No. 1 Northwestern has cruised through the start of this season. 

The Wildcats (8-0, 0-0 Big Ten) have outscored their opponents 26-2 through eight games. Since 2021, NU has posted a record of 43-2 in non-conference regular-season games.

After being ranked first in the NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll for the second straight week, the ’Cats continued their strong start as they took down Delaware 4-0 and Villanova 5-0. They have now recorded six shutouts on the year.

In Friday’s match against the Fightin’ Blue Hens (3-4, 0-0 MPSF), NU got off to a hot start. Under six minutes into the game, junior forward Ashley Sessa took a penalty corner. Redshirt-junior forward Aerin Krys received the ball, stopping it for junior defender Ilse Tromp, who buried a shot into the bottom-left corner. 

This goal marked a rare quick-strike for the ’Cats, who have struggled with early-game scoring. It was just the third time this season that NU scored in the first quarter.

That wouldn’t be the only time Tromp’s name was called, as less than two minutes later, the ’Cats had another penalty corner. This time, graduate student forward Grace Schulze took the corner, finding Krys and Tromp again, the latter of whom found the back of the net.

Later in the first quarter, NU found itself with another penalty corner. The initial shot from senior defender Maja Zivojnovic was blocked, but Schulze maintained possession for the ’Cats and slipped the ball past the goalkeeper for the team’s third goal of the quarter. This was the second time this season that NU has scored three goals in a quarter.

The ’Cats held a 3-0 lead into the second quarter and could not expand on it until the fourth. In the second and third quarters, NU outshot the Fightin’ Blue Hens 12-2 but were unable to find another goal.

The score would hold until five minutes into the fourth quarter, when the ’Cats had yet another penalty corner, their 14th of the game. After Sessa passed the ball in, graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer made a nifty behind-the-back pass to Tromp, whose shot narrowly beat the keeper to complete her hat-trick.

The match was all but over at that point, with NU running out the clock and claiming victory by a score of 4-0. After allowing a goal in each game the weekend prior, redshirt-freshman goalkeeper Juliana Boon recorded another shutout and tallied three saves. Krys recorded two assists for the second consecutive game.

In Sunday’s game, the ’Cats faced the Villanova Wildcats (1-6, 0-1 Big East). The match got off to a very familiar start, as just three minutes in, Sessa was taking a penalty corner for NU. And just as she had on Friday, Tromp scored the game’s first goal after Zimmer received the pass from Sessa.

The scoring fell stagnant for much of the first half until one minute remained in the second quarter. Again, Sessa took the penalty corner, passing the ball out to Krys. Tromp took the shot, which hit the Villanova goalkeeper’s pad and bounced back into the net.

Holding a 2-0 lead, the ’Cats kept their feet on the gas. Less than three minutes into the third quarter, Zimmer charged into the arc, weaving past defenders and slapping a shot into the net. Later in the quarter, junior forward Piper Borz knocked a rebound shot past the keeper to extend the lead to 4-0. NU attempted 15 shots in the quarter, the most in a single quarter this season.

In the fourth quarter, the ’Cats looked to tack on again. Sessa knocked a pass right in front of the goal, where Borz was waiting. She snuck the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs for her second goal of the game.

NU would hold down the fort on defense, and the game came to a close with the ’Cats winning 5-0. Borz notched her first two-goal game of the season. Sessa recorded her third three-assist game of her career. Boon tied a career high with five saves.

After a five-goal weekend, Tromp now leads NU with eight goals on the season.

The ’Cats play their Big Ten opener and first home match of the season when they take on Indiana Friday. The game is set to start at 3 p.m. 

Email: jonahmcclure2028@u.northwestern.edu

X: @jemccl125

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