| NORTHWESTERN WOMEN'S SOCCER (JAMES MADISON TOURNAMENT) | |||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | LIVE STATS | |
| Aug. 19 | VCU | 3:30 p.m. CST | Harrisonburg, Va. | Stat Broadcast | |
| Aug. 21 | James Madison | 1 p.m. CST | Harrisonburg, Va. | Stat Broadcast | |
| Social: Twitter (@NUWSoccer and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (@NUWSoccer) | Facebook | |||||
EVANSTON, Ill. – The 2016 Northwestern women's soccer season officially opens this weekend when the Wildcats head east for a two-game tournament in Harrisonburg, Va. NU begins its regular-season schedule on Friday, Aug. 19 against VCU and then matches up against James Madison on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Fans can follow live stats for both matches here.
Three returning Wildcats were recently named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List, including Kassidy Gorman, Lauren Clem and Michelle Manning.
Also returning for the 2016 season are redshirt seniors Nandi Mehta and Margo McGinty.
The 19-game regular season includes ten matches at the newly renovated Lanny & Sharon Martin Stadium in Evanston. Last year, construction of the field forced the Wildcats to play at Toyota Park, the home of the Major League Soccer Chicago Fire team. The 'Cats home opener is slated for Sept. 1 when they host Indiana State.
Last season, Northwestern punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998, and just the third time in program history. Their second-round run marked the second time the 'Cats advanced past the round of 64. Northwestern went 13-5-2 during the regular-season with seven Big Ten victories – the most since 1998 – and appeared in the NSCAA polls for the first time in 17 years. Northwestern did not lose a single match against a team ranked outside the RPI top 45.
The #B1GCats tournament bid was bolstered by the stalwart play between the pipes. Clem and the Wildcats' young defense posted a program-best 12 shutouts as well as a goals-against-average of just .530, which ranked among the NCAA's top 10.
Abby Dein and Maddy Lucas will join the Wildcats for the 2016 season. Dein, a standout midfielder for nearby Eclipse Select Soccer Club, and Lucas, the top scorer for her high school in Michigan, will look to keep Northwestern on the rise.