Sophomore forward Kennedy Roesch’s 79th-minute equalizer salvaged a point for Northwestern against No. 20 Wisconsin in its regular season finale, but the Wildcats (8-3-7, 4-2-5 Big Ten) couldn’t find the winner they needed to secure a Big Ten Tournament first-round bye.
The ’Cats finished the Big Ten season on 17 points in a four-way tie for sixth place, losing out on the final bye spot decided by a head-to-head tiebreaker.
“A little bit of a bummer,” coach Michael Moynihan said of having to play in the first round on Thursday. “We were hoping to get a bye, but it is what it is, and we’ve just got to go and take care of business.”
NU struggled to get out of its own half in the opening 10 minutes under pressure from a persistent Badger (12-4-2, 6-3-2 Big Ten) press, but turned its first sustained spell of possession into a shot on target. Freshman midfielder Keira Kemmerley took a sumptuous first touch which set her up in space on the edge of the penalty area, testing Badger goalkeeper Drew Stover with a low, right-footed drive across goal.
Junior winger Megan Norkett was lively early on, wreaking havoc on the left wing as she repeatedly beat her defender to get in behind.
“I thought (Norkett) was really threatening in the first half,” Moynihan said. “She’s a fantastic 1-v-1 player. She was also showing a little bit of power and pace to cause some problems.”
In the 24th minute, Wisconsin created its first shot when Badger forward Brooke Allen seized on a defensive error by junior center back Maddie Finnerty. Allen appeared to have a clear look at goal with only senior center back Brooke Miller to beat, but Miller applied just enough pressure to put Allen off and her tame effort was easily gathered by freshman goalkeeper Nyamma Nelson.
The ’Cats fashioned the best chance of the half in the 31st minute when Norkett again ran into space down the left. Norkett crossed for Roesch, whose right-footed strike beat the goalkeeper but was cleared off the line by Badger defender Kiara Gilmore.
It didn’t take long after halftime for the Badgers to strike first. In the 49th minute, Wisconsin winger Jenna Baumann clipped an inch-perfect cross from the left into the center of the box, where midfielder Erin Connolly was waiting to head it over the outstretched arms of Nelson.
That goal left NU with its back up against the wall, needing a comeback victory to earn a bye in the Big Ten Tournament. Yet, it was Wisconsin who remained on the front foot, pressing for a second.
Allen again got in behind on the left side of the area in the 64th minute, but sliced her left-footed strike into the side netting. A minute later, Badger left back Ella Ottey placed a side-footed effort from the edge of the area, but Nelson was down to her right to stop it.
“I don’t know what happened, but we started the second half pretty tough,” Moynihan said.
Yet, it was at the point when the Badgers looked most on top that Roesch decided to grab the game by the scruff of the neck.
The ’Cats finally created their first shot of the half in the 69th minute when senior midfielder Caterina Regazzoni teed up Roesch in space on the edge of the area, but NU’s leading scorer sent a right-footed shot inches wide of the bottom left corner.
Roesch again found a sight at goal in the 74th minute — with her back to goal and the ball at her feet, the San Diego, California native quickly turned and fired with her left foot, forcing an impressive reflex save from Stover that prevented the ball from nestling in the bottom left corner.
After knocking on the door twice in quick succession, Roesch finally slammed it down at the third time of asking.
In the 79th minute, Kemmerley floated an inswinging cross from the left half space, placing it perfectly for the onrushing Roesch to redirect into the net from five yards out. Roesch didn’t connect cleanly, only managing to get her left shoulder on the ball, but the goal was upheld after a lengthy VAR review for handball.
“When I look at who we’ve been playing in the Big Ten, I’d have to say she’s one of the most threatening forwards right now,” Moynihan said of Roesch. “And that’s a pretty powerful statement when you look at the quality we have in the Big Ten.”
Roesch’s ninth goal of the season set up a grandstand finish, with NU throwing the kitchen sink at Wisconsin in search of a winner.
Roesch again hit the target in the 85th minute in a near carbon copy of her chance 11 minutes prior. She received the ball facing away from goal, turning and firing with her left foot right down the goalkeeper’s throat, but Stover stood firm to parry.
It was NU’s fourth time avoiding defeat against a ranked opponent, after draws against Ohio State and Iowa and an away upset of then-No. 4 TCU.
“Our kids love playing highly-ranked teams,” Moynihan said. “They’re not afraid of anything. They look forward to it. We’ve been in a lot of them this year, and we’ve shown well.”
The seventh-seeded ’Cats will face 10th-seeded USC in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament this Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
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