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Northwestern 1, Minnesota 0 (2OT) Lakeside Field Evanston, Ill. Box Score | Box Score 
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EVANSTON, Ill. - Freshman Michelle Manning's goal with 3:30 remaining in the second overtime period gave Northwestern a 1-0 win over Minnesota Saturday afternoon and earned the Wildcats a berth in next week's Big Ten tournament in the process.
By virtue of the win, the 'Cats earned the final spot in the Big Ten tournament field where they'll face conference regular-season champion Penn State.
In a contest that was originally scheduled for Friday evening but was forced to be postponed to Saturday due to inclement weather, Northwestern dominated the action against the Golden Gophers, finishing with a commanding 20-3 edge in shots.
Despite controlling the game, the Wildcats were unable to tally a score through regulation and the first extra period. With a tie not being enough to earn NU a spot in the tournament, the 'Cats continued to push forward and their efforts finally paid off.
Manning won the ball near the top left corner of the box, made a move around a defender and fired a perfect strike inside the far post past Minnesota keeper Tarah Hobbs for the golden goal.
Northwestern's staunch defense didn't allow Minnesota to have a single solid scoring opportunity in the contest as freshman goalkeeper Lauren Clem didn't need to make a save in picking up the shutout.
The Wildcats' best scoring chance in the first half came in the 28th minute when Niki Sebo's initial shot was saved by Hobbs, but the rebound came right to Addie Steiner. However, with the net open, Steiner's shot sailed over the crossbar.
The Wildcats held a 4-1 edge in shots over the opening 45 minutes of play and a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks.
NU's best opportunity to score in the second half came in the 80th minute when Kim Jerantowski fired a rocket on target, but Hobbs made a leaping save, punching the ball over the crossbar to keep the contest scoreless.
Northwestern continued to push forward for the elusive goal but couldn't find it as the contest headed to overtime. In the first extra session, the Wildcats were dominant. NU nearly had the game-winner following a corner kick but Steiner's header clanged off the crossbar and Jerantowski's ensuing shot went wide.
The 'Cats peppered Hobbs with three shots on goal, but the keeper came up with stops each time. Northwestern wasn't able to be quite as dominant with the ball in the second OT, but the team's persistence finally paid off when Manning notched her second goal of the season.
Check back to NUsports.com for the schedule for next week's Big Ten tournament hosted by Purdue University.