Thirty minutes into its NCAA semifinal matchup with North Carolina, Northwestern’s season remains very much in doubt, as the Wildcats were outshot and outplayed in the first half en route to a 5-5 tie at halftime.
The only reason the score remained tied at the half was several missed opportunities by open North Carolina attackers and the spectacular play of junior NU goaltender Brianne LoManto.
The Tar Heels outshot the Cats 20-8 in the first half, and also dominated draw controls, a traditional area of strength for NU.
The Cats jumped out to an early 4-1 lead on the Tar Heels, but North Carolina fired right back with three straight goals to tie the contest at four. Junior attacker Jessica Russo helped NU retake the lead with a spectacular individual effort in front of the net, but North Carolina junior Laura Zimmerman tied the contest at five on a free-position goal with five seconds remaining.
