Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Set For Final Home Stand
10/19/2006 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 19, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill -- After three-consecutive road matches, Northwestern returns home this weekend to take on Penn State at 3 p.m. Friday and Iowa in a non-conference battle at 1 p.m. Sunday. These two home contests will be the last of the season for the Wildcats (7-8, 1-3), who will have one regular-season game remaining--against Michigan--before heading to Ann Arbor for the Big Ten Tournament.
"We are all excited for this weekend," Head Coach Kelly McCollum said. "We are ready to build upon the energetic performances we had in Ohio and take another step as a group. The atmosphere of Homecoming will add to the enthusiasm for our team and we intend to use that to get the job done against Penn State and Iowa."
Last Time Out...
Northwestern jumped on the board first and secured the victory with a goal late in the second half en route to a 2-1 win over Kent State Monday afternoon. Sophomore Annie Bosslet (Granite City, Ill./Villa Duchesne (Mo.)) and fellow classmate Jill Putnam (Greenfield, Mass./Greenfield) provided the 'Cats (7-8, 1-3) offensive power.
Bosslet's goal came off a corner with no time remaining in the first half. Junior Katie Charles (Worthington, Ohio/Thomas Worthington) assisted Bosslet on the score to put the 'Cats up 1-0 heading into halftime.
Kent State answered four minutes into the second half as Charlotte Muller found Elizabeth Lahey on a fast break to even the score.
With the end of the match approaching, Northwestern picked up the intensity and converted. Sophomore Alexandra Quinn (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) found Putnam who blasted the ball into the front right corner of the goal to give the Wildcats a 2-1 advantage. It was Putnam's fifth goal on the season.
Northwestern dominated in the circle, taking 11 penalty corners to Kent State's four. NU also took five more shots than the Golden Flashes.
Scouting the Nittany Lions
The eighth-ranked Nittany Lions come to Evanston with an 11-3 overall record and having won 11 out of it's last 12 contests. Penn State is 2-1 in conference play, boasting the Big Ten-leading defense, having allowed only 16 goals with a 1.13 goals against average. The Nittany Lions are led by this week's Big Ten Defensive Player of the week Jen Long, who assisted PSU's first goal in their victory over No. 5 North Carolina. On the other side of the ball, the Nittany Lions' offense has outscored opponents 41-16. PSU's only conference loss came in the form of a 4-3 loss at Ohio State
The Series with Penn State
Penn State leads the all-time series, 20-3-1. The Wildcats are looking for their first win against the Nittany Lions since 1997.
Scouting the Hawkeyes
The Hawkeyes enter Sunday's competition with a 7-7 overall record and a 2-3 conference mark. Iowa has defeated Michigan State (2-1) and Northwestern (3-1) and has lost to OSU (4-3), Michigan (2-1) and Indiana (2-1). Sophomore Caitlin McCurdy, who has tallied nine goals this season, leads the Hawkeye offense.
The Series with Iowa
Iowa leads the all-time series, 44-18-4 and has won the past six contests between the two teams.
'Cat Nips
• In conference matchups, Northwestern leads the Big Ten in both total saves (99) and saves per game (7.62).
• NU is second in the Big Ten in shots, averaging 16.62 shots per game.
• Sophomore Emily Kyle leads the Big Ten in total saves (90) and saves per game (7.50).
• Senior Christina Foley's 4.67 shots per game is currently second in the Big Ten.
• Sophomore Annie Bosslet has 12 points with five goals, tied for tops on the team.
• The 'Cats are happy to return to the friendly confines of the Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex, as they hold a commanding 5-1 record at home.
