EVANSTON, Ill. — The No. 3 Northwestern Wildcats will play on their home turf for the first time in over two weeks on Friday as they host Indiana for the start of Big Ten action. After Friday's game, which is set for a noon start, the 'Cats will take on Penn at noon on Sunday.
Storylines
Matchup Information
Storylines
- Northwestern takes a five-game winning streak into the weekend after beating both Maine and then-No. 20 UMass 3-0 last weekend in Orono. Within the win streak, four of the games have been shutouts and three have been won by a margin or two goals or more. The 'Cats had two winning streaks of five games or longer last season - one seven-game streak (10/14-11/3) and one eight-game streak (8/28-9/18).
- The Wildcats will also enter play on Friday with a streak of three straight shutouts, beginning with their 2-0 win over Vermont on September 5. The streak is the second of goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz' career after she shut out No. 18 Duke, No. 14 Boston College and No. 11 Liberty back-to-back-to-back last September. The senior has allowed just three goals all season, giving her an NCAA-best 0.49 goals per game average through six contests. The last score Skubisz allowed was two weeks ago in the first quarter against then-No. 20 Duke, meaning she takes a streak of 15 straight scoreless quarters into this weekend's action. The lockdown defense has earned the goalkeeper back-to-back Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week selections, the third and fourth of her career.
- The 'Cats have taken cues from their captains so far, including graduate student Peyton Halsey. The midfielder leads the team in both goals (4) and points (9) after scoring two of Northwestern's three goals on Saturday against UMass.
- Less than a month into their collegiate careers, first years Olivia Bent-Cole and Ilse Tromp have already played key roles for the 'Cats. Tromp connected for her first goal of the season on Friday, while Bent-Cole scored her second goal of the season on Saturday. Bent-Cole has also collected an assist in each of her last three games, giving her the team lead in that category.
- With Friday's victory over Maine, head coach Tracey Fuchs secured her 200th win. Fuchs, who is in 15th year at Northwestern, has led the 'Cats to 14 winning seasons and six NCAA Tournaments, including the program's first national championship in 2021.
- After opening the season at No. 2 in the NFHCA Division I poll, the 'Cats have now been ranked third for a second consecutive week behind Iowa (6-0) and North Carolina (4-1). Louisville (6-0), who is the only team to have bested the Wildcats this season, moved up to No. 4.
Matchup Information
- The 'Cats own a 20-10 record against Indiana, including a dominant 13-1 mark at home. Northwestern has won seven straight over the Hoosiers, with their last loss coming on the road in 2016. The 'Cats' only home loss to Indiana came in 2006, when the then-No. 14 Hoosiers outlasted Northwestern 5-4 in double overtime.
- Sunday's game will be just the second meeting all-time between Northwestern and Penn and the programs' first in Evanston. The only previous matchup came in Philadelphia, when the Wildcats came out on top of the hosting Quakers in the first round of the 1989 NCAA tournament.