As important as they are, first impressions should mean nothing to Northwestern. After dropping its season-opener in Evanston, NU won its next five contests, including two road victories.
The Wildcats (5-2) notched their first win of the season against Fairfield on Sept. 3. Junior Megan Sieberg broke a 3-3 tie when she scored the game-winning goal during the overtime period. Three of the Cats’ first five wins included an extra session.
NU followed its first win with another victory against Yale on Sept. 4. The Bulldogs scored the first goal of the game but could not protect the lead. Junior Meghan Small recorded her first of two goals to tie the game just before the half.
Small slipped another ball past Bulldog keeper Emily Friedlander less than 10 minutes into the second half, giving NU the lead it would never relinquish. Cats keeper Sherri-Anne Nyberg was perfect in the net during the second half as NU knocked off Yale, 2-1.
The Cats returned to Evanston on Sept. 9 to begin a four-game homestand. In its first contest, against Central Michigan, NU struck first when senior Ellen Schlafly scored early in the first half. NU never lost the lead and went into halftime with a 4-0 lead on goals by senior Holly Palin and freshman Jill Putnam.
Central Michigan rallied in the second half to cut the Cats’ lead to two, but could not generate any more offense as NU recorded its third straight win, 4-2.
The next victories for the Cats did not come as easily. Both contests included at least one overtime period. In its first overtime game, NU defeated Virginia, 4-3, when Ellen Schlafly notched her second goal of the game in the second overtime period.
NU struck first when sophomore Noreen Stewart scored 20 minutes into the game. Virginia tied the game at 1. But the Cats regained the lead, 2-1, before halftime when Schlafly recorded her first goal of the game.
In the second half, Palin gave the Cats a 3-1 lead, but the Cavaliers quickly rallied to tie the game, 3-3.
Following a scoreless first overtime, Schlafly scored the game-winner for the Cats after almost 100 minutes of play.
The Cats followed their overtime-thriller with another long contest against Ball State. After going down, 1-0, the Cats rebounded with two goals by Schlafly, giving NU a 2-1 lead going into the second half.
NU took a 3-1 lead early in the second half on a score by Small, but then allowed two quick goals by Ball State, as regulation time expired with a 3-3 tie.
Palin broke the tie with a game-winning goal less than three minutes into the extra session, giving the Cats their fifth-straight victory.
NU lost it’s Sept. 18 game to Louisville, 4-3.
Reach Jason Prager at [email protected].
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Please see start, Page 14
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Wildcats start season with 5-2 record
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Field hockey
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Lauren Pond/the daily northwestern
Sophomore Cassie Miller takes the ball down the field during NU’s 4-3 loss to Louisville.
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