Nov. 6, 2008
Box Score
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Northwestern's season came to an end Thursday with a 4-2 loss to No. 10 Michigan State in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in Bloomington, Ind. Senior Emily Kyle (San Francisco, Calif./San Francisco University H.S.) stopped nine shots and finished her senior campaign with 139 saves, which ranks as the sixth-highest single season total in NU history.
Kyle's nine saves also make her the fourth NU goalie to reach the 400-save plateau, finishing her career with exactly 400 saves.
On offense, senior Annie Bosslet (Granite City, Ill./Villa Duchesne) scored for the 'Cats to finish with five goals in her senior season and 13 for her career. Alexandra Quinn (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) also tallied for NU with a penalty stroke goal with three minutes remaining in regulation. Quinn completes her tenure in Evanston with 74 career points, tied for 14th-best in Northwestern history.
Northwestern ends 2008 with an overall record of 7-13 while Michigan State improved 16-4. The Spartans will take on Iowa in the second round after the Hawkeyes defeated host Indiana, 5-2, earlier on Thursday.
Early on in the first half, fans in Bloomington were treated to back-and-forth action, with both teams earning opportunities in their attacking halves of the field. Michigan State recorded three penalty corners in the first eight minutes and managed two shots on goal, both ending in saves by Kyle.
Michigan State got on the board first just over 13 minutes into the first half. On MSU's fourth penalty corner of the game, Floor Rijpma took a pass on the right wing and slammed the ball to the far post for her 17th goal of the season.
Michigan State kept the pressure on but Northwestern capitalized on its next trip inside the Spartans' circle. With 15 minutes remaining in the first half, Quinn used her speed and stick control to turn the corner on the left side and head toward goal. MSU goalie Elissa Unger came sliding out to deny Quinn but NU's senior forward managed to push the ball to Bosslet, who coolly deposited it in the open cage to knot the score at one.
MSU surged ahead with 10 minutes remaining before halftime with two quick-strike goals. First, Michelle Ciliberti controlled the ball on the left wing before sliding it to Angela Pagura, who one-timed it past Kyle. Less than two minutes later, Rijpma found Ciliberti alone at the top of the circle. Kyle came out to cut down the angle but Ciliberti backhanded it past her to put MSU up, 3-1.
One more penalty corner goal by Jamie Deacon gave the Spartans a three-goal lead. MSU nearly found the back of the cage again when Ciliberti's shot from eight yards out took a deflection and ricocheted off the crossbar to keep the score 4-1 at halftime.
After the break, the Wildcats controlled much of the action, earning five consecutive corners without allowing Michigan State to advance the ball past midfield. The 'Cats forced Unger to make three saves on the exchange as Bosslet, Courtney Plaster-Strange (Louisville, Ky./Kentucky Country Day) and Stephanie Fortson (Lehighton, Pa./Lehighton) all recorded shots on goal off corners.
Quinn helped set up the penalty stroke that she later converted when she dribbled down the right side and threaded a pass to Bosslet in the circle when the infraction was called.
NU will attend the rest of the Big Ten at the annual awards banquet tonight in Bloomington.