Field hockey coach Kelly McCollum’s contract was not renewed after a season in which Northwestern finished 7-13 and lost in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
In McCollum’s five years at the helm the Wildcats compiled a 32-63 record, including 3-27 in Big Ten conference play. NU never advanced past the first round of the Big Ten tournament during her tenure.
The Cats have usually played one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country in addition to their difficult Big Ten slate. This year they faced off against Maryland and Wake Forest, the two teams that played for the national championship, as well as NCAA tournament participants Louisville and American. In all the Cats battled seven of the 16 teams in the tourney.
Though this year’s team could not come up with a signature upset victory, it stayed competitive with many top teams. NU lost at Louisville in overtime and fell to Michigan State and Iowa. The Spartans advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAAs, while the Hawkeyes made it to the semis before coming up short against eventual champion Maryland.
Senior forward Alexandra Quinn earned first-team Big Ten honors this season, and senior goalie Emily Kyle led the conference in saves. The Cats snapped a 17-game Big Ten losing streak with a win against Indiana on Senior Day in the regular season finale.
McCollum played at NU from 1992-1995 and was a captain on the school’s last two teams that competed in the NCAA tournament, including a semifinals appearance her junior year.
A timetable for naming her replacement has not been set.
-Danny Daly
