Sept. 2, 2010
Northwestern (2-1-1) vs. Kansas (1-1)
Friday, Sept. 3 7 p.m.
Lakeside Field // Evanston, Ill.
Northwestern vs. Missouri
Sunday, Sept. 5 1 p.m.
Lakeside Field // Evanston, Ill.
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Northwestern Game Notes (PDF)
Fresh off its longest road trip of the season, Northwestern continues a challenging stretch of five games in ten days this weekend, as the 'Cats welcome a pair of Big 12 conference opponents to Lakeside Field for Friday and Sunday matches.
Win for the Ages Highlights Road Trip
Northwestern recorded the biggest regular season win in program history on Aug. 29, when the Wildcats defeated then #3 UCLA, 1-0, at the Wisconsin Tournament. Freshman Kate Allen scored the game's lone goal, her third of the season, while senior goalkeeper Carolyn Edwards earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors after shutting out the Bruins' attack, as well as posting a shutout against Cincinnati two days earlier. The Wildcats closed out their road trip Tuesday night, battling #13 BYU, but ultimately falling to the Cougars, 2-1.
Drawing National Attention
The win over UCLA has thrust Northwestern women's soccer back into the national spotlight. NU received 37 votes in this week's NSCAA Top 25 poll - the second-most of any school not in the top 25 - and is ranked #14 by Soccer America. It is the first time since the 1998 season that the 'Cats have been nationally ranked.
Scouting the Opponents
Kansas enters the weekend with a 1-1 record, having defeated Eastern Kentucky before being blanked at Georgia, 5-0, on Aug. 29. The Jayhawks return eight starters from a team that went 12-8-2 in 2009, but were picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 this season. Sophomore Kat Liebetrau is in her second season as starting goalkeeper, while the Kansas offense is led by Emily Cressy, who scored 12 goals in 2009.
Missouri enters 2010 as back-to-back defending Big 12 champions. The Tigers enter the weekend with a 0-3 record, with all three losses coming to nationally-ranked teams, including defending national champion North Carolina. Alysha Bonnick, who recorded 20 points last season, leads the MU attack. Sophomore Jessica Gwin is in her first season as starting goalkeeper, and brings a 4.02 GAA into the weekend.
Series Information
Northwestern is searching for its first-ever win over Kansas this weekend. The Jayhawks have won both previous meetings between the schools, including the 2000 season opener in Evanston. The 'Cats are 2-4 all-time against Missouri, with the Tigers having won four in a row in the series, including a 2-0 win last year in Columbia. The last time Northwestern faced both KU and MU in the same season was in 2003, when the Wildcats dropped both contests of a season-opening road trip.
Download the Northwestern Game Notes (PDF) for more on this weekend's games.
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