Entering play this weekend, No. 1 Northwestern already flexed an impressive start to its season: an undefeated record, the top spot in the National Coaches Poll and zero goals allowed through four games. 

All without playing a match at home.

Though the Wildcats (6-0, 0-0 Big Ten) beat Louisville 2-1 (OT) and No. 20 Miami (Ohio) 5-1 to continue their undefeated season, the games showed that things aren’t always going to come easy for the defending national champions.

On Friday, NU faced off against Louisville, the host for this weekend’s field hockey festivities. The ’Cats were without junior forward Ashley Sessa when they took on the Cardinals (3-3, 0-0 ACC), as she was suspended for the game after being shown a red card during last Sunday’s win over then-No. 8 Boston College. 

Despite Sessa’s absence, NU still got on the attack early, outshooting Louisville 4-0 in the first quarter.

In the second quarter, with the match still scoreless, NU did something it hadn’t done all season: concede a goal. Less than three minutes into the quarter, first-year goalkeeper Juliana Boon made two saves in quick succession but was sprawled on the ground, unable to retreat to the goal. Louisville forward Gigi Edwards was able to sneak past Boon and knock the ball in for the score.

Boon, last week’s Big Ten and NFHCA Defensive Player of the Week, allowed the first goal of her young career.

In the second and third quarters combined, the ’Cats took six penalty corners and attempted 12 shots but were unable to find the equalizing goal.

As time dwindled, NU had yet another opportunity to tie the match. Junior forward Olivia Bent-Cole sent the ball toward the goal, where graduate student forward Grace Schulze was waiting to tap the ball into the net. Louisville requested the referees review the goal, where the officials saw Bent-Cole standing on the stick of her defender, which allowed her to make the pass to Schulze without interruption. The goal was called off, and play continued with the ’Cats still trailing 1-0. 

With less than three minutes to play in the contest, NU finally drew level. Redshirt-junior forward Aerin Krys possessed the ball on the far side of the goal. She sent a pass toward the middle of the field, where junior forward Piper Borz tapped a shot past the Cardinal goalkeeper, tying the game at 1-1.

Attempts from both squads to take the lead were stifled, and the match headed into overtime. 

Two and a half minutes into the extra period, with both teams looking for sudden victory, graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer ran down the backline towards the goal. She sent an outlet pass to Bent-Cole, whose shot bounced off the post, landing behind the Louisville goalkeeper. Graduate student forward Grace Schulze stepped up and knocked the ball into the goal, nabbing the narrow 2-1 victory for NU.

Schulze’s goal was her fifth in as many games this season.

In the second game of the weekend, Sessa returned to the field as the ’Cats took on Miami (Ohio). She made an almost immediate impact, assisting Bent-Cole on a goal less than three minutes into the contest before adding a goal of her own just a few minutes later.

In the second quarter, the Redhawks (3-2, 0-0 MAC) tallied a goal of their own, bringing the deficit to just one score. 

Heading into the second half, NU still led 2-1 but would soon add to its lead. In the middle of the third quarter, Junior defender Ilse Tromp found the back of the net to extend the lead.

The ’Cats kept their feet on the gas in the fourth quarter, as both Tromp and Sessa scored their second goals of the match. The NU defense held strong and coach Tracey Fuchs’ squad claimed its sixth victory of the season by a score of 5-1. 

After her one-game suspension, Sessa finished the game with two goals and two assists, tying her career-high six points. Tromp finished with two goals for the third time in her career. 

The ’Cats travel to Delaware on Friday, looking to remain undefeated in their final weekend of consecutive road games. The game is set to start at 3 p.m.

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