Despite playing on Halloween, a scarier thought would be Northwestern not making the Big Ten Tournament.
Currently tied for fifth in the Big Ten, the Wildcats (9-8-1, 4-5-0 Big Ten) have one more conference game left at Wisconsin (9-8-1, 3-6-0) on Friday. The game will decide the fate of their season. Since Iowa is guaranteed a berth in the playoffs by virtue of hosting the tournament, Illinois, Ohio State, Wisconsin and NU are left fighting for three spots.
The Cats can end up seeded as high as fourth in the tournament with a win, or they can fall completely out of the picture with a loss.
NU is coming off a weekend where it split two games, beating Iowa 3-2 in overtime and falling to Minnesota 2-0.
Sunday’s loss to the Gophers was not indicative to how the Cats are used to playing. Their loss can be attributed to the unpredictable weather conditions rather than being unprepared for the game.
“We like to play with the ball on the ground,” senior midfielder Amanda Hoffman said. “It’s a lot more difficult in a snowstorm. We’ve moved on already and we’re looking ahead. The loss didn’t hurt us too badly.”
Hoffman, despite the pressure her team is under to perform due to the loss on Sunday, is confident NU will embrace the challenge and somehow find a way into the tournament.
The Cats will not be able to blame the weather for a loss on Friday, so they must rely on their preparation and trust in one another if they plan on earning a postseason berth.
Thus far, the Cats’ style of soccer has put them in a position to advance once they get to the tournament.
The seniors are one of the main reasons the Cats are on track to secure a spot. Senior forward Jenny Dunn leads the team with 14 points, Hoffman scored the game-winning goal on Friday, midfielder Jeanette Lorme delivered a perfect assist for the game-winning goal against Michigan, and defender Laura Janowitsch has anchored the team’s defense.
With senior leadership, Hoffman said she is confident heading into Friday’s decisive game.
“If we play well, we believe we can win and things will go our way,” Hoffman said. “It’s just a matter of playing hard in practice and it will translate into the game. If we go in with confidence, play a 90 minute game and play our style of soccer, then we can win.”
