Oct. 19, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -- On a day where four Wildcat seniors were honored in Senior Day ceremonies, Jeanette Lorme and Jenny Dunn powered the Wildcats past Michigan in a critical conference contest Sunday at Lakeside Field, 1-0. Dunn's volley off a spectacular Lorme cross at 55:41 proved to be the game-winner.
With the win, Northwestern improves to 8-7-1, 3-4 in the Big Ten. Michigan falls to 4-9-4, 1-5-1 in conference. Prior to the game televised live by the Big Ten Network, seniors Dunn, Lorme, Amanda Hoffman and Laura Janowitsch -- playing their last regular season home game at Lakeside Field -- were honored in a pregame ceremony.
Michigan put a scare into the Wildcats early, forcing Carolyn Edwards to make a point-blank save. Edwards made only one more save in the half and Dunn and Jennifer Baumann were turned aside by the Wolverine keeper to preserve the scoreless tie.
Lorme forced a save in the opening minutes, proving that she would be a force on the offensive end in the second half. In the 56th minute, Lorme made a spectacular play to pass her defender out wide. Once the senior got to the end line, she launched a perfect cross to the far post. Dunn, who now sits eighth on NU's all-time list with 18 career goals, used a right-shinned volley to give NU a 1-0 lead.
Dunn's goal broke close to 300 minutes of scoreless soccer between the two teams. Prior to Dunn's tally, the last goal scored in an NU-Michigan contest came late in the second half of the teams' 2005 meeting.
NU's next chances came in the 80th minute when Hoffman and Sam Greene were both turned aside. Lorme forced a save in the 85th minute, but the critical Big Ten contest went to Northwestern, 1-0.
Northwestern won the shot battle, 12-5, and registered seven shots on goal. Michigan notched five corner kicks to one for the Wildcats, and Edwards made three saves in net.
With the home regular season schedule complete, the 'Cats will close the Big Ten slate on the road with games at Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The 'Cats face the Hawkeyes at 7 p.m. Friday.