Northwestern University Athletics
2007 Season Recap: Hat Tricks Pace Early Season Victories
11/28/2007 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 28, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill.-- Northwestern started the season fast for the second-straight year, earning a 3-1 record over the first four games, with a pair of hat tricks to boot.
In the season opener, junior Alex Quinn (Watertown, Mass./Watertown) scored the first of her three goals in the game less than three minutes into the contest to bury Central Michigan, 4-2, at Lakeside Field.
Quinn kept her momentum going in the second game with a goal and an assist on the game-winning overtime goal against Northeastern. Just 23 seconds into the extra frame, Quinn dashed down the right side of the field and threaded a pass to Amanda Care (Newtown, Pa./Pennsbury), who put the shot past the Huskies' goalkeeper.
In the fourth game of the year, Alison Bullock (Boyds, Md./Stone Ridge) matched Quinn's previous hat trick with one of her own against Ball State in a 5-2 victory, which was the Wildcats' third win of the season. With the 'Cats up 2-1 in the second period, Bullock erupted for three goals in the half. Her first came one minute into the half, then her second and third within five minutes of each other to give the Wildcats yet another victory.
Following the nonconference slate, NU opened up the Big Ten portion of the schedule with a record of 3-4. The Wildcats then dropped games against Big Ten foes Michigan State, Penn State and Iowa, before they took a break from the conference.
During the conference break, the 'Cats came away with a win in three games against Stanford, lost a 4-3 heartbreaker to Providence in overtime and dropped a one-goal decision at California.
NU closed the season with a treacherous conference schedule, losing a tight 2-1 decision to Indiana before being eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament.
Senior Amanda Care (Newtown, Pa./Pennsbury) had one of the best seasons in the Big Ten, playing the majority of minutes at defensive sweeper. For her efforts, Care was named first-team all-Big Ten, Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Region second-team and to the all-Big Ten Tournament team. On the season, Care made three defensive saves, which led the Big Ten. The selection gave the 'Cats their first first-team All-Big Ten performer since Jessica Yates in 2000.
Junior goalkeeper Emily Kyle (San Francisco, Calif./San Francisco University H.S.) continued her rapid ascent to the top of the Wildcat record books, moving up to fifth place on the all-time saves list with 256 in her career. Kyle led the Big Ten in saves and saves per game. On the season, she made 93 saves. She recorded a season-high 12 saves against Maryland and made at least seven saves in 11 contests.
Quinn topped off the season as the team's leader in points with 17 and shared the title for most goals (six) with Alison Bullock. Quinn also finished as the leader in shots, shots on goal and assists (five) and was named to the second-team All-Big Ten.
Quinn's counterpart, Bullock, scored her six goals on a hat trick and then one apiece against Kent State, Providence and Stanford.
Sophomore Courtney Plaster-Strange (Hodgenville, Ky./Kentucky Country Day) emerged as the Wildcats' biggest scoring threat late in the season, scoring all five of her goals in the last eight games of the year. Plaster-Strange also recorded two assists.
Juniors Jill Putnam (Greenfield, Mass./Greenfield) and Annie Bosslet (Granite City, Ill./Villa Duchesne (Mo.)) proved to be the spark plugs for the 'Cats, combining for three goals and three assists.
