STATE COLLEGE, Penn. – No. 14 Northwestern advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament with a decisive 3-1 victory over No. 16 Rutgers in the Big Ten quarterfinals on Thursday evening.
The Wildcats now set up a rematch with No. 7 Iowa on Friday evening in the Big Ten semifinals. The game is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. CT, with coverage on BTN Plus.
Fresh off being crowned Big Ten Freshman of the Year on Wednesday, redshirt first-year Bente Baekers paced the NU offense, tallying all three of Northwestern's goals to notch her fourth hat trick of the season. The rookie from Rijswijk, Netherlands now leads the nation with 27 goals scored on the season, which already ranks as the third-highest single-season output in program history behind only Lisa Griswold (28, 1983) and Chelsea Armstrong (29, 2012).
The Wildcats outshot the Scarlet Knights, 13-12, but also were backed by a solid defensive effort as they allowed just one goal on 12 Rutgers penalty corner attempts. Junior Florien Marcussen recorded three saves on the game, all of which came in the fourth quarter.
The 'Cats wasted no time getting started as Baekers put one pas the Scarlet Knights just four minutes into the game to give NU an early advantage. Sophomore Maren Seidel provided the assist, her third of the season.
Northwestern came out firing again to start the second half as Baekers scored an unassisted goal just 30 seconds into the third quarter, followed by a successful penalty corner attempt just over a minute later to extend the Wildcats' lead. Senior Kirsten Mansfield and junior Christen Conley provided the assists on the penalty corner.
This marks the fifth time in the last six years Northwestern has advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
The Wildcats now set up a rematch with No. 7 Iowa on Friday evening in the Big Ten semifinals. The game is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m. CT, with coverage on BTN Plus.
Fresh off being crowned Big Ten Freshman of the Year on Wednesday, redshirt first-year Bente Baekers paced the NU offense, tallying all three of Northwestern's goals to notch her fourth hat trick of the season. The rookie from Rijswijk, Netherlands now leads the nation with 27 goals scored on the season, which already ranks as the third-highest single-season output in program history behind only Lisa Griswold (28, 1983) and Chelsea Armstrong (29, 2012).
The Wildcats outshot the Scarlet Knights, 13-12, but also were backed by a solid defensive effort as they allowed just one goal on 12 Rutgers penalty corner attempts. Junior Florien Marcussen recorded three saves on the game, all of which came in the fourth quarter.
The 'Cats wasted no time getting started as Baekers put one pas the Scarlet Knights just four minutes into the game to give NU an early advantage. Sophomore Maren Seidel provided the assist, her third of the season.
Northwestern came out firing again to start the second half as Baekers scored an unassisted goal just 30 seconds into the third quarter, followed by a successful penalty corner attempt just over a minute later to extend the Wildcats' lead. Senior Kirsten Mansfield and junior Christen Conley provided the assists on the penalty corner.
This marks the fifth time in the last six years Northwestern has advanced to the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!