Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Announce 2005 Spring Schedule
3/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
March 31, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. - Ask Northwestern women's soccer coach Jenny Haigh what she expects for her team this spring, and she puts the lofty goal right out there.
"This spring, we are trying to build a foundation to win the Big Ten Championship in the fall," she said. "We have a lot of starters returning but also a very small roster. We know that every single person in our program will get a lot of experience this spring, and that will be an exciting part of our development."
With that in mind, the Wildcats have embarked on an ambitious spring schedule that will see them facing a number of outstanding regional opponents, including two from the Big Ten.
The spring slate starts Saturday, April 9, when the `Cats head north to take on Marquette. One week later, NU hits the road to meet Big Ten foe Michigan -- a team that advanced to the NCAA's last year and finished third in the conference. The next weekend, on April 23, the Wildcats will play DePaul in a 1 p.m. game on the fieldturf at Lake Shore and Montrose in Chicago.
In May, the Wildcats conclude intercollegiate play by traveling to Madison for a meeting with the team they tied for fifth place in the Big Ten last fall, Wisconsin. The Badgers, like Michigan, earned a berth in the NCAA Championships last year, advancing to the second round before being bounced 1-0 by eventual national champion Notre Dame.
The Wildcats also will host the annual Alumni Game at the Thomas Athletic Complex on Sunday, May 8.
Haigh is excited about the prospects heading into next season; she returns eight starters from a year ago, including three underclassmen who were second-team All-Big Ten (Kelsey Hans, Whitney Jones, Shannon Schneeman) and another woman (Kelly Sitkowski) who was on the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team.
"We have a very committed team -- one that really wants to be here each day and embraces the work that it takes to prepare to compete for a championship," she said. "I am really happy with this group, and we feel like we have a group that is working together on the same page, ready to take this program to a new level."
The Wildcats' spring schedule is listed below.
Saturday, April 9 -- at Marquette, Noon
Saturday, April 16 -- at Michigan, Noon (11 a.m. Central)
Saturday, April 23 -- vs. DePaul, 1 p.m. (Lake Shore and Montrose in Chicago)
Sunday, May 1 -- at Wisconsin, Noon
Sunday, May 8 -- Alumni Game, Time TBA
