With only eight upperclassmen on a roster of 22, the Wildcats are relying on young talent this season, and they hope the experience bodes well for seasons to come.
Freshmen Amanda Care, Katie Charles, Cassie Miller and Jenny Stancati all have started games for the Northwestern field hockey team this season and have played significant roles off the bench when not starting.
“I think our freshmen class has been very consistent,” coach Kelly McCollum said. “They have been very dependable.”
Miller leads the freshmen offensively with three goals — tied for second on the team — and a team-high five assists.
“I didn’t expect to do as well as I have,” Miller said. “My teammates and coaches have helped me improve quickly to get to where I am now.”
Charles, Stancati and Care, who has a goal and an assist this season, help anchor a Cats defense that gives up an average of just 2.26 goals per game.
The freshmen are doing well, but they had to make adjustments quickly to learn the college game.
Stancati said one of the major differences in college is the artificial playing surface.
“Playing on grass and playing on turf is a completely different game,” Stancati said. “It’s a lot faster on turf, but it’s also a lot easier to connect with your teammates and work well with everyone.”
The few upperclassmen have played an important role in the transitions of the freshmen players, Stancati said.
“Not only do they help us physically on the field, but they help us mentally as well,” Stancati said. “They know we can do things, and they help reinforce what we still need to learn.”
Seniors Candice Cooper and Morgan Kuhn are they only players graduating from this year’s squad.
With a majority of the team coming back, McCollum said the future of the program looks bright.
“You have to give time for things to develop with a new coach and new system,” McCollum said. “With all the experience these young kids are getting next year looks great, and so does the future.”
The Cats (7-10, 1-4 Big Ten) travel to Iowa City, Iowa, this weekend to face No. 14 Iowa (9-6, 4-1) today and Southwest Missouri State (9-6) on Saturday.
Earlier this season, NU defeated Iowa for the first time in five years with a 1-0 double-overtime victory in a non-conference matchup in Evanston.
The match at Lakeside Field turned out to be a turning point in the season for both teams, as the Cats have gone 1-7 since then, while the Hawkeyes have lost only once in seven matches.
This time around, the match counts in the Big Ten standings, and Iowa can claim a share of the regular season title with a win over the Cats.
“Although we won the last time, we have changed our style since we played them last,” McCollum said. “We aren’t going to just counter them. We have a more aggressive, attacking set-up.”
With a NU win and an Ohio State loss, the Cats will earn the fifth seed at the Big Ten tournament, their best effort since 2000.
Reach Abraham Rakov at [email protected].
NU (7-10, 1-4 Big Ten) vs. No. 14 Iowa (9-6, 4-1)
When: 3 p.m. Today
Where: Iowa City, Iowa
NU (7-10, 1-4 Big Ten) vs. SW Missouri St. (9-6)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Iowa City, Iowa
