Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Are Home For Final Three Big Ten Matches
10/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 14, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - How important are this weekend's women's soccer matches with Indiana (Friday at 3 p.m.) and Purdue (Sunday at 1 p.m.)?
Pretty darn important.
Never mind the ramifications they have on the Wildcats' Big Ten Tournament hopes -- although that must be addressed. Northwestern could clinch a spot in the eight-team field as early as Friday night, if they are able to defeat the Hoosiers Friday afternoon and Michigan State loses at Wisconsin that night.
"We obviously want to take things one game at a time," said NU head coach Jenny Haigh, whose team has not made the postseason since her first season at the Wildcat helm, in 2001. "But obviously any more wins will help us toward making Big Tens."
What is perhaps of greater consequence, though, is the regional development which affect NCAA Tournament hopes. In its next three matches, Northwestern (7-6-1, 3-4-0) -- ranked ninth in the latest Great Lakes Region poll by the coaches association -- faces the No. 6 (Indiana), No. 8 (Purdue) and No. 4 (Illinois) teams in the region.
"These games are really important for that stuff, and we are not afraid to talk to our players about making the postseason," said Haigh. "We have high goals for this program, and these next three games will go a long way toward us accomplishing what we want."
A quick look at the standings puts NU squarely in the middle of the Big Ten standings. The Wildcats -- tied for seventh with Purdue -- have lost to the top three teams (Penn State, Michigan, Ohio State) and beaten the bottom two teams (Minnesota, Iowa). They have also "given one away" (a one-goal loss to ninth-place Michigan State) and "stolen" one (a one-goal win over sixth-place Wisconsin). This weekend, in addition to the Boilermakers, NU sees the fifth-place team in the standings in Indiana.
"I feel like we are right where we need to be," said Haigh. "There are some things we need to shore up; we need to do a little better job with some of the little things. These two games figure to be pretty even, so the little things can be the difference between a win and a loss."
Indiana (8-4-1, 3-3-1) comes to Evanston after playing six of its last eight matches at home.
"I expect Indiana to be fast and play direct," said Haigh. "It will be an emotional game and will require a lot of energy for 90 minutes and maybe more. We will have to stay composed and match their energy level."
Purdue (7-6-0, 3-4-0) has fallen off slightly from last year's nationally ranked team, but Haigh cautions against underestimating the Boilers.
"Purdue is always organized, and they have a lot of good players," she said. "We know we will have a great game with them on Sunday."
One thing in the Wildcats' favor is the fact that these two matches -- as well as next Friday's Big Ten finale with Illinois -- are at the Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex. The `Cats are 6-1-1 at home this season, including 3-0-0 in the Big Ten, and have gone 11-3-2 at the LBT in the last two years.
"We know that playing at home is not going to be the thing that wins or loses these games for us," said Haigh. "But it is definitely a benefit to be playing games of this magnitude on our field."
Some notes on the `Cats...
* NU trails in the series with Indiana, 4-6-2, and have gone 1-1-2 against the Hoosiers in the last four meetings. Last year, Indiana defeated Northwestern 3-0 in Bloomington.
* NU is 1-3-1 all-time vs. the Hoosiers in Evanston, including a 1-1 tie the last time they played here, in 2001.
* NU trails in the series with Purdue, 2-3, but defeated a nationally ranked Boilermaker squad a year ago in West Lafayette (2-1).
* NU is 1-1 vs. the Boilers in Evanston, including a 2-1 win in the most recent meeting during the 2001 season.
* NU is 6-1-1 at home this season and won all three Big Ten matches at the Thomas Athletic Complex; in the last two season the `Cats are 11-3-2 at home.
* NU has won more Big Ten home games than any season since 1998; the school record for Big Ten home wins is four, set in 1997 and 1998.
* NU is looking to clinch a berth in the eight-team Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2001.
* NU continues to lead the Big Ten in every scoring category (conference games only).
* NU has scored 31 goals this season, the fourth-best season in that category in the program's 11-year history; the Wildcats still have five regular-season matches left.
* Of NU's 31 goals, 20 have come from freshmen or sophomores.
* In Big Ten play, NU has 16 goals which is the second-best total in program history; the school record is 21 goals scored in nine matches in 1997.
* NU's has a goal differential of +5 in Big Ten play; only twice in history have the `Cats had a positive differential in conference action (+7 in 1997, +2 in 1998). Last year NU had a -10 differential.
* NU has outscored opponents 31-18 this season, its best goal differential (+13) since 1998 (47-26, +21).
* Freshman Kelsey Hans has 11 goals this season, a record for goals in a season by a freshman and the second-best season in the program's history; only current assistant coach Stephanie Erickson's 14-goal season in 1996 is better.
* Hans is already 10th on NU's career scoring list.
* Hans has 24 points this season, also second on NU's single-season list; the record is 35, set by Erickson in 1996 (14 goals, 7 assists).
* Hans has set a school record with six Big Ten goals this season; Tabitha Lowey has tied the previous mark with three conference goals.
* Hans is second in the conference behind Penn State's Tiffany Weimer in both goal and both point categories.
* Shannon Schneeman leads the Big Ten in assists (5) and assists per game (0.71) in conference play.
* Schneeman has tied the school record for assists in Big Ten play in one season; she shares it with Aileen Guiney, who did it in 2002.
