Coming off a dominant 24-13 win over Marquette on Monday, Northwestern seeks its second win of the season against Arizona State Sunday at Ryan Fieldhouse. 

During their last rendezvous in 2020, the Wildcats (1-1, 0-0 Big Ten) defeated the Sun Devils 28-12 in Evanston before COVID-19 canceled the remainder of the season. Graduate attacker Lauren Gilbert led the team with five goals in that contest. 

During Monday’s matchup against the Golden Eagles, Gilbert led the team with six goals. Sophomore attacker Leah Holmes contributed five goals. 

Going into Sunday’s game with Arizona State, NU will make sure to stay consistent inside the eight-meter arc. Although Marquette’s defense didn’t challenge the Cats, the Sun Devils will play a different scheme. 

A strong performance from the team will involve a collective effort on both ends of the field, including controlling the draw circle. Graduate midfielder Jill Girardi has been NU’s leading player in that department, recording eight draw controls against Boston College and led the team in the 2021-21 campaign in the midfield. 

Arizona State is led by graduate attacker Carley Adams, who recorded 58 goals in the 2021 season. With their opening game set for Friday against Michigan, the Sun Devils will tour the Midwest to face the Wolverines and the Cats in their first two games of the season. 

With NU on a roll, the team’s home-field advantage will give the Cats an upper hand against Arizona State. Gilbert, Holmes and junior attacker Erin Coykendall will play central roles in Sunday’s matchup against the Sun Devils.

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