Bruises often look worse just before they fully heal.
The once-bruised program that is Northwestern is nearly patched up after more than a decade of futility, but a 6-1 season-ending Big Ten Tournament loss Thursday at the hands of No. 9 Penn State indicates there is still work to be done.
Junior midfielder Chelsea Armstrong gave the Wildcats an early lead on a penalty corner fewer than three minutes into the game. Their advantage was short-lived. The Nittany Lions quickly responded, as sophomore forward Ashtin Klingler connected on a goal from right in front of the net. Freshman Taylor Herold then knocked home consecutive goals off rebounds to give Penn State a 3-1 halftime lead.
“They capitalized on their opportunities,” NU freshman goaltender Maddy Carpenter said, “and were able to get off shots in the circle.”
Penn State continued to apply pressure in the second half. Klingler converted on a pass from junior forward Kelsey Amy to extend the Nittany Lions’ lead. Amy added two goals of her own in the waning minutes, handing NU its most lopsided defeat since a loss to Syracuse on Aug. 27, 2010. The Cats previously hadn’t lost a game by more than three goals this season.
NU’s drubbing extended beyond the goal count, as it was outshot 30-9 Thursday. The Nittany Lions were particularly dominant in the first half, mustering 16 shots to the Cats’ one and nine penalty corners to the Cats’ one. As a result, Carpenter’s eight saves were hardly enough to keep NU in the game.
The Cats’ final game hardly did justice to a respectable 2011 season. NU beat four nationally ranked teams, including a signature 5-4 victory over then-undefeated New Hampshire.
“We did things this season that we weren’t able to do in past years,” senior forward Regan Mooney said. “We played together as a team and I’m proud of how we did.”
Coach Tracey Fuchs praised the contributions of her five seniors, many of whom she said exceeded her expectations. The Cats will have plenty of talent coming back next year, as they return their two leading scorers. NU’s senior class only accounted for 26.8 percent of the team’s goals, with Mooney’s eight goals representing the Cats’ biggest loss.
“This is the final step to our building phase,” Fuchs said. “We have a great freshman class coming in, and we’ll look to vie for the Big Ten Championship.”
While the Cats were disappointed following their loss, good news came in the form of Big Ten postseason honors. Armstrong was named Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, and sophomore midfielder Nikki Parsley joined Armstrong on the All-Big Ten first team. Mooney earned a second-team selection in her final year of eligibility.
“The Big Ten has a lot of quality players,” Fuchs said, “so it shows that our players are not only respected by our staff, but also by the other Big Ten coaches.”
