Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Travel to Meet Big Ten Frontrunners
10/7/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 7, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - Last weekend, the Northwestern women's soccer team hosted a pair of Big Ten teams that arrived in Evanston -- and later left -- looking for their first conference victories.
This weekend, the Wildcats hit the road hoping to pin a team (or two) with its first Big Ten loss, as they play the only unbeaten teams left in the conference in Ohio State and Penn State. The Buckeyes are ranked 19th in the latest national coaches poll, while the Nittany Lions are third.
NU and Ohio State will kick off at 7:30 p.m. (6:30 Central) Friday night in Columbus, and then the `Cats face the Nittany Lions Sunday at noon (11 a.m. Central).
"This is a good time for us to be playing these matches," said NU head coach Jenny Haigh. "We are coming off some nice wins, and we know that we face a big challenge this weekend but I feel like we are ready for it. We have played with a fair amount of rhythm and pace the last few weeks, and so I feel like we are prepared to face two very good Big Ten teams this weekend.
"We worked hard this week at not psyching ourselves out of these matches," she continued. "We know we have to play well and play smart, and we cannot afford the slow starts that plagued the last time we were on the road (against Michigan and Michigan State). We are putting the focus on us and our ability to play well."
The Wildcats are indeed playing well; they are unbeaten in four matches, including three straight Big Ten wins that has thrust them into the middle of the pack. This weekend affords the women a great opportunity to make that next jump in the standings.
Penn State (9-1-1, 5-0-0 Big Ten) has steadily moved up the national poll all season, and took a huge step toward its seventh straight Big Ten regular-season title last weekend by beating Michigan and Michigan State on the road last weekend. The Nittany Lions boast arguably the most prolific offense in the conference, led by Tiffany Weimer who has already been named Big Ten Player of the Week three times this season.
"Penn State is a team that has legitimized their ranking," said Haigh. "We know that anything less than a quick start will hurt us, because they are the kind of team that will take advantage of any lulls we have. But they had a great game at Michigan and we had a great game at Michigan, so we feel like this should be a good matchup."
Ohio State (6-2-3, 2-0-3 Big Ten) went to overtime twice last weekend, defeating Michigan State in extra time before drawing with Michigan Sunday. Last year the Wildcats tied the Buckeyes in Evanston, but Haigh knows that the task to get any points will be hard Friday night in Columbus.
"I look at their roster and I think they have some of the most dangerous players in the conference," she said. "They are a better team than they were last year, but I think we are a better team, too. I am excited for this game, because it is always fun to play a night game under the lights -- it adds excitement and atmosphere, and I know our players are looking forward to it."
Some notes on the `Cats...
* NU trails in the series with Ohio State, 3-6-1. Last year the Wildcats gained their first tie with the Buckeyes, a 1-1 decision in Evanston.
* NU has never won in Columbus (0-5).
* NU trails in the series with Penn State, 2-9-0, including six straight losses to the Nittany Lions. The last win came in 1998. In fact, both times the Wildcats beat the Nittany Lions (1996, 1998) they made the NCAA Tournament.
* NU has never won in State College (0-4).
* NU leads the Big Ten in every scoring category (conference games only).
* With five conference matches still to play, NU has matched its best conference win total since (3) since 1998 (also done in 2001 and 2003).
* These will be the third and fourth matches NU plays this season against a ranked team; the `Cats are 1-1 this season against ranked teams (lost at Michigan, defeated Wisconsin at home).
* NU has won three Big Ten matches in a row for the first time since the 1998 team started the conference campaign with five straight wins.
* NU has scored 30 goals this season, tied for the fourth-best season in that category in the program's 11-year history; the Wildcats still have seven regular-season matches left.
* Of NU's 30 goals, 19 have come from freshmen or sophomores.
* In Big Ten play, NU has 15 goals which is tied for the second-best total in program history (also 1998); the school record is 21 goals scored in nine matches in 1997.
* NU's has a goal differential of +7 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 scored nine goals last weekend, its most productive weekend since the 1997 season (7-0 vs. Ohio State, 2-0 vs. Indiana).
* NU's six-goal game against Iowa was its best output against a Big Ten team since the aforementioned Ohio State game, and it also marked the first time in program history that six different players scored in a match for the Wildcats.
* NU has outscored opponents 30-15 this season, its best goal differential (+15) since 1998 (47-26, +21).
* Freshman Kelsey Hans has 10 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 tied for 10th on NU's career scoring list.
* Hans has 22 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 five 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 is tied with Penn State's Amanda Lentz for assists and assists per game in conference play (4).
* Schneeman needs one more assist in conference play to tie the school record set in 2002 by Aileen Guiney.
