Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats, Wolverines Battle at Michigan Sunday
10/1/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 1, 2009
Women's Soccer Weekly Release (10/1)
Weekly Wildcat Word (10/1)
Setting Up The Weekend
Northwestern plays the first of three consecutive Big Ten Conference road contests Sunday when the 'Cats travel to Michigan for a 2:30 p.m. CT match. The Wolverines currently possess a four-game home winning streak at U-M Soccer Field.
Catching the 'Cats
Fans can follow Sunday's match with Game Tracker, a free service at NUSports.com.
Scouting the Wolverines
Michigan features a balanced scoring attack, with eight players having scored a goal on the season. The Wolverines are led in scoring by Jackie Carron's 10 points (two goals, six assists), while freshman Holly Hein's three goals lead the squad in that category. Michigan ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 15 goals scored, but the Wolverines enter the weekend ranked 11th in the conference in shots, corner kicks, goals against average and shutouts. U-M has split time in goal between two keepers, with redshirt freshman Haley Kopmeyer making six starts and sophomore Kristen Keane five. Kopmeyer leads the Wolverines with a 1.45 GAA.
Series Information
Michigan owns a 10-4-3 advantage in the all-time series although Northwestern is unbeaten in the last three meetings, including a 1-0 victory in Evanston last season. Jenny Dunn made her senior day one to remember as her goal in the 56th minute was the game's lone tally. NU's only win in Ann Arbor came in 1995 when, like today, the Wolverines were playing their Big Ten home opener.
Last Time Out
NU opened Big Ten play last weekend by hosting its third and fourth consecutive nationally-ranked opponents. Friday the 'Cats battled the rain to hand then-No. 19 Indiana a 1-0 loss as cameras from the Big Ten Network's "Friday Night Tailgate" show were on hand to capture the festivities at Lakeside Field. Senior Alicia Herczeg recorded the goal - her team-leading fourth of the season - in the 81st minute on a header from the left side of the penalty box. Briana Westlund served an indirect kick into the goal area that Jennifer Baumann crossed to Emily Langston, who headed the ball over to Herczeg and picked up the assist. Carolyn Edwards had one of her best performances of the season, making several difficult and clutch saves to earn her fourth clean sheet. On Sunday Northwestern was unable to sweep the weekend, falling 2-0 to then-No. 15 Purdue.
Learning From the Past
Last Friday's win over Indiana gave Northwestern its first victory in a Big Ten opener since 2006, Stephanie Erickson's first season as head coach in Evanston. Now the 'Cats will try for another feat they haven't done in three years - winning their first conference road game. NU posted a 1-0 win at Minnesota in `06 to start things right on the road.
