Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Beats Baylor in NCAA Tournament
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
November 16, 1998
Perhaps the most important goal in Northwestern women's soccer history came off the foot of the Big Ten's 1998 Player of the Year, junior midfiielder Erica Westrich (St. Louis, Mo./Cor Jesu Academy). With only five minutes remaining in regulation, Westrich found a free space in the Baylor University box after receiving a pass from senior forward Dionna Latimer (Middleton, Ohio/Middleton).
Westrich's shot spun into the goal after hitting the right post, allowing Northwestern to beat the Bears, 5-4, in front of 778 raucous fans in Waco, Texas for the second-round NCAA tournament match. It was the highest scoring game either team has played this season.
Northwestern advances to play No. 3 Florida in the NCAA round of 16 next weekend. Florida, the tournament's No. 2 seed, defeated James Madison, 5-1, in the other half of the Wildcats' bracket. Northwestern is one of only three teams to make the round of 16 who did not receive a first-round bye, and the only team of the remaining field who has won two tournament matches on the road.
The game was one of end-to-end action, in which no lead was safe. The Wildcats were tied three times, after holding leads of 1-0, 2-1 and 4-2, before notching the gamewinner in the 85th minute. Baylor, who keyed on the speed of its forwards, beat NU in its defensive third several times throughout, but the Bears were held back by drawing five offside calls. Nikki Hales and Courtney Saunders each had two goals for Baylor.
"I thought that this was a possible score," said Northwestern coach Marcia McDermott of the 5-4 final. "We knew they had the potential to score goals."
Playing on a puddle-filled field that had sustained a week of rain, Northwestern opened the scoring in the ninth minute on its first legitimate chance, when senior defender Sarah Joehl (Kenilworth, Ill./New Trier) nestled a shot into the net's far corner. Possession was heavily in NU's favor early on, though Baylor came close to scoring several times on outlet passes to Saunders and Molly Cameron. Only some aggressive goalkeeping and several 1-on-1 saves by sophomore goalkeeper Erin Ekeberg (Palatine, Ill./Palatine) allowed the Wildcats to keep the lead.
"They had more speed than we did, but the difference in the game was the saves our goalkeeper made," said McDermott.
After Baylor tied the score on a blistering shot from Saunders, Northwestern again scored a goal thanks to some crisp passing in Baylor's third of the field, when Joehl offered to Dionna Latimer to make the score 2-1.
Ten minutes into the second half, Nikki Hales let loose with a rocket from center 30 yards out. Two short minutes later, Northwestern answered with a goal off a set play that went right out front to junior forward Christie Molitor (Kalamazoo, Mich./Portage Central), starting for the first time this season. Molitor's goal was her second in two NCAA tournament games.
Cameron and Saunders continued the Baylor onslaught, Cameron just missing shots in the 54th and 58th minutes. Saunders went just wide in the 60th. Northwestern grabbed a two-goal lead in the 62nd minute after a Baylor foul in its own box allowed senior defender Kristen Palmer (Huntington Beach, Calif./Marina) to roll in a penalty kick. Baylor immediately followed with a flurry of action, hitting the top crossbar on the second of two blistering shots. In the 66th minute, Nikki Hales beat goalkeeper Erin Ekeberg far outside the penalty box, tapping the ball into an empty net.
Ekeberg came up huge with another save in a 1-on-1 against Saunders in the 75th. Two minutes later a risk-taking Ekeberg was burned by Saunders off another outlet. Saunders' second goal of the match evened the score at four. With the prospect of overtime looming, Baylor continued to apply pressure following the goal, but came up short on several corner kicks before Westrich put the game away in the 85th.
Northwestern and No. 10 Penn State were the only Big Ten schools to survive the tournament's second round. Penn State defeated Indiana 2-1, Wisconsin lost to No. 9 Dartmouth, 1-0, No. 18 Michigan fell to No. 4 Notre Dame, 3-0, and Minnesota lost to No. 6 Portland, 3-0. All third-round matches will be played between Friday, Nov. 20 and Sunday, Nov. 22.
SUMMARY:
Weather: 55 degrees, overcast, SW wind - 7 mph Attendance: 778
Referee: Manuel Ortiz Assistants: Ale Piran, Troy Travis
Fourth Official: Richard San Miguel
Scoring 1 2 F Northwestern 2 2 5 Baylor 1 2 4
Scoring:
1. NU Sarah Joehl (Kristen Palmer, Katie Hertz, 8:07);
2. BU Courtney Saunders (Alyson Miles, 12:23);
3. NU Dionna Latimer (Sarah Joehl, 25:57);
4. BU Nikki Hales (unassisted, 49:50);
5. NU Christie Molitor ( Katie Hertz, 51:56);
6. NU Kristen Palmer (unassisted, 61:48);
7. BU Nikki Hales (Meghan Crona, 65:07);
8. BU Courtney Saunders (Rachel Kacsmaryk, 76:30)
9. NU Erica Westrich (Dionna Latimer, 84:35)
Shots: NU: 12, BU: 15
Corner Kicks: NU 6, BU 6
Fouls: NU: 13, BU: 15
Cards Issued: NU Yellow - Kristen Palmer, holding, 16:56
Goalie Saves: NU 5 (Erin Ekeberg),
BU 1 (Megan Jones)
Updated Records: Northwestern, 16-4-1
Baylor, 15-5-1
