| #11 Northwestern at #7 Iowa |
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| Date | Sunday, Oct. 5 | Noon |
| Location | Grant Field | Iowa City, Iowa |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| Live Video | BTN Plus on BTN2Go |
| Social Media | @NUFHCats | Facebook |
EVANSTON, Ill. -- The inside track to the Big Ten regular-season title is on the line Sunday as No. 11 Northwestern travels to seventh-ranked Iowa. The contest is slated for a noon start.
The Wildcats (8-3, 3-0 B1G) and Hawkeyes (7-2, 2-0 B1G) enter the weekend as the league's lone undefeated teams in conference play.
NU has vaulted to its highest national ranking of the season thanks to a five-game winning streak. Last week, Northwestern posted its first two shutouts of the season, blanking Rutgers 1-0 in overtime on Friday before defeating No. 17 Indiana 3-0 on Sunday.
Senior Maddy Carpenter played both games in goal, earning the two shutouts to pick up her second consecutive Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor and the fifth of her career. She played an unscored upon 154:53 of action in leading Northwestern to back-to-back shutouts of conference opponents for the first time since the 1994 season. Carpenter has a 1.32 goals-against average and a .714 save percentage this season.
In addition to the victories last week, Northwestern also owns a 3-2 win over Big Ten newcomer Maryland. The Terrapins were No. 2 at the time of the matchup, representing the highest ranked opponent the Wildcats have defeated on record going back through the 1996 season.
Sophomore Isabel Flens notched goals in both of the Wildcats' victories last weekend, including the game-winner with seven second remaining in the first overtime against Rutgers. Flens leads NU and ranks tied for second in the Big Ten with nine goals. Caroline Troncelliti is second on the team with seven goals.
Junior Charlotte Martin ranks atop the conference with 10 assists with classmate Lisa McCarthy is tied for fourth with eight assists.
Sunday's contest marks the first of five straight road game for the 'Cats who don't play at home again until Oct. 25.
All three of the Wildcats' losses this season have come by one goal against ranked foes. At No. 11, Northwestern is the fourth highest ranked Big Ten team of the six league teams that appear in this week's top-20 poll. The 'Cats trail Maryland (2), Iowa (7) and Penn State (9) and are in front of Michigan (15) and Michigan State (20).
Scouting Iowa
The Hawkeyes have performed well behind interim head coach Lisa Cellucci. Natalie Cafone is a large part of the team's success as she leads the Big Ten with 14 goals, five more than any other player. Alexandra Pecora sports a 1.60 goals-against average and a .717 save percentage in goal. Iowa hosts Ball State on Friday before meeting up with Northwestern. The Hawkeyes' lone losses are to top-ranked North Carolina and to then-No. 8 Stanford in overtime.
Follow the 'Cats
Northwestern has a brand-new Facebook page. Be sure to keep up with the team by giving a "Like" of their page which can be found at facebook.com/NUFHCats. The 'Cats are also on Twitter at @NUFHCats.