Sept. 17, 2010
Box Score
Site: Evanston, Ill. (Lakeside Field)
Score: Northwestern 6, Ball State 2
Records: NU (6-3, 0-0 Big Ten), Ball State (5-2, 0-0 MAC)
Next NU Event: Sunday, Sept. 19 vs. Miami (Ohio) -- Noon
EVANSTON, Ill. -- On a picture-perfect afternoon at Lakeside Field, Northwestern dominated Ball State Friday, 6-2, to send the Cardinals to just their second loss in seven games this season. NU forward Chelsea Armstrong was seemingly everywhere for the 'Cats, tallying two goals and three assists to finish with seven points in the win.
Armstrong's prolific afternoon makes waves not only for its effect on the Big Ten Conference stat sheets -- where Armstrong has distanced herself from the pack with 11 goals and 31 points -- but also on the NU record books. Armstrong now has 33 career goals, good for ninth on the school's all-time list, and is suddenly tied for 10th in Wildcat history with 87 career points (33g, 21a).
Her seven points vs. Ball State were two shy of her single-game career-best of nine set last year against Central Michigan.
"It's always helpful to get out to an early lead and build your confidence and we did that today," said Northwestern head coach Tracey Fuchs. "We were dangerous on our penalty corner units and I thought our midfield did a good job linking up with our forwards to put them in good spots to score."
NU's penalty corner attack was on display early and often, beginning just four minutes into the contest when Armstrong took a hit that deflected off the Ball State goalkeeper's stick and into the cage.
Senior midfielder Kendra Sirak made the score 2-0 when she dribbled from outside the circle and, meeting no pressure from the Cardinal defense, picked out the lower right corner of the cage and fed it past goalie Morgan Hammer for her third career goal.
Ball State, which received more votes than Northwestern in the most recent Kookaburra/NFHCA Coaches Poll, was able to right the ship after that, scoring off a penalty corner in the 23rd minute off a backhand shot by Devanny Kuhn. But Armstrong helped NU regain a two-goal advantage when she got the ball on a two-on-one and found an unmarked Regan Mooney on the left post for a goal.
Northwestern finished the first half with a flurry, scoring twice in the last five minutes -- first when Armstrong put home an assist by Kaylee Pohlmeyer in the goal mouth and again when Olivia Standa finished a nifty backhand shot from eight yards out -- to gain a commanding 5-1 intermission lead.
Although Ball State's Caitlyn Maguire scored on a breakaway five minutes after halftime, NU quickly quelled thoughts of a comeback when, three minutes later, freshman Nikki Parsley deflected home a penalty corner hit by Armstrong to account for the game's final score. It was Parsley's fifth goal of the season, which ranks in a tie for third on the NU squad.
By day's end, Northwestern had outshot Ball State by a 24-5 margin.
Goalkeepers Katie Lynch and Amanda Wirth split the action evenly in the cage, with Lynch making three saves in earning the win.
Another Mid-American Conference foe awaits Northwestern Sunday as the Wildcats welcome Miami (Ohio) to Lakeside Field. Start time is scheduled for noon CT.
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