Drenched in orange Gatorade following Northwestern’s 5-1 victory over No. 7 Maryland last week — a win which capped off an 8-0 campaign in Big Ten play and a regular season championship for the No. 1 Wildcats — coach Tracey Fuchs was ready to dry off.
Fuchs said she was also ready to start game planning for NU’s third season — the Big Ten Tournament.
The ‘Cats have won 16 straight games — the longest win streak in the country — and the most consecutive victories in program history. NU’s perfect record in conference play secured the No. 1 overall seed in the Big Ten Tournament and an automatic semifinals berth.
Now, the ‘Cats will face No. 11 Ohio State for a Friday matinee showdown in Ann Arbor. The two programs met earlier this season in Columbus, with NU eking out a narrow 4-3 victory.
Here are three storylines to monitor ahead of Friday’s matchup between the ‘Cats and the Buckeyes:
1. NU’s stout defense vs. Ohio State’s prolific attack
The Buckeyes boast three of the conference’s top eight scorers — forward Makenna Webster, forward Brenna Bough and midfielder Julie Rodijk. The trio have combined to score 39 goals this season.
Webster, who leads the Buckeyes with 17 scores, tallied a brace against the ‘Cats on Sept. 22, with Rodijk bagging the game’s opening goal.
Conversely, NU’s defense remains the top unit in the conference, conceding just 0.53 goals per contest and nine total goals on the season. The Buckeyes’ three goals in the first meeting are the most senior Annabel Skubisz — the conference’s Goalkeeper of the Year — has surrendered all season.
Since their victory over Ohio State, opponents have only scored twice against the ‘Cats in eight games.
2. Attacking depth for the ‘Cats
Fuchs has an arsenal of offensive weapons at her disposal, and that reality has never been more evident than against Maryland, when five different players scored for NU.
The ‘Cats enter Friday’s contest averaging 2.94 goals per game, a mark which ranks third in the conference. Graduate student midfielder Peyton Halsey leads the team with 11 goals, while graduate student midfielder Alia Marshall paces NU with 17 assists — the highest assist total in the Big Ten.
Following the win over Maryland, Marshall said the key to the team’s success this season has been its depth.
“I still think we have that run-and-gun mentality — where we’re super fast, super athletic — and we’re taking advantage of that this year,” Marshall said. “We have a lot of people contributing in big ways, instead of having a few people that are doing a lot of big things.”
3. NU looking for first Big Ten Tournament title in nearly a decade
The ‘Cats are looking to win the conference’s regular season and tournament crowns for the first time in Fuchs’ tenure.
NU has won the Big Ten Tournament title just once (2014), with the team’s graduating class looking to check off one final box on their resumes.
With the No. 1 seed, the ‘Cats are well positioned to do just that, but they will have to get past the Buckeyes on Friday before focusing on adding another banner to Lakeside Field.
“It’s insane,” Marshall said of the bye game’s impact. “I can’t express how much of a benefit it is going into the Big Ten Tournament. We get an extra day of practice, so it’s a huge advantage.”
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @CervantesPAlex
Related Stories:
— Field Hockey: No. 1 Northwestern secures outright Big Ten title with 5-1 rout of No. 7 Maryland
— Field Hockey: No. 1 Northwestern clinches share of Big Ten regular season title with weekend sweep
