No. 1 Northwestern ripped off a 6-0 start to its season, outscoring opponents 15-1 and knocking off a pair of top-10 ranked squads. But, entering Friday afternoon’s Big Ten opener against No. 4 Iowa, coach Tracey Fuchs demanded more from her squad.
“We’ve been playing OK,” Fuchs said. “I mean, we were 6-0, you can’t really complain, but we hadn’t really put it together.”
With the mid-September sun beating down upon Lakeside Field, the Wildcats (7-0, 1-0 Big Ten) met Fuchs’ challenge, trouncing the Hawkeyes (4-2, 0-1 Big Ten) in a comprehensive 5-0 victory.
Iowa had conceded just two goals in its first five games, but NU caught fire on the offensive end behind sophomore forward Ashley Sessa’s first multi-goal game as a Wildcat. The UNC transfer, who took off the 2023 season in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, has scored five goals and added five assists in her first seven games with the ’Cats.
“I came in very open-minded; I didn’t have any expectations,” Sessa said. “It has been the best experience so far. The girls are absolutely amazing, so I feel like I’ve been here for years.”
While NU began the game at a blistering pace from the opening pushback, Iowa goalkeeper Mia Magnotta’s four first-quarter saves kept the hosts’ scoring sticks at bay in the opening period. With an 8-1 shot differential after 15 minutes, the teams remained locked at 0-0.
Sessa and her fellow forwards had kept the Hawkeyes on their heels with a high press — a tactic she attributed to the group’s sound backfield. Graduate student goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz backstopped her sixth shutout of the season, with sophomore defender Ilse Tromp commanding her usual central perch.
“It gives us a lot of trust that we can go out with a really hard and aggressive press, knowing we have such a strong backfield,” Sessa said. “Ilse is a brick wall. So is (graduate student back) Katie (Jones) and (senior back Lauren Hunter). But, we also have Scoobie, and I give her 110% of my trust. She’s the best goalie in the country. Any shot, I know she has it.”
Although it took the ’Cats more than 59 minutes to score the game-winner this past Saturday against Cornell, sophomore midfielder Ella Kokinis found the breakthrough on a penalty corner less than a minute into the second frame. Kokinis tapped in Tromp’s feed for her first goal of the season.
Fuchs said the moment was a long-time coming for the Owings Mills, Maryland, native.
“She’s been in and out of the lineup playing midfield,” Fuchs said. “She’s so aggressive and a really good defender, which caused some turnovers. That was awesome, just being in the right spot ready to put the ball in.”
Following Kokinis’ conversion, Sessa scored to solidify a 2-0 halftime advantage.
Out of the break, the former Tar Heel showcased her game-breaking flair, dragging out a trio of defenders and beating them on the turn. Flicking the ball into the air, Sessa hit two air dribbles in stride before perfectly placing a lofted shot over Magnotta’s head and into the back of the net.
“I told my team that if it’s not in the top three of ESPN Top 10, that I’ll buy them all Dairy Queen,” Fuchs said. “That’s world class. That’s just so good. But, hopefully she’ll put more on the board on Sunday.”
Just two minutes after Sessa’s wondergoal, Tromp tallied her third goal of the year, firing a powerful effort from the top of the circle into the bottom left corner. Tromp’s fellow backs Hunter and Jones recorded assists on the finish.
Following a fourth-quarter goal from senior midfielder Maddie Zimmer, NU saw out its highest scoring result since Sept. 1’s 6-1 thrashing of UMass.
The ’Cats have a quick turnaround ahead of Sunday’s clash at Indiana — the conference campaign’s first road test for NU.
“We need to recover, hydrate, get a lot of food in us,” Fuchs said. “Indiana is tough. They play scrappy. They’re on their field, which is a different type of astroturf. Our team has been ready for each and every match, so we’re excited to go down there and have another Big Ten battle.”
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