Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Indiana*
Late Goal Lifts 'Cats Past Hoosiers, 1-0
11/1/2002 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 1, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern's field hockey team needed every second of Friday afternoon's Big Ten matchup against Indiana, defeating the Hoosiers 1-0 in the final minute of play. The win snaps an eight-game losing streak and assures NU the No. 6 seed at next weekend's Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament in Columbus, Ohio.
Junior Katie Walshauser (Wildwood, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy), starting her first game of the year, scored the game-winning goal after 69 minutes of back-and-forth play between the 25-yard lines. Walshauser took a quick pass from senior Michelle Cifelli (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex) and fired a hard, low shot past the outstretched Indiana goalkeeper. It was Walshauser's first goal of the season.
Senior netminder Kendra Mesa (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand) notched her first shutout of the season, saving one Hoosier shot on goal. Mesa has 28 saves in eight starts.
The first half was a see-saw affair, with the Wildcats coming up just short on a couple of scoring opportunities. NU outshot the Hoosiers 9-3 in the first half -- including six by Candice Cooper (Winnetka, Ill./New Trier) -- and tallied five penalty corners to Indiana's two. But the second half was a different story.
With temperatures in the low 40's, both teams came out of the break sluggish and struggled to control the momentum. Most of the period was played between the 25-yard lines, as the NU defense held Indiana to zero shots in the second stanza.
The 'Cats are back in action this Sunday as they take on Colgate in the season finale. Game time is 1 p.m. at Lakeside Field.
