Sept. 11, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Four games into the 2002 season, head coach Marisa Didio and her field hockey team have already equaled last year's win total with a 2-2 record. A season ago, Didio's squad went 2-13 overall and 1-5 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats haven't played a conference game yet, but in the first two weeks of the season they have faced 2001 national runner-up and current No. 1 Maryland (L, 3-1) and ninth-ranked Virginia (L, 1-0). NU didn't win either game, but the distance the program has covered in the offseason was clearly evident.
That evidence was most recently put on display last Monday when NU handily defeated Southwest Missouri State, 3-0. Now it's time to hit the road for the first time, as the 'Cats travel to Ann Arbor, Mich., where they will face BIG EAST opponents Providence and Boston College in the annual Big Ten/BIG EAST Challenge.
The last time NU faced Providence was in 2000, a 4-0 Wildcat win, and they lead the all-time series against the Friars, 3-0. You have to go all the way back to 1995 to find the last time NU and Boston College squared off. The 'Cats defeated the Eagles 1-0. NU owns a 7-0 all-time record against BC.
Senior Lindsey Millard (St. Louis, Mo./Mary Institute Country Day) leads the Wildcats' offensive charge with six points. She has shot the ball three times this season and scored three goals, including the gamewinner in both Wildcat victories. A close second with five points (two goals, one assist) is freshman Holly Palin (Mequon, Wis./University School of Milwaukee). In all, seven different Wildcats have scored points as NU has outscored its opponents 8-5.
Defensively, freshman Kelly Augustine (Northampton, Pa./Northampton) has gotten the nod at goalkeeper, recording her first collegiate shutout against Southwest Missouri State. She has nine saves while playing every minute of the season between the sticks. Playing her first year of collegiate hockey, Augustine has had the luxury of backfield players Juli Fomenko (Campbell, Calif./Los Gatos) and Millard. That combination has made it extremely difficult for opposing players to reach the goal area.
Augustine, Fomenko and the rest of the 'Cats kick off the weekend bright and early Saturday morning, as game time against Providence is set for 9:30 a.m. The Boston College game is Sunday at the same time.