Sept. 9, 2011
Northwestern (3-1, 0-0) at No. 3 Maryland (3-1, 0-0)
Saturday, Sept. 10
Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex
College Park, Md. 10 a.m. CT
Northwestern (3-1, 0-0) at No. 8 American (2-1, 0-0)
Sunday, Sept. 11
Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex
College Park, Md. 11 a.m. CT
Northwestern (3-1, 0-0) at Ball State (0-3, 0-0)
Tuesday, Sept. 13
BSU Turf Field
Muncie, Ind. 2 p.m. CT Live Stats
Terrapin Invitational Headquarters
Follow Field Hockey on Twitter
EVANSTON, Ill. -- After a short stint at home last weekend, the Wildcats take to the road once again, this time with some stiff competition in front of them. Northwestern will travel to College Park, Md., to participate in the Terrapin Invitational to face field hockey powers No. 3 Maryland and No. 8 American on back-to-back days.
The 'Cats will kick things off with the host and defending national champion Terps at 10 a.m. Saturday, before squaring off with American at 11 a.m. Sunday. Before returning home, NU will make a stop in Muncie, Ind., to face off against Ball State at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The Armstrong Watch
Junior Chelsea Armstrong once again moved up the NU record ladder, adding to her career totals in the two games at home with a goal and an assist. She now stands alone in second place all-time with 130 points scored, passing 1982 graduate, Nancy Fisher. Armstrong's 52 career goals places her in third, just seven off Fisher's career mark of 59. After compiling two assists through four games this season, Armstrong is now tied in seventh place all-time with 26.
Controlling the Tempo
Through four games this season, Northwestern's offensive attack has helped the 'Cats control the tempo against their opponents. NU is outshooting its opponents, 61-42, and outscoring them by a margin of 11-3. Chelsea Armstrong leads the way for Northwestern with six goals on 27 shots. Regan Mooney (two goals on six shots), Nikki Parsley (two goals on four shots) and Claire Thompson (one goal on two shots) also have found themselves in the scoring mix.
Scouting the Terrapins
As the defending national champion, No. 3 Maryland (3-1, 0-0) proves to be a formidable test for Northwestern on Saturday. UM had a close call against No. 9 Michigan at home, fending off the Wolverines' late rally to secure a 2-1 win, keeping their 33-home game win streak intact. The Terrapins hold the advantage in the all-time series, 12-4, including a 7-2 victory over the `Cats in 2009.
Maryland enters the weekend led on offense by senior Jemma Buckley, who has tallied five goals and two assists in four games for the Terps. Redshirt senior Melissa Vassalotti and sophomore Natalie Hunter have been rotating games in the cage for UM, combining to stop 16 shots while allowing only six goals.
Scouting the Eagles
No. 8 American (2-1, 0-0) enters the weekend on a two-game win streak, having convincingly disposed of Penn, 7-0, and then-No. 7 Princeton, 2-0, at home. NU is 0-4 all-time against American, including a 5-2 loss the last time the two squads met in 2008 at the same Terrapin Invitational.
The Eagles have an even attack on offense with nine players who have registered at least two points. Sophomore Alex McMackin and juniors Jenn Bradley and Gina Hoffman have each scored two goals for AU. Sophomores Stephanie Burry and Ashley Dalisera split time in the cage and have allowed a combined four goals on 14 shots.
Scouting the Cardinals
Ball State (0-3, 0-0) will host Northwestern on Tuesday after a 10-day layoff in between games. NU owns the series advantage over BSU, 15-7-2, having beaten the Cardinals, 6-2, one year ago. Senior Devanny Kuhn and freshman Sanne Hermans lead BSU offensively, both posting a goal and an assist on the year.
Up Next
After the road swing, the 'Cats return back to Evanston, but the schedule doesn't get any easier for NU as Cal and No. 7 Virginia come to Lakeside Field on Sept. 16 and Sept. 18, respectively.
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