Sept. 16, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 19 Northwestern will face off with Ball State at 1 p.m. Saturday as it looks to snap a three-game losing skid. NU opened the season 4-0, but has since dropped its last three contests.
"We are focusing on learning from game to game and making corrections in our team play," NU Head Coach Kelly McCollum said. "We've gotten away from that in the last few games. Our focus right now is on our own play and getting back into our rhythm as a team to put ourselves in winning positions."
Northwestern will have a great opportunity to make those corrections against the Cardinals. Ball State is 0-4 on the season, but every one of its opponents at least received votes in the latest STX/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll.
"We are going up against another strong regional opponent this weekend," McCollum said. "Our team is ready to battle for a win and continue making a statement in our region."
Northwestern has already made an impact on not just the region, but the nation as well. The Wildcats enter Saturday's match ranked 19th in the country in the STX/NFHCA poll.
"It is great to see our team represented in the rankings," McCollum said. "It is a credit to our strong start but it is still very early in the season and we are more concerned with meeting our own expectations as a group right now."
CAT 'NIPS
* NU leads the all-time series with Ball State with a 10-7-2 record.
* Northwestern ranks first in the Big Ten with 2.86 assists per game.
* Senior Candice Cooper ranks first in the conference with 57 shots in seven games, 22 more than Michigan State's Veerle Goudswaard in second place.
* Junior Ellen Schlafly leads the Big Ten with five assists through seven games. Last year, five different Wildcats led NU with three assists on the season.