No. 2 Northwestern returned to action for the first time in 257 days, since it fell in the national title game. The matchup? A re-run of last season’s semifinal against No. 3 Boston College.
But unlike the Wildcats’ (1-0, 0-0 Big Ten) nail-biting win last year, they left no room for doubt during their 20-12 win over the Eagles (0-1, 0-0 ACC) inside Fish Field House on Friday evening.
Senior attacker Madison Taylor picked up right where she left off last season, leading NU with nine points, tallying five goals and four assists. Sophomore attacker Aditi Foster scored a career-high four goals.
Graduate student goalkeeper Jenika Cuocco corralled 15 saves while allowing 12 goals.
Boston College won the draw, and despite an early player advantage, Cuocco made a strong save to give the ’Cats some momentum. They took advantage, soon nabbing an early lead with a 3-0 scoring run over the next five minutes.
The second of the trio came just 11 seconds after another save from Cuocco, one of her seven saves during the first quarter. Graduate student defender Annabel Child took it all the way downfield before graduate student attacker Olivia Adamson finished the job over Eagle goalkeeper Shea Dolce’s head.
Boston College answered right back, scoring twice to cut NU’s lead to 3-2. The game of runs continued for the rest of the quarter, with the ’Cats scoring four unanswered goals to end the period.
Through 15 minutes of play, NU looked dominant, leading 7-2 despite losing the draw control and not earning any free positions. They spread the ball around, with six players accounting for their seven goals.
Junior midfielder Taylor Lapointe scored two goals in the first quarter. Taylor assisted on both goals, tallying one goal and three assists in the first period. She also made plays outside of the stat sheet, including setting a screen on two defenders that allowed Foster to drive to the goal and score.
However, the Eagles weren’t going down without a fight. In the second quarter, they scored four goals while keeping NU scoreless through 13 minutes. With just over a minute remaining before halftime, Adamson earned the team’s first free position and scored, giving the ’Cats an 8-6 lead.
After attempting just five shots during the second quarter, NU looked to turn up in the second half. Spearheaded by two goals apiece from Taylor and Foster, the ’Cats outscored Boston College 7-2, giving them a 15-8 lead. They scored four power-play goals on five penalties committed by the Eagles, who committed just two in the first half.
Near the end of the third quarter, Taylor took possession of the ball on the far side of the goal. She slotted a pass between the sticks of two defenders to Lapointe, who completed the one-timer for her third goal.
Holding a seven-goal lead with one quarter remaining, NU had all but sealed its victory. Boston College managed to score four goals, but the ’Cats scored five, three of which came against an empty net. As the final horn sounded, NU stormed the field, just as they did against the Eagles last May.
Sophomore midfielder Hannah Rudolph tied her career high with two goals. Redshirt junior midfielder Jaylen Rosga anchored the defense, causing three turnovers and picking up two ground balls. Redshirt sophomore midfielder Madison Smith corralled a team-high seven draw controls.
NU opens its home slate at Ryan Fieldhouse against Colorado on Monday.
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