Amanda Wirth found herself in the spotlight as the clock ran down in No. 16 Northwestern’s matchup with Penn State last Friday.
With the Wildcats leading 3-2, the Nittany Lions controlled the ball and aggressively attacked the NU goal in an attempt to tie the game.
Time and again, the freshman goalie prevented Penn State from scoring, which helped NU hold onto its lead and win its first Big Ten game this season.
“It was very adrenaline-rushing because you definitely don’t want a goal to tie up in the last 10 minutes in that close of a game,” Wirth said. “You don’t want them putting that much pressure on you, but you need to be able to keep your composure just to be able to do well.”
Wirth’s performance in those final minutes against Penn State was another step in the rookie’s growth. Splitting starting duties with junior Katie Lynch, Wirth has recorded two shutouts in her seven starts this season. NU is 6-1 in games Wirth has started. She has allowed only 14 goals and saved nearly three-fourths of the shots sent her direction.
“(Wirth has) stepped up,” coach Tracey Fuchs said. “She’s been really consistent in the field, making good saves. As a freshman coming in, there is a big gap from high school, especially on corners, because goalies in high school don’t usually go down and play shots.”
Wirth has quickly adjusted to being the team’s field general. Guided by Wirth’s progression, the Cats’ defense has performed well, and as a result, the offense has outscored its opponents by 28 goals this season.
“Communication is very important in field hockey,” senior defender Stacy Uchida said. “The goalkeeper can see everything, so it’s her job to get everybody in their right places and make sure they’re communicating really well with the defenders. That comes with experience, which I think (Wirth) is starting to pick up.”
NU (12-4, 1-2 Big Ten) will look to even its conference record against Indiana on Saturday. The Hoosiers (8-5, 1-2) have received votes in the latest coaches poll.
Indiana posts a balanced offense, as thirteen of its players have found the back of the net this season. Wirth’s play in goal will be crucial if the Cats hope to win their second Big Ten game of the season.
Although matchups with Big Ten foes like Indiana are at forefront right now, Wirth’s development will also be important for future NU teams.
While NU would like for her to play well now, learning from her experiences this season will allow for her continued improvement in years to come.
“Goalies can give themselves three or four less shots a game if they know how to organize their defense and put people in the right positions,” Fuchs said. “And both of those are probably the two areas where she’ll improve a ton over the next year for us.”
