us in a position to win, but the offensive attack struggled.”
After an even first half, Michigan State’s defense tightened and did not allow a shot attempt by the Cats in the second half.
McCollum said the problem was not a major defensive change by Michigan State after halftime.
“We got the ball to our attackers, but didn’t finish,” she said. “You’ve got to make the goalie play.”
Senior defensive captain Morgan Kuhn said of the Spartans’ offense: “They got a lot of corners throughout the game, and they finally capitalized. The goal with 1:30 left in the game was a breakdown. It shouldn’t happen.”
McCollum added: “After this game we learned every play and every ball matters. Every mistake makes a difference in the outcome, against top teams it matters even more.”
This weekend, NU travels to Ann Arbor, Mich., to take on No. 18 Harvard (5-2) and No. 7 Michigan (7-3, 1-0 Big Ten).
“We realize now we are a top team,” Kuhn said. “We need to keep our confidence up. We can win on any given day.”
Reach Abraham Rakov at [email protected].
