Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan State
Wildcats Can't Come Back on Michigan State, 3-2
9/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 19, 2004
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EAST LANSING, Mich. - On Friday, Northwestern started slow against Michigan and it cost them dearly in a 3-2 loss to the 25th-ranked Wolverines.
On Sunday, the Wildcats ignored their history -- and thus they were doomed to repeat it. Right down to the same final score, 3-2.
Another slow start came back to bite NU, and this time the nip came from Michigan State. Despite outshooting the Spartans on the day 17-8, the Wildcats were forced to play catchup most of the way and it proved too tall a mountain in the end.
Against Michigan, the deficit was two goals. Against Michigan State Sunday, it was three.
"We did not play well, we had another disappointing start," said NU head coach Jenny Haigh. "We decided to start competing, but it came way too late."
Michigan State (7-2-0, 1-1-0 Big Ten) got on the board in the 20th minute when Erin Konheim finished a combination piece, with assists going to Emma Harris and Adrienne Treado. Less than nine minutes later, it was 2-0 when Jenee Witherspoon finished a feed from Maureen Pawlak.
More than 40 minutes would go by before another goal was scored, and again it was the Spartans who found the net as Pawlak and Witherspoon switched roles.
Northwestern (4-4-0, 0-2-0) finally got going with less than 10 minutes remaining when freshman Kelsey Hans -- making her first collegiate start after seven matches as a supersub -- converted a corner kick from classmate Kelly Sitkowski. Less than four minutes later, Hans again scored, this time with no assist.
The goals were Hans' seventh and eighth of the season; that ties her for the program record for goals scored in an entire season by a freshman (Sunday's game was not even the halfway point of the 2004 campaign). She now shares the record with Christie Molitor, who scored eight as a frosh in 1996.
The school record for goals in a season is 14, also set in 1996 by current Wildcat assistant Stephanie Erickson. In no other season since the program was founded in 1994 has the leading scorer had more than seven goals.
Northwestern is home for its next four matches, including three in the Big Ten. The homestand starts Friday with No. 16 Wisconsin at 4 p.m.
MATCH SUMMARY
Score by Half
Northwestern (4-4-0, 0-2-0) 0 2 - 2
Michigan State (7-2-0, 1-1-0) 2 1 - 3
Goal Summary
MSU - Erin Konheim (Emma Harris, Adrienne Treado), 19:31
MSU - Jenee Witherspoon (Maureen Pawlak), 28:03
MSU - Pawlak (Witherspoon), 72:40
NU - Kelsey Hans (Kelly Sitkowski), 80:35
NU - Hans (unassisted), 84:11
Shots: NU 17, Michigan State 8
Corner Kicks: NU 7, Michigan State 5
Fouls: NU 13, Michigan State 12
GK Saves: NU - Whitney Jones 1; MSU - Erin Carlson 7
