Northwestern University Athletics
Women's Soccer Kicks Off Big Ten Play This Weekend
9/20/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 20, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - It has been nearly two weeks since the Northwestern women's soccer team last took the field in game action. What better way to prepare for Big Ten play?
The Wildcats were supposed to play Loyola last Sunday, but that match was postponed due to the events of last week. Instead, the women geared up for their first two conference matches with several days of seeing nothing but each other on a field.
"The women are hungry," said head coach Jenny Haigh. "They are ready to get on the field with a different team, to put on the uniform and get into a match. Games are the reason you play sports, and they are ready to get back at it."
Northwestern hosts Indiana Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. on Lakeside Field. Sunday, the Wildcats entertain Purdue in a 1 p.m. kickoff.
The Wildcats enter the weekend with three straight losses and a 1-3 record - however, that mark is deceptive. Of the three losses, one came in overtime to No. 6 Washington, and another came by a single goal to a ranked Brigham Young team. The third loss came 3-0 to a surprisingly strong St. Mary's (CA) team that NU actually outshot for the match.
"Nobody is discouraged at this point," said Haigh. "They realize that we scheduled good teams early for a reason, and I think we are looking at the Big Ten as a new season. We enter the weekend 0-0, so the goal is to get a pair of wins and start off on the right foot."
Indiana comes to town with a 3-1 record, though like the Wildcats they have not played in a long time.
"I think Friday's match will be very good," said Haigh. "I think we match up well with them, but they have played well against some good opponents. They will be a tough team for us to beat."
Purdue was able to make up its postponed game of last week on Monday, and fell to Oakland, 2-0. That dropped them to 3-2 on the season.
"It's always scary to play a team coming off a loss, because they play with purpose," said Haigh. "They won't give us anything, that much I know - we will have to work for everything we get."
