Dec. 17, 2010

EVANSTON, Ill. -- One year after first-year head coach Tracey Fuchs led Northwestern to its highest win total in over a decade, the Wildcats began 2010 believing they were ready to compete for a Big Ten championship.

By the time the season reached its final stages, Fuchs and Northwestern had the rest of the conference believing it as well.

A stretch of seven wins over an eight-game span in late September and early October set up what proved to be a dramatic stretch run for the 2010 Wildcats, who entered the final weekend of the regular season with a chance to clinch a share of the Big Ten title.

Although the 'Cats came up short in that quest, their fast, attacking style of play and quick-strike ability on offense helped them secure three Big Ten victories, including a 3-2 road upset of sixth-ranked Ohio State -- a Buckeye team that eventually advanced all the way to the NCAA semifinals. The trio of conference victories were a program-best for NU since the Big Ten implemented the six-game league schedule in 2000, while an 11-9 overall record secured back-to-back winning seasons for the Wildcats for the first time since 1994-95.

Northwestern's victory at Ohio State -- the highest-ranked team NU has defeated since 1997 and its first win over OSU since 1995 -- served as a microcosm for its recipe for success all season long. Second-year forward Chelsea Armstrong scored two goals, including the game-winner with 12 minutes remaining, while true freshman Catherine Franklin was responsible for the third tally, a timely goal that came with only seconds remaining in first half. Sophomore goalkeeper Amanda Wirth, meanwhile, played one of her best games as a Wildcat that day, turning away 12 OSU shots with help from senior leadership in the back line provided by Sarah Marcincin, Stacy Uchida and Megan Jamieson.

Armstrong's effort at Ohio State was just one of her nine multi-goal games in 2010 as the Australian native posted one of the most prolific scoring seasons in Wildcat history with a Big Ten-best 24 goals and 60 points. Consequently, Armstrong was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and a second-team Longstreth/NFHCA All-American, becoming Northwestern's first All-America selection since 2004 and only the second since 1996.

Armstrong, who finished third nationally with 3.16 points per game and fourth with 1.26 goals per contest, recorded seven game-winning goals and two four-goal games, one of which came in NU's 4-2 victory over Big Ten rival Iowa on Oct. 24.

Armstrong, a first-team all-conference selection for the second year in a row, was joined on the All-Big Ten team by Sarah Marcincin, who was a second-team honoree.

As was the case with Franklin and her key goal against Ohio State, Tracey Fuchs' true freshmen made major contributions to the team throughout the season. Chief among them was Nikki Parsley, who finished second on the team in goals (eight) and points (21) on her way to earning second-team All-West Region accolades. Franklin (five points) and Maria Kovalchuk (three points) also proved early on that they could create chances on the wings for NU, while classmate Julia Retzky earned a starting spot and was a stalwart defender on a solid back line.

But throughout the season, Northwestern's impressive senior class served as models of leadership, relentlessness and determination for NU's younger players. Marcincin, Jamieson and Zoe Almquist anchored a defensive unit that did not allow more than two goals in a game for a nine-game stretch in the middle of the season and finished with a 2.15 goals against average. Right in front of them on the field were multi-year starters in the midfield in Stacy Uchida and Kendra Sirak and dynamic forward Marnie Robbins, each of whom brought leadership and intensity to the Wildcat lineup.

Uchida, Almquist and Marcincin also managed to get in the scoring column early and often in 2010, as Uchida and Marcincin finished among the conference leaders with 11 and nine assists, respectively, while Almquist scored a series of big goals for NU and finished with a career-high seven for the year. In addition to her hat trick at Saint Louis, Almquist's most memorable goal was likely the game-winner she scored off a penalty corner with less than two minutes remaining against Miami (Ohio), helping NU grit out a 2-1 win at Lakeside Field.

Finally, three Wildcat juniors -- Kaylee Pohlmeyer, Regan Mooney and Jaimie Orrico -- put together breakout seasons and set themselves up to take over the reins as senior leaders in 2011. A tireless two-way player, Pohlmeyer scored three goals and chipped in four assists, while Mooney notched seven goals including one in Big Ten play versus No. 11 Michigan State.

With nearly a month between their first game and the official start of the academic quarter, Northwestern hit the road for an eight-game road swing to start the year that included contests against two top-10 foes. NU played one of those teams, No. 3 Virginia, straight up on their home field for 69 minutes, surrendering two goals in less than a minute time-frame to the eventual NCAA semifinalist Cavs.

NU bounced back with five wins in a row and soon was into Big Ten season, which in addition to the victory over the Buckeyes also featured wins against Indiana and Iowa. The Wildcats lost heartbreakers at No. 12 Michigan -- a 4-3 overtime victory for the Wolverines that came despite an outstanding three-goal effort by Robbins -- and on Senior Day against No. 11 Michigan State, leaving them with the No. 5 seed when they hosted the Big Ten Tournament in November.

Although the Spartans pulled out a 3-1 victory in that postseason matchup, the 'Cats finished the season ranked No. 26 in the NCAA's final RPI standings and with the knowledge that the program had taken yet another significant step forward. NU's returners in 2011 will come back showing that while it is nice to be in the mix for a league title, the Wildcats' goal of claiming it as their own is within reach.

Wildcat Postseason Honors
Longstreth/NFHCA All-American
Chelsea Armstrong (second team)

NFHCA All-West Region
Chelsea Armstrong (first team)
Nikki Parsley (second team)

Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year
Chelsea Armstrong

All-Big Ten
Chelsea Armstrong (first team)
Sarah Marcincin (second team)

Big Ten Sportsmanship Award
Katie Lynch

Academic All-Big Ten
Zoe Almquist
Sherilyn DeStefano
Shannon Disbrow
Megan Jamieson
Katie Lynch
Sarah Marcincin
Regan Mooney
Kaylee Pohlmeyer
Marnie Robbins
Kendra Sirak
Olivia Standa
Claire Thompson
Stacy Uchida

Team Awards
Sannie van Dijck Players' Player Award: Zoe Almquist
Tara Pullara Award: Stacy Uchida

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