Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Maryland
Wildcats Fall to Top-Ranked Maryland, 7-2
9/10/2006 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 10, 2006
College Park, Md. -- In keeping with the program's mantra, "To be the best, you have to play the best," head coach Kelly McCollum went straight to the top and took on defending national champs, Maryland. The Terps proved why they are the top-ranked field hockey team in the country, defeating Northwestern 7-2 Sunday afternoon at the Terrapin Invitational in College Park, Md.
"We battled the entire game," McCollum said. "I was proud of how our team fought to keep us in the match. We made it a point half way through the game not to be shut out. I have learned that our team is not going to give up not matter what. They fought for everything they got and kept digging deep."
The 'Cats (3-4) kept the defending national champions scoreless through the opening 15 minutes of the first half, but the Terps went on an unanswered 3-0 scoring stretch over the next six minutes to enter the break with a commanding advantage.
Sophomore goalkeeper Emily Kyle (San Francisco, Calif./San Francisco University H.S.) made three saves to open the second half before Maryland pushed a goal to the back of the cage to go up 4-0. Maryland added two more goals to inflate the lead to 6-0 midway through the second stanza.
Northwestern got on the scoreboard at the 58:14 mark when Alison Bullock (Boyds, Md./Stone Ridge) took an assist from Meghan Small (Bethlehem, Pa./Moravian Academy) and scooted it to the back of the cage.
Sophomore Annie Bosslet (Granite City, Ill./ Villa Duchesne (Mo.)) recorded the Wildcats' second score 63:42 into the match.
Bosslet and Bullock now lead the 'Cats with three goals on the season. Kyle's 17 saves was a career-high.
"Kyle has kept our team on task and in the game. Her saves kept our team fighting. She played great."
Northwestern is back in action on Friday, Sept. 15 when it hosts Stanford in a 1 p.m. match at the Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex.
