| 2018 NORTHWESTERN WOMEN'S SOCCER | ||||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME (CT) | LOCATION | WATCH | LISTEN | LIVE STATS |
| Sunday, Oct. 21 | Iowa | 1 p.m. | Iowa City, Iowa | BTN2Go | N/A | StatBroadcast |
| Social: Twitter (@NUWSoccer) | Instagram (@NUWSoccer) | Facebook | ||||||
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern will head to Iowa for the final game of the regular season on Sunday at 1 p.m. with a spot in the Big Ten Tournament on the line.
The Wildcats are 10-4-3 on the season and 4-4-2 in conference play, putting them in eigth place in the Big Ten with 14 points. Iowa sits at ninth in the conference with 13 points, meaning Northwestern can secure a spot in the Big Ten Tournament with a win.
Northwestern would also qualify if they draw and either Illinois (at Nebraska) or Michigan (vs. Michigan State) draws or loses. The 'Cats can not qualify with a loss. For a full range of potential outcomes, check out this chart:
Confused?
— WNUR Sports (@WNURSports) October 19, 2018
Curious about seeding?
Look at our pretty chart!
(All of these matches are scheduled for Saturday, except NEB-MSU, which is scheduled for Tuesday) pic.twitter.com/X4Gz0jIUsj
The 'Cats grabbed a crucial 2-1 win over Illinois on Thursday night at Martin Stadium. Senior Brenna Lovera led off the scoring with her team-high eighth goal of the season in the first half. Senior Marisa Viggiano assisted Lovera's goal and added to the scoring with her first goal of the season on a free kick in the second half.
The first half goal was a historic one for the 'Cats, as it marked the 18th goal of Lovera's career. She is now tied for ninth on the all-time goals list at Northwestern and eight goals is a career-high for her in a season, besting her previous two-time output of six. The assist on the goal gave Viggiano 20 on her career, tying her for second in Northwestern history with Aileen Guiney (2000-03).
Northwestern leads the all-time series against Iowa 13-7-1, while the two teams are 2-2 over their last four matchups. The 'Cats bested the Hawkeyes 1-0 the last time they faced off, back in 2016 in Iowa City.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENT
IOWA
The Hawkeyes sit at 8-7-2 overall with a 4-5-1 mark in the Big Ten. They were on a three game winning streak, including a win over No. 22 Nebraska, before losing 3-1 at Minnesota on Thursday.
Junior Natalie Winters leads the team in both goals (5) and assists (3), including scoring a game-winning goal against Creighton. Junior goalie Claire Graves has notched 6 shutouts this season, while holding a .796 save percentage and allowing .87 goals per game.
The Hawkeyes are 7-0-2 at home this season, but they can't afford anything except a win on Sunday if they hope to make the Big Ten Tournament.