Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Set to Square Off With Spartans
10/21/2005 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 21, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's field hockey team travels to East Lansing, Mich., this weekend to face 15th-ranked Michigan State at 2:30 Saturday, Oct. 22. Both teams look for their first conference win of the season.
Northwestern looks to rebound after a 6-1 loss to Michigan on Oct. 16. The Wildcats are 3-4 on the road this season, while Michigan State boasts a 3-1 home record in 2005.
While Northwestern has yet to win a conference match, the 'Cats have played admirably against some of the nation's toughest competition this season.
Eight of Northwestern's last 10 matches were with teams that have been nationally ranked this season. Northwestern beat now-No. 20 Virginia, and fell to three of those teams by just one goal.
Offensively, the Wildcats have been on the prowl as of late. Northwestern's offense stands at 17th-best in the country, averaging 2.74 goals per game.
One reason for the offensive showcase has been freshman forward Jill Putnam (Greenfield, Mass./Greenfield). Putnam has continued to find the back of cage this season for the Wildcats, and her 11 goals rank her No. 17 nationally in goals scored--first among freshmen. She ranks third in the conference in goals and goals per game, while ranking sixth in total points, with 24.
On the defensive side, junior goalkeeper Sherri-Anne Nyberg (Kelowna, British Columbia/Kelowna Secondary) ranks 15th in the country with 105 saves this season. Nyberg needs seven more saves to leap into 10 place on NU's single-season saves list.
Nyberg and the Wildcat defense will face a Michigan State squad that ranks last in the Big Ten in goals scored, scoring average and shots.
The Spartan offense is led by Michelle Hyunh-Ba who has 10 goals and one assist this season.
Following Michigan State, Northwestern bounces back into action against two top-flight ACC teams, when it travels to North Carolina to take on Wake Forest and Duke next weekend.
