After outscoring opponents 10-1 in six matches leading up to the Big Ten tournament, the No. 7-seed Wildcats were brimming with confidence leading up to their first round match against No. 2-seed Purdue.
And when senior Kelsey Hans scored within the first two minutes of the match, the Cats looked like they could cause an upset.
Unfortunately for Northwestern, Hans’ goal was not enough to hold up against the Boilermakers in a tightly contested match that ended 3-1 in favor of Purdue.
“We played some really good soccer and played really hard,” NU head coach Stephanie Erickson said. “We’re pleased with our effort and for big portions of the game, we played great soccer. I’m proud of us today and we lost to a really good team.”
Purdue (17-2-2, 9-1-1 Big Ten) equalized in the 13th minute with sophomore Loredana Riverso’s well-placed goal. A scramble in front of the NU goal then resulted in an own goal for the Cats in the 34th minute, putting the Boilermakers in the lead.
Erickson said the ball was already going in the goal when the own goal occurred. She added that the goal was scored by a player who was trying really hard and giving it her all.
The Cats (9-7-4, 4-4-2) continued to press the game forward and put pressure on Purdue, posting seven shots through the game.
Purdue’s third goal came with four minutes to go. Riverso added her second of the match through a well-placed shot in the right corner of the goal.
“We were already chasing the game and pressing forward,” Erickson said. “It was their second goal that really hurt us, but we kept fighting and still believed in ourselves.”
NU fought hard during the match, and the improvement from the first weekend of the season, when the Boilermakers beat the Cats 5-0, was there to see.
The defense was not its usual self, and the team was unable to match its 10-1 goal record in the past six games. Despite senior goalkeeper Lauren Johnston’s 13 saves, the Cats could not contain Purdue’s offense.
“Purdue’s a dynamic and a hardcore attacking team,” Erickson said. “A fair score would have been 2-1, but I’m not surprised because we’re playing against one of the best teams in the country.”
NU’s forwards did threaten in parts during the game. Hans’ 10th goal of the season made her the Cats’ highest goal scorer for the year. She edged past senior Shannon Schneeman’s career-high nine goals.
Erickson said Hans’ goal set the tone for the rest of the match for the Cats.
The Cats will reflect on the season as one in which they have constantly improved. From a first Big Ten weekend when they conceded nine goals in two matches to eventually recording nine shutouts over the course of season, NU has been a work in progress.
“Considering where we ended last year, we improved a great deal this year,” Erickson said. “We’re ending on a great note. We put ourselves in a position to make the NCAA committee discuss us and that’s a great place for us to be this year.”
With the Big Ten tournament out of the way, it’ll be a chance for the Cats to look forward to next season.
“We’ll definitely miss some of the seniors, but that’s just how it goes, and we have to go forward,” Erickson said. “We have people in place to step in next year and a great freshman class coming in. I think the future is great for this program.”
Reach Pritish Behuria at [email protected].
