Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Set to Begin Big Ten Tournament
11/3/2005 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 3, 2005
Northwestern Postseason Notes
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2005 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament BracketDownload Free Acrobat Reader
IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Northwestern travels to Iowa City, Iowa, this weekend for the Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament. The seventh-seeded Wildcats kick off the tournament at 10 a.m., Friday, Nov. 4, against the second-seeded Indiana Hoosiers.
Northwestern enters the tournament following matches against the nation's two top teams last weekend.
The Wildcats first visited Durham, N.C. to square off against No. 2 Duke, then faced defending national champion Wake Forest the next day. While the 'Cats dropped both matches, Northwestern takes the experience of playing the most talented players in the country with them into conference tournament play.
The Wildcats fell to the Hoosiers 3-1 in their only meeting of the season. In the match, Indiana scored two-first half goals and jumped ahead of the Wildcats, 2-0.
Right before halftime, Northwestern junior Christina Foley (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) sent one to the net following a penalty corner, bringing the 'Cats to within one heading into halftime.
The Wildcats buckled down in the second-half, allowing Indiana only four second-half shots. Unfortunately, one of those shots counted for a score, and the Hoosiers walked away with the 3-1 win.
Indiana enjoyed a 14-11 shot advantage in the match, while the Wildcats held an 8-5 penalty corner advantage.
Northwestern enters the tournament with a balanced scoring attack. The Wildcats boast four players who have tallied double-digit point totals this season, including three who have notched more than 20 points each.
Freshman forward Jill Putnam (Greenfield, Mass./Greenfield) leads the charge for the Wildcat offense, scoring 11 goals and two assists in her first collegiate season.
Right behind her is junior Meghan Small (Bethlehem, Pa./Moravian Academy). Small has scored eight goals on a team-high 51 shots and recorded four assists this season.
Senior Ellen Schlafly (St. Louis, Mo./MICDS) has 20 points this season, with eight goals and four assists.
Northwestern is 8-1 all-time against Indiana, but has never met Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament.
