The scoreboard read 0-0 with less than 10 minutes remaining in Northwestern’s game Friday in Madison, Wis. Emotions ran high for both teams, as NU needed a tie, and Wisconsin needed a win to crack the conference’s top eight and advance to the Big Ten Tournament.
In the 81st minute, junior Alicia Herczeg got past the defense and took a shot, drilling the ball into the corner of the net. It was the game’s lone goal and it clinched the win for the Wildcats.
With the win, NU (10-8-1, 5-5-0 Big Ten) earned a tie for fifth in the Big Ten, the best finish in Stephanie Erickson’s three years as head coach.
Although the Cats had struggled with their confidence throughout the season, Erickson said it was an inspiring moment for the program to see the team go after the win.
“Before the game we let each senior talk, and it was clear that they wouldn’t let our season come to an end that night,” Erickson said. “As coaches, there’s not much to do, we just sat and watched our team take care of business.”
NU started slow, taking only one shot in the first half. Wisconsin (9-9-1, 3-7-0) took three shots, but sophomore goalkeeper Carolyn Edwards recorded two saves to keep the Badgers from scoring.
Both Erickson and senior Amanda Hoffman said senior midfielder Jeanette Lorme led the team and played an inspiring game despite not recording a shot. Her defense helped keep the Cats in the game until they could break through on offense.
“I thought she had one of the best games of her career. We were all looking at each other like ‘Wow,'” Erickson said. “Defensively, no one got by her. She was constantly disrupting Wisconsin’s attack, and that’s what she does so brilliantly. Attacking-wise, she was just running the show. She just seemed to be around the ball all the time and impacting the game.”
Not only did Lorme play an inspiring game, the entire team had a sense of urgency and fought alongside Lorme for a much-needed victory.
“She probably led the way when it came to performing soccer-wise,” Erickson said. “But the team was right behind her. It was just very apparent that our team was firm in prolonging our season.
NU came out firing in the second half, recording 11 shots.
At the 81st minute, Herczeg scored her fourth goal of the season to take a 1-0 lead. The goal was her fifth career game-winner, and second of the season.
“I wasn’t nervous,” Hoffman said. “Even with 10 minutes left, I knew if we didn’t score in regulation, we would in overtime.”
