The NCAA Tournament is here. After weeks of regular season play followed by conference tournaments, it’s time for the final stretch of the field hockey season.
The quest for No. 2 Northwestern’s second consecutive national championship and third in program history began Friday with a 5-1 win over No. 12 Yale.
After missing out on a top-four seed in the tournament, the Wildcats (19-1, 8-0 Big Ten) didn’t let the road trip faze them, defeating their first tournament opponent in dominant fashion. The game was hosted by fourth-seeded Virginia, which was upset earlier in the day by Miami (Ohio).
Junior forward Ashley Sessa and junior forward Piper Borz led NU with two goals apiece.
The Bulldogs (12-6, 4-3 Ivy League) were unable to overcome the nerves of playing in their first-ever NCAA Tournament, taking nearly three quarters to attempt their first shot.
The ’Cats began the contest with possession and wasted no time getting on the front foot, with sophomore midfielder Kate Janssen attempting a shot just 15 seconds in the game. NU came back into the offensive zone one minute later, but Yale goalkeeper Amelie Schwarzkopf stopped the ensuing attack.
A few minutes later, graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer made a takeaway and took the ball toward the goal. She slotted a pass just behind Sessa, who was unable to gain full possession and sent a shot wide of the goal.
The ’Cats seemed to have some jitters of their own, committing a number of turnovers on errant passes.
With under a minute remaining in the quarter, NU drew the game’s first penalty corner but was unable to convert. The first quarter came to a close with the score still 0-0, though the ’Cats dominated possession and outshot the Bulldogs 5-0.
Just as it had done to open the game, NU began the second quarter with a quick offensive possession and shot attempt, but Zimmer missed off the post.
In the middle of the quarter, the ’Cats had one of their best opportunities up to that point. Graduate student forward Grace Schulze juked out a defender and had just Schwarzkopf to beat, but the goalkeeper made a diving save.
With just over four minutes remaining in the half, NU took its second corner of the game. After multiple passes near the top of the shooting circle, sophomore midfielder Laura Salamanca attempted a shot, and Schwarzkopf made another hefty save.
Despite numerous offensive possessions, the ’Cats had yet to score, but Zimmer continued to create opportunities. After gaining control in NU’s defensive end, she cleared the ball across the field to junior forward Olivia Bent-Cole. In a three-on-four situation, Bent-Cole found Sessa, who sent a speeding pass to Borz in front of the net. She tipped the ball off her stick into the back of the net for the game’s first goal.
The contest went into halftime with the ’Cats leading 1-0. Just as they had in the first quarter, they tallied five shots while not allowing Yale to attempt any.
The strong defensive battle continued into the second half. During the first six minutes of the third quarter, NU attempted four shots but was unable to find an insurance goal. Halfway through the quarter, the ’Cats earned another penalty corner and passed the ball to Zimmer.
NU initially celebrated the score, but after a Bulldog video referral, the goal was called off.
Just a few minutes later, Sessa took a corner and found senior defender Maja Zivojnovic. After a blocked shot, Sessa handled the rebound and knocked the ball into the back of the net.
After falling into a two-goal deficit, Yale earned a penalty corner and attempted its first shot of the game with under three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, NU’s defensive play made the 2-0 score look insurmountable, but it was hungry for more. After another Yale turnover, sophomore midfielder Eva Nemeth sent the ball toward the net, where Borz tipped it up into the goal. The score stood after a review, marking Borz’s second two-goal game of the season.
With less than five minutes to play, the Bulldogs were able to find their first score to cut the deficit back to two. The ’Cats answered right back, with Zimmer taking it herself all the way from midfield to the goal for the score.
The game was all but over, and Sessa still wasn’t done, looking to put the icing on the cake. She was fouled in front of the goal, earning a penalty shot and scoring her second goal of the contest.
The buzzer sounded, and with that, NU moved on to the quarterfinals.
Sessa notched five points with two goals and one assist, marking her sixth game with at least five points this season. She needs five points to break her own single-season program points record. Zimmer has tallied a point in each of her last three games with a goal Friday. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Juliana Boon allowed just one goal.
The ’Cats will face Miami (Ohio) Sunday at 12 p.m. with a trip to the Final Four on the line.
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