Northwestern
Maine
'Cats Pounce on Maine, 4-3
9/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 3, 2006
Box Score
Evanston, Ill. -- Northwestern's stingy defense held Maine scoreless in the second half, propelling the 'Cats to a 4-3 victory at the Thomas Athletic Complex Sunday afternoon. Four different Wildcats contributed in the scoring column to provide a balanced offensive attack while the defense stepped up its intensity to pull out the win.
"I thought we did a good job shutting them down in the second half," head coach Kelly McCollum said. "We definitely used a team effort to create opportunities. We need to work on our command of the match from the start, but I feel we battled and that we are getting to a higher level of toughness."
Maine (3-2) got on the board first, scoring two goals in the first 12 minutes. But Northwestern did what has been preached to them all season: they responded. Junior Cassie Miller (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest) answered less than two minutes later with her first goal of the season, which registered in the bottom right of the cage.
The Black Bears took one of their four first-half penalty corners and converted it at the 22:31 mark. Joanna Fernandez took the assist from Katie Flaherty and lifted the ball above NU goalkeeper Emily Kyle's (San Francisco, Calif./San Francisco H.S.) head for what proved to be Maine's last goal of the match.
NU (3-1) converted on a corner of its own with four minutes left in the first half. Junior Katie Charles (Worthington, Ohio/Worthington) delivered the ball to Amanda Care (Newtown, Pa./Newtown) who assisted Christina Foley (Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth) for the goal. Foley's hit the shot in the lower right corner of the cage, pulling the 'Cats to within one goal before the half.
The Wildcat defense was the story in the second stanza, limiting Maine to just three shots in the scoreless half.
Sophomore Jill Putnam (Greenfield, Mass./Greenfield) opened the second half with a goal off a corner, tying the match at 3 apiece. It was Putnam's second goal this season.
Almost four minutes later, Annie Bosslet (Granite City, Ill./Villa Duchesne) gave the 'Cats the lead, picking up a deflected shot by Putnam. Boslett has now scored two times in as many games.
Northwestern out-shot Maine, 30-12 and recorded eight penalty corners to the Black Bears' five.
The Wildcats take the field next Thursday, as they battle Virginia in a 5 p.m. CT match in Charlottesville. It is part of a weekend out east, with games against American and Maryland on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
