With the success Chelsea Armstrong has had in No. 18 Northwestern’s first 10 games, opposing defenses would probably guess the transfer from the University of Western Australia has been operating from the forward line her entire life.
Yet, in addition to moving across the globe this fall, Armstrong has also transitioned across the playing field.
Armstrong currently leads the nation with 15 goals, but had played defense until arriving in Evanston this season. She made the move to forward because of her versatility and skill set, coach Tracey Fuchs said.
“She was mostly a defender, but we knew through our contacts (in Australia) that she could play up front,” Fuchs said. “She’s fast, she knows the game really well. That kid could play anywhere.” Armstrong credited strong coaching for helping her have a smooth transition to forward, which has given her a new outlook on the game.
“Obviously, the coaching staff has given me plenty of pointers on how to transfer from the defensive line up to the forward line,” she said. “Just the changeup to playing the forward line has given me a different perspective on my game. I have different goals now.”
One of those is scoring goals, and she’s done that quite successfully in her first 10 games in purple.
But Armstrong also leads NU with seven assists. Thanks to her 37 points in the Wildcats’ first 10 games, Armstrong is on pace to break the NU’s single-season scoring record. Armstrong’s experience playing defense has helped her on the offensive end.
“She works incredibly hard on defense, which makes her have three to four more offensive opportunities than most players,” Fuchs said. “And it’s really because of the defense she plays up front, is why she’s really successful.”
Senior Courtney Plaster-Strange said Armstrong has helped the team be more aggressive and that the front line “has really been clicking.”
Likewise, Armstrong credits that chemistry with her teammates for putting her in position to score.
“They’re all helping out front,” she said, “With (Elizabeth) Dobbs and Plaster(-Strange), we like to think we share the load a little bit. I’ve just been on the end of some good balls.”
The combination of Dobbs, Plaster-Strange and Armstrong makes it tough for opposing defenses to concentrate on stopping one attacker, as they may have been able to do in the past.
“If you have one good player up front, you can kind of take care of her by overloading the defense and this and that,” Fuchs said. “Now teams will struggle because of (Armstrong), Plaster(-Strange) and Dobbs, who have worked really hard. With all three of them up front and with our subs coming in, we’re difficult (to defend).”
NU starts Big Ten play today against No. 8 Michigan State, and the team will also play Maine on Saturday in East Lansing, Mich.The addition of Armstrong to NU’s front line may help explain the resurgence of the Cats, who are 8-2 this year after winning only seven games last season. For the team to continue its winning ways in the conference, which has three teams ranked in the top 20 and four more receiving votes, the Cats will need Armstrong to keep looking at home on the front line.
