No. 16 Northwestern discovered on Saturday the game of field hockey can be decided by the smallest of details.
“It comes down to a game of inches,” junior defender Zoe Almquist said. “Just a few inches here and there, and two teams fighting the whole time. It was about not letting them get goals, and finishing, taking advantage of opportunities on our end.”
NU fell 2-1 to Indiana in a tightly contested matchup in which Indiana was just a little bit better in the end.
The Hoosiers outshot the Wildcats 8-7 and drew seven penalty corners to the Cats’ six. “Certainly, the game could have gone either way,” coach Tracey Fuchs said. “We played really, really well, but we just let Indiana hang in there. The second half was pretty much even, but they were just able to capitalize when they had an opportunity.”
NU (12-5, 1-3 Big Ten) and Indiana played to a 1-1 tie in the first half. The Cats had opportunities early, but they were unable to find the back of the net. A cross from Chelsea Armstrong to Elizabeth Dobbs in front of the far post bounced over Dobbs’ stick, ending NU’s chance of scoring on that possession.
Senior forward Courtney Plaster-Strange also had an open-field opportunity later in the half, but the Indiana goalie deflected her shot wide.
The Hoosiers (9-5, 2-2) were the first to get on the scoreboard, taking the lead with six minutes remaining in the first half.
But the Cats responded quickly, as Almquist drilled home a rebound off a Plaster-Strange attempt.
“It was an attack penalty corner, and Courtney’s shot ricocheted off the goalie’s pads and I was able to pick it up off the rebound,” Almquist said.
The teams stayed tied through the first 15 minutes of the second period. But after NU junior goalie Katie Lynch stopped a shot, an Indiana player sent the rebound flying into the back of the net, giving the Hoosiers the lead for good.
“Both teams just really fought the whole game,” Almquist said. “It was such a close game throughout. But we absolutely had lots of chances. It was a really tough loss.” The loss ended NU’s three-game winning streak.
NU has two more regular season games scheduled before the Big Ten tournament. The team returns to action Friday against Iowa. With victories in its final two games, the Cats could close out conference play with a .500 record.
NU has scored 64 goals this season; the school record of 69 goals is still within reach. Despite the loss, Fuchs said she stills feels confident with the way her squad is playing. “Overall, we’re playing really good hockey,” she said. “We’ve been in every game. We’ve been prepared to play, and that’s what you’re always looking for as a coach. We’ve got to just keep working hard.”
