Northwestern University Athletics
2002 Field Hockey -- Spring Recap
5/13/2002 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
May 13, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - As the rebuilding process continues for head coach Marisa Didio and the Northwestern Wildcat field hockey team, this spring's success along with the improvement during the 2001 season, is proof enough the field hockey program is heading in the right direction.
"The winter and the spring season for us was to focus our attention to our own system and the changes we need to make to be more successful," said Didio. " The emphasis was to make those changes that would improve the team defensively which in turn would help the goalkeepers."
During the winter and spring, NU played in 22, 25-minute games recording a 10-7-5 overall mark. Two wins and three ties came against Big Ten competition, including a 1-1 tie against 2001 regular-season champion, Michigan State.
"The majority of our time in practice and at tournament sites was all on the defensive side of the ball," said Didio. "The kids did an outstanding job of learning on the go all winter and spring."
In all, the Wildcats competed in three different tournaments, which included hosting games at Northwestern's Lakeside Field. Lakeside Field (home of the NU "want-to" crew) was the site of the 2001 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament.
"We really wanted to improve the quality of competition we played this spring helping us learn more and to help us be more prepared for the upcoming season," said Didio. " I thought the kids did a great job with really valuing the experiences of how they were learning and what they were learning."
Playing at home and around the Midwest, the 'Cats competed in both 7-on-7 tournaments, along with the more traditional 11-vs.-11.
The tournament in Evanston, consisted of only 11-on-11 games, while Day One at the Louisville Tournament in Louisville, Ky., were strictly 7-vs.-7. Day Two of the weekend saw the team's battle at full strength (11-on-11).
In Iowa City, a tournament hosted by the Hawkeye's, all games were 7-on-7.
Playing against tough competition that included schools from the Big Ten and ACC are valuable experience student-athletes can take away from a successful spring schedule. Couple that with a talented class of newcomers and a solid core of upperclassmen returning in 2002, Didio and her coaching staff continue to lead the NU Field Hockey Program in a positive direction.
"As a team, as a coaching staff, we all felt very good about the strides we took this offseason," said Didio. "There was definitely a level of assurance and confidence that they (the team) came away with, which is very important as we take the next step in the programs development."
"It was an awesome spring," said Didio. "I couldn't be more pleased with it."
SPRING RESUTLS
vs. Big Ten
NU 4--Indiana 0
NU 1--Indiana 0
NU 0--Iowa 0
NU 0--Iowa 0
Iowa 1--NU 0
Iowa 1--NU 0
Iowa 1--NU 0
Iowa 1--NU 0
Michigan State 1--NU 1
vs. ACC
Wake Forest 2--NU 1
vs. MAC
NU 2--Louisville 0
NU 1--Louisville 0
NU 2--Louisville 0
Louisville 3--NU 1
NU 0--Louisville 0
NU 1--Ball State 0
vs. NorPac
NU 2--Southwest Missouri State 0
NU 1--Southwest Missouri State 0
NU 3-- Davidson 0
NU 0--St. Louis 0
vs. Others
NU 1--Iowa Alumni 0
Iowa Alumni 1--NU 0
