Less than 48 hours removed from a resounding 5-0 Big Ten opening victory against No. 4 Iowa, No. 1 Northwestern took on upset-hungry Indiana at Deborah Tobias Field Sunday morning.
Coach Tracey Fuchs told The Daily on Friday afternoon that the quick turnaround between conference tests would be challenging, and that the Bloomington astroturf posed an additional adjustment for the nation’s No. 1 squad. Nearly 250 miles south of Lakeside Field, Fuchs’ squad found an extra edge to grind out a gutsy win.
Although the Wildcats (8-0, 2-0 Big Ten) didn’t pack comparable offensive flare to its Friday firestorm, graduate student goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz’s co-season-high eight saves stonewalled the Hoosiers (2-4, 0-1 Big Ten) in a 1-0 victory.
Skubisz secured her sixth consecutive shutout — and seventh overall — as NU clinched an 8-0 start for the first time since 2022. Indiana peppered eight shots on goal to the visitors’ four, but Fuchs’ veteran netminder once again showcased her All-American acumen.
Indiana began the contest on the front foot, firing five shots on goal in the opening period. While the ’Cats drew four first-quarter penalty corners, Hoosier goalkeeper Sadie Canelli wasn’t called into action for any goal-bound attempts.
After Skubisz posted five first-quarter saves to keep the matchup deadlocked at 0-0, NU went on the offensive toward the half’s conclusion. With just over five minutes remaining in the second frame, the ’Cats drew a pivotal penalty corner.
On the corner, graduate student back Katie Jones found junior midfielder Greta Hinke in the circle, but Canelli deflected Hinke’s first shot. Collecting her own rebound, Hinke buried her first career goal on the second-chance effort.
With a 1-0 halftime advantage, NU only recorded three shots in the latter two quarters. Despite never adding to their lead, the ’Cats weathered the hosts’ push for an equalizer amid steady second-half rainfall.
Indiana pulled Canelli in the final moments as it searched for a tying score, but sophomore back Ilse Tromp’s unit stymied any semblance of opposing traction. Even with an extra attacker on the field, the Hoosiers didn’t tally a shot in the last four minutes and 43 seconds.
NU will take on No. 7 Maryland in the second game of its three-game road trip Friday. The ’Cats have won four consecutive games against the Terrapins (5-2, 1-0 Big Ten), dating back to the 2022 Big Ten tournament semifinal.
Email: [email protected]
X: @Jakeepste1n
Related Stories:
— Field Hockey: No. 1 Northwestern blanks No. 4 Iowa 5-0 in Big Ten opener
— Field Hockey: No. 1 Northwestern extends blazing start with wins over No. 9 Louisville, Cornell
— Field Hockey: Zimmer, Sessa and Fuchs make the journey to the Paris Olympics
