Northwestern University Athletics
'Cats Close Regular Season With Halloween In Madison
10/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 30, 2008
Northwestern Women's Soccer Game Notes 
EVANSTON, Ill. -- With a berth in the Big Ten Tournament still at stake, the Wildcats will close the regular season with a crucial road contest Friday at Wisconsin. NU currently sits in a tie for fifth place in the Big Ten standings and can end the campaign in a tie for fourth. However, with Iowa guaranteed a spot in the tournament field by virtue of hosting, NU, Wisconsin, Illinois and Ohio State are still battling for three spots entering the final game. All four teams will be in action and a Northwestern win or tie assures the 'Cats a spot in the postseason.
On The Web
Live stats will be available for Friday's contest at UWbadgers.com.
Scouting Wisconsin
Wisconsin enters Friday's contest three points behind the Wildcats in the Big Ten standings and still in the hunt for a berth in the Big Ten Tournament. The Badgers won three-straight over Indiana, Michigan and Michigan State before dropping their last two contests at Iowa and Minnesota. Laurie Nosbusch paces the team with 20 points and Taylor Walsh leads the Badgers in goals with eight. Jamie Klages has five shutouts and a 1.32 GAA between the pipes.
Series Information
Wisconsin leads the all-time series 12-4-0. The Wildcats took the last meeting between the two teams by a 3-0 score at Lakeside Field in 2007.
Last Time Out
Northwestern took on a pair of Big Ten foes on the road beginning with a Friday night contest at Iowa. Alicia Herczeg scored in the first half to help NU enter halftime in a 1-1 tie with the Hawkeyes. That remained the score until the 86th minute when NU's Sam Greene took a pass from Laura Janowitsch and deposited it to give the Wildcats the lead. Iowa tied the score just minutes later, however, to send the game to overtime, where senior Amanda Hoffman hit the back of the net with a header to give NU a crucial 3-2 victory. Sunday at No. 25 Minnesota, NU and the Golden Gophers played a scoreless first half before Minnesota tallied two second-half goals to earn a 2-0 win.
Senior Getting The Job Dunn
Senior Jenny Dunn's assist on Amanda Hoffman's game-winning goal against Iowa was her sixth assist of the season and 16th of her career, putting her alone in third place on the all-time list. With 50 points for her career, she sits one point behind Shannon Schneeman and Brooke Bell for fourth all-time. She is the `Cats' active leader in goals with 17, including four this season.
Hoff The Hero
Senior Amanda Hoffman continued her stellar senior season with a double-overtime game-winning goal Friday in NU's 3-2 win over Iowa. She entered the season with zero goals and only one assist through three seasons on the Wildcats. She has turned into a major offensive contributor in her senior season and leads the Wildcats in goals with six. Hoffman, who has started all 18 games, led the Wildcats back from a 2-0 deficit with a three-goal hat trick against DePaul. The hat trick marked the first for the `Cats since 2004. Hoffman has been economical with her opportunities as well, recording five goals on eight shots on goal.
Greene Is The Color Of Assists
With two assists against Iowa last Friday, sophomore forward Sam Greene leads the Wildcats in the category with seven on the season. Greene's 13 points are good for second on the team and she has three goals to go with her helpers. Greene's young career is already off to a fast start as the California native has six goals, 11 assists and 23 points through nearly two seasons.
Senior Day Done Right
A very successful senior class was honored before NU's contest against Michigan. Laura Janowitsch, Jeanette Lorme, Amanda Hoffman and Jenny Dunn were all honored in a pregame ceremony. Once the game started, it was a pair of seniors that provided the fireworks. Lorme made a spectacular effort to get to the end line and served a perfect cross to the foot of Dunn, who put home what turned out to be the game-winner in a 1-0 win. They all played their last regular season game at Lakeside Field.
Kay's Jewels Come At Right Time
Kay Sampson's game-winning goal in the 87th minute in NU's 2-1 win over Indiana was the second of her career. Sampson's other goal was equally as dramatic--a game-tying goal--as time expired in regulation against Colgate in 2007. The goal tied the score at 1-1 and after two overtime periods, the game ended in a tie. Sampson used all of her 5-9 frame to get above the defense and head the ball into the net to give NU the win over Indiana.
Distributing the Wealth
With Kay Sampson's goal against Indiana, nine different Wildcats have scored goals and 13 `Cats have notched points on 24 total goals. 11 Wildcats have at least one assist on the season out of 29 total helpers. Senior Jenny Dunn leads the way with 14 points (4g, 6a). Sam Greene (2g, 6a) is right behind with 13 points (3g, 7a) while Amanda Hoffman sits with 12 (6g, 0a). Alicia Herczeg has nine (3g, 3a) while Laura Janowitsch (2g, 3a) has seven.
Second-Half Firepower
Sixteen of NU's 24 goals have been scored after halftime. In the season-opener against Nebraska, the Wildcats put up four goals in route to a 4-3 win at Lakeside Field while all three of NU's goals in a 3-2 overtime win over Pepperdine came after the break. NU registered one second-half goal against Loyola and Amanda Hoffman's hat trick against DePaul featured three second-half goals. Kay Sampson's game-winning goal against Indiana came late in the second half and NU defeated Michigan, 1-0, on a second-half tally. NU scored a second-half goal and a double-overtime goal against Iowa en route to a 3-2 (2OT) win.
