Northwestern University Athletics
Women's Soccer Looking For Results This Weekend
10/11/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 11, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - With just four matches left in Big Ten play, Northwestern women's soccer coach Jenny Haigh knows that her team needs to make a move soon in order to qualify for the eight-team Big Ten Tournament.
The first step toward making that move comes this weekend, when the Wildcats pay a visit to Minnesota Friday night at 7 p.m. That is the only conference action on the docket this weekend-on Sunday at 1 p.m., the women play at Wisconsin-Milwaukee in a non-conference match.
"I expect a total battle Friday," said Haigh, who hails from the Minneapolis area. "We have a healthy rivalry with Minnesota. They get great home crowds, and with it being a night game I'm expecting a great atmosphere."
Minnesota is hardly a new team to the Wildcats. The Gophers played two times this season on Lakeside Field in September, so the women have had a chance to get to know this team better than most others.
"We always try and put together scouting reports on teams," said Haigh. "But Minnesota is a team our women have seen a few times, and they are familiar with the players on the Minnesota roster. We will be a little better prepared than normal--but so will they."
Regarding Sunday's non-conference battle, Haigh knows the Wildcats cannot afford a letdown. Quite the opposite, actually, as UW-Milwaukee boasts a 9-2 record after a win over Wisconsin Wednesday night.
"Milwaukee will be tough," she said. "They are having one of their best years ever, and they're coming off a win over another Big Ten team so there won't be any intimidation."
If Northwestern chooses to see the glass as half-full, there are reasons for optimism. Of NU's four remaining Big Ten matches, three come against teams that--along with Northwestern--occupy the bottom of the Big Ten standings. On Friday, for instance, the 'Cats (4 points) can spring past the Gophers (6 points) and Wisconsin (4 points) in the standings with a win (worth three points).
"We've put ourselves in a tough spot," said Haigh. "I think we need to win three out of our last four, but it's feasible and I'm confident we can do it."
The biggest key for Northwestern is to find a goalscorer. The Wildcats have scored just five goals this season and have been shut out seven times in 10 matches. Each of the last four losses--all in the Big Ten--have come via the shutout route.
It goes without saying that the focus at practice this week was on jump-starting the offense.
"We addressed the team and asked them to focus on what they can do to contribute to the offense," said Haigh. "It's not all about putting the ball in the goal--sometimes it's about creating chances, winning a tackle and making a play that will set up the goal. We've asked each player to figure out how they can add to the offense."
Some positives came out of last weekend's 1-0 losses to Illinois and Iowa. Ashleigh Garmon (Oxnard, Calif./Buena) was a presence on the attack, and Carolyn Hack (Downer's Grove, Ill./North) gave a solid performance in the midfield. Both players are freshmen.
"One of the hardest parts of being a fall sport is that your freshmen don't have time to transition into the college game," said Haigh. "It's exciting to see Ashleigh and some of the other freshmen starting to step up."
