Oct. 12, 2001
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Northwestern women's soccer team sure knows how to keep things interesting when they get their wins.
After dominating Minnesota much of the match Friday night in Minneapolis, it looked like the Wildcats were going to be stuck with another hard-luck loss. A goal by the Gophers' Rachael Roth with 21:37 left in regulation looked like it was going to be the difference in yet another heartbreaking 1-0 decision for NU.
Then lightning struck. Twice.
With just 27 seconds left before the final whistle, senior Katie Hertz (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) headed home a cross by Katie Kovatch (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) to tie the match. That set the stage for overtime, which only lasted 1:35 thanks to freshman Carolyn Hack (Downer's Grove, Ill./North), who scored to give the 'Cats a 2-1 win.
Northwestern improved to 3-7-1 overall and 2-4-1 in the Big Ten. More importantly, the win catapulted the Wildcats past the Gophers and Wisconsin into a seventh-place tie with Michigan State in the Big Ten standings. The top eight teams at the end of the regular season qualify for the Big Ten Tournament.
"It was such an exciting win," said head coach Jenny Haigh. "We had a lot of chances to score throughout the game, and then to finally get the goal and ultimately get the win was great. We've been playing the kind of soccer that deserves to win matches, and so to finally win tonight was very gratifying."
Hertz' goal was her team-leading third of the season, and every one of them have come on headballs. The senior now has 18 career goals, which ties her with Christie Molitor for fourth on NU's all-time list.
Hack's goal belied the freshman's youth. A cross from Kovatch was re-directed by Aileen Guiney (Naperville, Ill./North) to Hack just inside the penalty box. The freshman took a touch, then slid a left-footed shot that tucked into the corner past goalkeeper Julie Eibensteiner.
"Carolyn showed great composure on her goal," said Haigh. "She was pretty wide open, and sometimes those are the toughest situations in which to stay composed. But she did a nice job on the finish."
Haigh again noted the strong defensive play by her team, singling out sophomore Molly Greene (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest). In goal, Susie McCreery (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) faced eight shots but did not have to make a save. She allowed a single goal for the fourth straight game, the seventh time in eight contests, and the 10th time overall this season. Her goals-against average now stands at 1.23.
Northwestern remains on the road this Sunday, playing at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Score By Half
Northwestern 0 1 1 - 2
Minnesota 0 1 0 - 1
Scoring
MINN - Rachael Roth (Alison Rackley), 68:23
NU - Katie Hertz (Katie Kovatch), 89:33
NU - Carolyn Hack (Katie Kovatch), 91:35
Goalkeeper Saves
NU - Susie McCreery, 0
MINN - Julie Eibensteiner, 6
Shots
Northwestern 15, Minnesota 8
Corner Kicks
Northwestern 4, Minnesota 4
Fouls
Northwestern 22, Minnesota 22
Offsides
N/A
Cards
NU - Katie Kovatch (Y), 27:41
MINN - Anna Nudell Lee (Y), 88:19
MINN - Megan Turner (Y), 90:00
Records
Northwestern 3-7-1, 2-4-1 Big Ten
Minnesota 3-8-0, 2-5-0 Big Ten