DURHAM, N.C. — Coach Tracey Fuchs is no stranger to Final Four weekend.
No. 2 Northwestern’s ringleader has taken the Wildcats (20-1, 8-0 Big Ten) to the NCAA Tournament semifinals for the fifth-straight season after defeating No. 12 Yale and No. 11 Miami (Ohio) last weekend.
Their next threat? No. 1 North Carolina.
“People have been waiting for this matchup for two years,” Fuchs said ahead of the team’s trip to Durham, North Carolina. “It’s great for the sport.”
Last time NU faced the Tar Heels (21-1, 7-1 ACC), the latter took home the 2023 National Championship in a penalty shootout win. After Saint Joseph’s spoiled a rematch last year when they took down the Tar Heels in the semifinals, the ’Cats now have a chance at revenge.
UNC has cruised through its gauntlet schedule of 12 ranked opponents, falling just once in double overtime to then-No. 13 Wake Forest. In its early-round tournament games, it took down Saint Joseph’s and No. 8 Duke, the latter of which came in overtime.
Here are three things to watch ahead of Friday’s contest with a national championship appearance on the line:
1. Explosive offenses provide a tall task for defenses
UNC and NU boast the third and fourth best scoring offenses in the nation, respectively. The ’Cats have tallied at least five goals in eight of their games, while the Tar Heels have notched seven such games. Both teams are both top eight in penalty corners per game.
No matter what offensive metric you pick, these two squads land near the top. For the ’Cats, their elite scoring production is spearheaded by unselfish, high-effort play.
“When we’re in the circle, it’s not just one person scoring,” junior forward Ashley Sessa said Wednesday. “We have so many people diving on for our post, getting a little touch on the ball.”
Sessa leads NU in points this season with 63, just five shy of breaking her program record of 67 that she set last season. Seven other ’Cats have tallied at least 10 points.
On the opposing side, the Tar Heels boast a big three, all of whom have posted equally impressive seasons. They all rank in the top 20 in total points, with forward Ryleigh Heck at 49, forward Dani Mendez at 45 and forward Charly Bruder at 41.
“They’re probably the best forward line we face,” Fuchs said. “They’re gonna get their opportunities, we just need to push them toward the outside of the circle and force them to make shots that aren’t point-blank.”
Despite the strength of these offenses, the defenses have proven they are more than up for the challenge. The squads are both top-12 in goals allowed this season, with their defense centered around strong goalkeeper play.
NU is anchored by redshirt freshman goalkeeper Juliana Boon, who has produced one of the best seasons in the nation in goal. She has posted the lowest goals against average at 0.674 and the fourth-best save percentage in the country at 0.797.
Between the pipes opposite Boon, North Carolina will send out a tandem of keepers. Goalkeepers Merritt Skubisz and Katie Wimmer have each played one half during the majority of the games this season. Skubisz, the younger sister of former All-American ’Cats goalkeeper Annabel, has allowed 13 goals with a 0.745 save percentage while Wimmer has posted a 0.756 save percentage with 11 goals allowed.
The strength of the defensive units will be put to the test on Friday, and whichever one can withstand the power of the opposing offense will have a leg up.
2. Road-ready ’Cats head out east
After winning last season’s national championship, NU opened this year’s campaign with eight straight contests on the road or at neutral sites. Despite winning the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, the ’Cats did not earn a top-four seed in the tournament, forcing them to head on the road again.
NU has won every game it has played away or at a neutral site this season. The team has embraced traveling to unfamiliar environments.
“We’re road warriors, as we like to say,” Sessa said. “We love the challenge of it, and we build so much more of a community in our team and culture off the field because we’re stuck in a hotel together.”
The Tar Heels, on the other hand, have played nine home games this season, two of which were opening round games of the tournament. With Duke playing host to the Final Four, North Carolina has to make just a 20-minute drive to Jack Katz Stadium.
Neither team has faced many struggles this season, but the frequency and proximity of travel could play a role in how fast the teams start in this contest.
3. ’Cats lean on experience in title defense
Friday’s game will be just the sixth matchup between these squads and the fourth during an NCAA Tournament.
The Tar Heels have gotten the better of the ’Cats during their last two matchups, both of which came in the national title game. However, in the teams’ first postseason matchup in 2021, NU nabbed an upset victory and went on to win its first national championship.
Graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer has been with the ’Cats since that championship season. Her experience and veteran presence, on top of her on-field skills, have made her an integral part of this roster.
“I’d like to bring a level of calm,” Zimmer said. “We don’t need to be super frantic just because it’s postseason.”
Some new additions, such as graduate student forward Grace Schulze, have never experienced playing in the Final Four.
Schulze came to NU after overcoming injury at the end of her Garden State stint, which she said helped her develop leadership skills from the sideline. As she prepares for the sport’s grandest stage, Schulze said that while her teammates can ask for advice, she’ll be looking to those from last year’s national championship-winning squad for help.
“I’m super excited,” Schulze said. “Definitely a little bit nervous, but I’ve got a lot of teammates with a lot of experience, so I’m going to rely and lean on them.”
The ’Cats will look to carry the momentum from last year’s title with them, and while they haven’t found success against North Carolina of late, the team is prepared to plant previous downfalls firmly in the rearview.
“North Carolina is an amazing team,” Fuchs said. “We just have to go out and play our best, and the score will take care of itself.”
The semifinal game is set to start Friday at 1:30 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPNU.
Email: [email protected]
X: @jemccl125
Related Stories:
— Field Hockey: No. 2 Northwestern seeks repeat NCAA title on the road after top-4 snub
— Field Hockey: No. 2 Northwestern clinches Big Ten Tournament title with 3-0 win over No. 9 Iowa
