Northwestern University Athletics

Saturday, October 30
Oakland, Mich.
12:00 PM

Northwestern

5
at
1

Oakland

Kelsey Hans now has 15 goals this season, an NU record.

Wildcats Close Down Oakland, 5-1

10/30/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

Oct. 30, 2004

NU-Oakland Box Score in PDF Format
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ROCHESTER, Mich. - Following Saturday's 5-1 win against Oakland, Northwestern women's soccer coach Jenny Haigh described the game in Dickensian terms.

"This game was a tale of two halves," she said. "We were sluggish and, frankly, boring in the first half. But we came out hard in the second half, and I was pleased to see that."

The Wildcats may have spun Dickens' text around, putting the worst before the best, but the best was more than enough for the victory. That allowed NU (10-7-2) to finish the regular season with 10 wins, a first since 1998, and it also guaranteed that, no matter what happens in postseason play, the 'Cats will finish above .500 (also a first since 1998).

Northwestern took the lead in the 12th minute when senior Ashleigh Garmon scored her sixth goal of the season, off an assist from classmate Katie Gunderson (her first career point). Oakland (8-11-0) came back just before halftime to knot things up when Courtney McCracken beat a pair of Wildcat defenders.

Things took a noticeable turn in the second half -- and quickly. Just 2:27 into the frame, Northwestern was the beneficiary of an own goal. Exactly 2:27 later, it was 3-1 when Tabitha Lowey rebounded her own shot and put it home for her fifth of the season.

Less than seven minutes elapsed before the Wildcats were scoring again, this time freshman Kelsey Hans outrunning the Grizzlies defense to get a one-on-one with goalkeeper Abmer Gale that she converted.

Hans closed out the scoring with just 3:12 left in the match off a nice free kick from Stephanie Krutsch; that goal was her 15th of the season, and moved her ahead of current Wildcat assistant coach Stephanie Erickson as the school's record-holder for goals in a season (Erickson had 14 in 1996).

Northwestern outshot Oakland 19-6 in the match, and Whitney Jones had three saves in playing 80 minutes before being relieved by senior Anne Helm.

NU now moves on to the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Thursday in Columbus, Ohio. The fifth-seeded Wildcats will meet fourth-seeded Illinois -- with they tied, 0-0, on Oct. 22 -- at 1:30 p.m. (12:30 p.m. Central). It will be Northwestern's first appearance in the Tournament since 2001.

MATCH SUMMARY
Score by Half

Northwestern (10-7-2) 1 4 - 5
Oakland (8-11-0) 1 0 - 1

Goal Summary
NU - Ashleigh Garmon (Katie Gunderson), 11:23
OAK - Courtney McCracken (Katie Arnott), 43:03
NU - OWN GOAL, 47:27
NU - Tabitha Lowey (unassisted), 49:54
NU - Kelsey Hans (Stephanie Krutsch), 56:01
NU - Hans (unassisted), 86:48

Shots: NU 19, Oakland 6
Corner Kicks: NU 5, Oakland 2
Fouls: Oakland 8, NU 5
GK Saves: NU - Whitney Jones 3 (80:00), Helm 0 (10:00); OAK - Howard 7 (54:20), Gale 3 (35:40)

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Friday, October 31
Women's Soccer - Roesch's Brace Propels 'Cats past Boilermakers (10/19/25)
Monday, October 20
Women's Soccer - 'Cats Knock off Illini in Rivalry Clash (10/16/25)
Friday, October 17
Women's Soccer - Wildcats Breeze by Scarlet Knights for Senior Day Victory, 3-0
Sunday, October 12