Oct. 6, 2011
No. 14 Northwestern (10-4, 1-2 Big Ten) vs. No. 13 Michigan (8-3, 1-1 Big Ten)
Friday, Oct. 7
Lakeside Field
Evanston, Ill. 3 p.m. CT Live Stats Big Ten Digital Network
No. 14 Northwestern (10-4, 1-2 Big Ten) vs. Yale (4-5, 2-1 Ivy League)
Sunday, Oct. 9
Lakeside Field
Evanston, Ill. Noon CT Live Stats Big Ten Digital Network
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Needing only one more victory to secure its third-consecutive winning season under head coach Tracey Fuchs, No. 14 Northwestern turns its attention to Big Ten rival Michigan and non-conference opponent Yale for its first of three-straight weekends at home.
The 'Cats take on the 13th-ranked Wolverines at 3 p.m. Friday, before a meeting with the Bulldogs awaits them at noon on Sunday. As part of a nation-wide effort to support "Stick it to Cancer," a campaign in conjunction with the National Foundation for Cancer Research, supporting cancer education, NU field hockey will be giving out t-shirts to the first 100 fans in attendance for Sunday's bout with Yale.
Offensively Speaking -- The Prowling Pair
It's no secret that Northwestern has one of the most effective offenses in the nation; the 'Cats have racked up 42 goals off of 36 assists, leading the Big Ten in both categories, along with their conference-high 212 shots taken. It also comes as no surprise as to who is leading the charge on the pitch. A collective effort on offense has allowed five 'Cats to score four goals or more each, including senior Claire Thompson (five), sophomore Maria Kovalchuk (five) and sophomore Nikki Parsley (four).
But two Wilcdats have dented the scoreboard -- and record books -- in big ways this season. Junior Chelsea Armstrong has accumulated a conference-high 20 goals and 45 points through 14 games. With records for both career points (161) and career goals (66) under her belt, Armstrong is only nine goals and 20 points away from breaking NU's single-season marks in both categories with six games remaining.
Standing next to Armstrong in the offensive attack is senior Regan Mooney. Mooney leads the Big Ten with 16 assists and is third in the conference with 30 points, while her seven goals places her in a tie for seventh. Mooney's ability to push the ball in on penalty corners -- Northwestern leads the conference by a wide margin with 116 corners taken -- enables essential scoring opportunities for the Wildcats, who are keen on converting. Still with six games to be played, Mooney's 16 assists thus far place her in fifth all-time in the NU record books for a single season.
Scouting the Wolverines
Michigan arrives in Evanston as the 13th-ranked team in the country with an 8-3 record, 1-1 in the Big Ten. Coming off a 2-0 victory at home over the then-12th-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes, the Wolverines have some momentum on their side. UM is 6-1 in their last seven games, including four shutouts. Sophomore Rachael Mack and freshman Emy Guttman lead the offensive charge for the Maize and Blue, scoring eight and seven goals, respectively.
Northwestern leads the all-time series with a 28-21 advantage over Michigan. The Wolverines have taken the last two meetings, most recently beating the 'Cats, 4-3, in an overtime thriller in Ann Arbor, Mich., last season.
Scouting the Bulldogs
Yale (4-5, 2-1 Ivy) enters the weekend having gone 2-2 in their last four games. Even though they have lost five games on the season, four of the five have been by a single goal, losing the fifth by two scores. One of the most experienced teams in the Ivy League, Yale is led on offense by a pair of seniors, Erin Carter and Mia Rosati who have combined for 13 of the team's 34 goals, helping the Bulldogs to lead the conference in scoring margin. However, a youngster in the cage, sophomore Emily Cain, has started every game this season, compiling 59 saves on the year.
Northwestern has never lost to Yale since the two teams met for the first time in 2005, going 3-0 against the Bulldogs. Most recently, the 'Cats traveled to New Haven, Conn., in 2009 and came away with a 3-2 overtime victory.
Up Next
Following the weekend, Northwestern will take a much-needed 12 days off before its next game. The Wildcats continue their homestand to end the season and will host Pacific at 3 p.m. Friday, October 21, followed by No. 17 Iowa at noon the following day.
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