Sophomore Kate Allen led the Wildcats in scoring in 2010.Sophomore Kate Allen led the Wildcats in scoring in 2010.

'Cats Set to Kick Off Season at No. 12 Marquette

Aug. 18, 2011

Northwestern (0-0-0) at #12 Marquette (0-0-0)
Sunday, Aug. 21
Valley Fields
Milwaukee, Wis. • 7:30 p.m.
Streaming Video: None
Gametracker: NUsports.com
Northwestern Game Notes (PDF)Get Acrobat Reader

The Weekend
Northwestern opens its 18th season of women's soccer this weekend as the Wildcats head north to Milwaukee to take on one of the favorites in the BIG EAST conference, No. 12 Marquette. It's the first time in four years that NU will open the season away from home, dating back to an overtime win at Drake in 2007. The 'Cats have won their last three road season openers, including a 2-0 mark in such games under head coach Stephanie Foster.

Scouting the Golden Eagles
Loaded with talent, Marquette has won two consecutive American Division titles in the BIG EAST and is coming off an appearance in the NCAA Tournament Third Round in 2010. The Golden Eagles are led by BIG EAST Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year Natalie Kulla and Co-Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Kerry McBride. Coach Markus Roeders returns seven starters from last year's team including sophomore Maegan Kelly and senior Rachael Sloan, whose seven goals each led the squad in scoring last year.

Series Information
Despite being separated by a mere 80 miles on Interstate 94, NU and Marquette have not met often in recent history. Sunday's game marks just the eighth meeting in the all-time series, which the Golden Eagles lead, 4-1-2. It's also the first time Foster, now in her sixth season at the helm of Northwestern, has coached against Marquette. The sides haven't met since 2005 and Northwestern's lone victory in the series came back in 1995, a 1-0 win in Evanston.

Last Time Out
Northwestern has an incoming class of 10 freshmen this season, which factors to have a huge impact on the Wildcats' season. A glimpse of things to come was easy to spot during NU's two exhibition games this fall, where freshmen Katie Landgrebe and Georgia Waddle both picked up points. Landgrebe scored Northwestern's only goal in a 2-1 loss to Milwaukee, then added an assist in a 2-0 victory over DePaul last Friday. Waddle also had an assist in the DePaul game, while the goals were scored by two of NU's bigger offensive threats: Kate Allen, who led the team in scoring in 2010, and Caroline Dagley.

A Tough Road Ahead
Marquette enters opening weekend ranked #12 nationally by Soccer America, making the Golden Eagles the first of five 2011 Northwestern opponents to be among the publication's preseason Top 25. Last year NU won its first game against a ranked opponent when it defeated #3 UCLA, 1-0.

For more, view the complete Northwestern women's soccer game notes (PDF).Get Acrobat Reader

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