Oct. 25, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - For the Northwestern women's soccer team, the task on Friday night in Madison is simple: beat the Badgers, and then pray.
It will be nerve-racking couple of hours beginning at 7 p.m. at Wisconsin's McClimon Soccer Complex. While the Wildcats and Badgers are playing, Indiana will be hosting Purdue at the exact same time in Bloomington. Those two matches alone will determine Northwestern's fate regarding the Big Ten Tournament.
After checking all of the tiebreaking procedures the Big Ten offers up, the equation ends up being very simple for the Wildcats to gain entry into the postseason event. Northwestern must win, and Indiana must lose. Any other combination of results and the Hoosiers gain the final spot.
"We're just going to focus on our game," said head coach Jenny Haigh. "All we can do is take care of business at our end. We tend to be a team that plays well in tight situations, and this would definitely qualify. Obviously, the need for a win will be a great motivator."
The Wildcats did themselves no favors last weekend, dropping a pair of 1-0 matches on the road at Ohio State and Penn State. The OSU loss came on a penalty kick in the first half, while Sunday's defeat was tempered by the fact that NU held the Big Ten's most potent offense to a single goal.
Northwestern has not shut anybody out this season, but they've done the next best thing. Amazingly, 12 of NU's 14 opponents--including the last seven--have scored just a single goal this season. Susie McCreery (Glenview, Ill./Glenbrook South) boasts a 1.18 goals-against average, which would land her fourth on the school's single-season GAA list.
"Our defense has been a consistent backbone for us all fall," said Haigh. "We need them to have another great game Friday night."
Wisconsin, a perennial power in the conference, has fallen on hard times this season. The Badgers are 4-8-3 overall and 1-6-2 in the Big Ten, which puts them in last place. However, like the Wildcats, they were not far from being in the mix this season--four of their losses came by a single goal, and four of their conference matches went to overtime where they went 0-2-2.
"It should be a great match," said Haigh. "I expect it to be one of the most competitive and exciting games we'll play this year. Both teams play hard, physical soccer, and there is a lot on the line."
Haigh also admits to having an additional incentive--she played her college soccer at Madison.
"This game will be a little more personal for me," she said. "I have very strong feelings for that program--I want them to win every match except one each year."
Northwestern wraps up Big Ten play Friday, but the season is hardly over. Three non-conference matches remain on the schedule, including Sunday's home game against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne. The Mastodons come to Evanston with a 3-12 mark.
It will be the first home match for the Northwestern women since October 7 against Iowa. It will also be the last home match of the season, as the re-scheduled match with Loyola will now be played on the Ramblers' campus November 4. Thus, Sunday will be the farewell for seniors Enyo Dzata (Eugene, Ore./South), Katie Hertz (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg), Katie Kovatch (Glen Ellyn, Ill./Glenbard West) and Kas? McCoy (Medina, Ohio/Medina).
"I'm really proud of our seniors," said Haigh. "They have shown great character and leadership , both on and off the field. I think that as soon as they are gone we are going to miss them. Because of the day, I am not concerned that motivation will be a factor heading into Sunday's game."