Northwestern University Athletics
Season Recap: NU Reaches Best Three-Year Conference Mark
12/7/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Dec. 7, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Despite facing one of the most daunting schedules in program history, Northwestern women's soccer battled to four Big Ten wins in 2009, marking the first time ever the Wildcats have won at least four conference games in three consecutive seasons.
Head Coach Stephanie Erickson led NU against a slate that featured ten opponents who were either nationally-ranked or receiving votes at least once during the year - eight of which would go on to participate in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
Over the course of the season, senior Alicia Herczeg became the Wildcats' go-to goal scorer, leading the team both in goals (six) and points (12), while sophomore transfer Caroline Dagley had a team-best three assists.
Junior goalkeeper Carolyn Edwards posted one of the best individual seasons in school history at her position. Edwards recorded a 1.07 Goals Against Average in Big Ten games, among the best conference marks ever by a NU keeper, while her six shutouts tied for the fourth-best single season total in Northwestern history. Edwards finishes 2009 ranked fourth on NU's all-time lists for career saves, shutouts and minutes played.
Briana Westlund earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team after playing every minute of the season at center back - believed to be a program first by a true freshman. Westlund was one of six newcomers that played significant roles for the Wildcats.
NU opened the 2009 campaign at Lakeside Field by hosting Milwaukee. Edwards posted her first shutout of the season in the 0-0, double-overtime draw.
After a rough road trip that included losses to DePaul, then-11th-ranked Missouri and Saint Louis, NU returned home to open the month of September with another overtime affair. Senior Kay Sampson scored the 'Cats' first goal of the season in the 96th minute, lifting Northwestern to a 1-0 victory over Loyola (Chicago).
The momentum of that goal carried the Wildcats on their next road trip, where NU battled brutal weather conditions in Philadelphia and beat Penn, 2-1. Freshman Kendall Thoreson then earned the team a three-game winning streak by scoring the first goal of her collegiate career in a 1-0 win at Yale.
With its record back at the .500 mark, Northwestern returned home to open a stretch of four consecutive matches against ranked opponents. After losses to BYU and Notre Dame, the 'Cats handed then-19th-ranked Indiana its first loss of the season, 1-0. Herczeg provided the game-winning goal with a header in the 81st minute.
After a loss to Purdue, NU spotted Michigan a two-goal lead on the road before storming back to earn a draw. Sam Greene and Jessica Palo each scored within a span of five minutes, evening the match at 2-2 in the 55th minute before the teams battled for an additional 55 minutes of scoreless action.
Following a road loss to Penn State, the Wildcats suffered the first of what would be three heartbreaking late season, last minute losses at Ohio State on Oct. 11. The 'Cats defense held Ohio State to just four shots on goal, but NU was done in by a header off a corner with just seconds remaining in regulation and fell, 1-0.
Its season at a crossroads, Northwestern responded by reeling off back-to-back conference wins. NU defeated Michigan State, 1-0, behind a penalty kick goal from Herczeg before coming away with a 2-1, overtime victory at Iowa. In front of her home-state crowd, senior Jessica Palo scored an unassisted goal 1:25 into overtime to give the Wildcats their second winning streak of the season.
However, more heartbreak awaited as the 'Cats dropped an overtime battle at Minnesota before giving up a 90th-minute goal in a loss to Wisconsin.
Northwestern ended the season on a positive note by beating in-state rival Illinois, 1-0. Caroline Dagley scored the first goal of her NU career in the 47th minute and Carolyn Edwards made it stand with a career-best 11 saves in the match.
NU graduates a four-member senior class that provided Erickson with strong leadership both on and off the field. However, the Wildcats will return a strong nucleus that should make the 2010 season an exciting one to watch in Evanston.
