Sept. 23, 2009
Women's Soccer Weekly Release (9/23) 
Weekly Wildcat Word (9/22)
Setting Up The Weekend
Northwestern opens Big Ten play at Lakeside Field this weekend, hosting a pair of nationally-ranked conference foes. The Wildcats take on #19/31 Indiana at 7:30 p.m. Friday, then face #15/36 Purdue at 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Both matches are part of doubleheaders and will follow Northwestern men's soccer games.
Catching the 'Cats
Fans can follow each of this weekend's matches with GameTracker, available on NUSports.com, as well as receive live, in-game Twitter updates by following @NU_SportsLIVE. In addition, Sunday's game will also be available to watch via video stream on NUSports.com. The stream is part of Wildcats All Access, which requires a monthly subscription.
Scouting the Hoosiers
At 8-1-0, Indiana is off to the best start in school history. The Hoosiers are led in scoring by Colombia native Orlanica Velasquez Herrera, who scored all three of IU's goals last weekend and earned Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week honors. Indiana has all 11 starters back from a team that finished eighth in the league last year including goalkeeper Lindsay Campbell, who ranks third in the conference with a 0.63 goals-against average entering play this weekend.
Scouting the Boilermakers
Purdue enters the weekend ranked 15th in the latest NSCAA/adidas poll after going winless in its past three matches. The Boilermakers dropped a pair of road decisions at then-No. 3 Stanford and nationally-ranked Santa Clara before earning a draw with Milwaukee in its last home match. Purdue is led in scoring by Jessica Okoroafo, whose 15 points (six goals, three assists) rank second in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers have scored 20 goals on the season - second in the league - but rank eighth in the conference in goals allowed, giving up an average of 1.22 goals per match to their opponents.
Series Information
The 'Cats hold a 8-7-2 advantage in the all-time series with the Hoosiers, while Purdue is 8-3-0 against Northwestern. This is the second straight year that Indiana and Purdue have played at Lakeside Field; in 2008 the Boilermakers scored with two minutes remaining in the match to beat NU, 1-0. Northwestern topped Indiana last season, 2-1, thanks to a header goal at the 86:26 mark by Kay Sampson. Teammate Sam Greene assisted on the game-winning tally.
Iron Woman
Alicia Herczeg is on pace to reach an impressive collegiate soccer milestone. If she starts both matches over the weekend, Sunday will mark the 70th consecutive game the senior has started for the 'Cats. That's a number that has only been surpassed a few times in school history (the Northwestern record is 79 consecutive starts, set by Jenny Dunn from 2005-08). Herczeg has only missed one game in her NU career (as a freshman in 2006) and has made a start in every game she has appeared in.