Northwestern University Athletics
Fuchs, Northwestern Set for Challenging 2011 Campaign
7/14/2011 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
July 14, 2011
2011 NU Field Hockey Schedule
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Coming off back-to-back winning seasons, Northwestern has released a formidable schedule for the 2011 field hockey season, its third under head coach Tracey Fuchs. Fuchs, who is 23-17 through two years at the helm in Evanston, returns her two top scorers to a team that last season posted its highest Big Ten win total in over a decade.
"I've been impressed with the work that our players have put in during the offseason, which is what gives you a chance to succeed during the season," Fuchs said. "Playing in the Big Ten you're always going to have a nationally competitive schedule, but many of our early nonconference games are going to be great preparation for our league season."
Northwestern begins the year on the road against Mid-American Conference foes Kent State and Miami (Ohio) before opening its home slate vs. Virginia Commonwealth on Friday, Sept. 2.
A second road trip brings NU to the East coast where it will face defending NCAA champion Maryland on Sept. 10 and a second quality program in American University.
Awaiting Northwestern at Lakeside Field on Sept. 16 will be California followed by perennial powerhouse Virginia on Sunday, Sept. 18. A year ago, Northwestern traveled to Charlottesville and played the highly ranked Cavs straight up for the majority of the game, allowing just two goals in a span of less than a minute to decide the outcome.
Big Ten play gets underway on the road at Indiana, against whom Northwestern has split its last four meetings. After another set of nonconference tilts with New Hampshire and Saint Louis, NU revs up the action with road games against Big Ten foes Michigan State and Penn State.
After that, the Wildcats settle in for six-straight home games to end the regular season, beginning with defending Big Ten Tournament champion Michigan on Friday, Oct. 7. NU's final conference outings come against Iowa on Oct. 22 and Ohio State -- who the Wildcats knocked off last year when the Buckeyes owned a No. 6 national ranking - before Louisville comes to Evanston in the regular-season finale.
After serving as hosts for the Big Ten Tournament in 2010, Northwestern will venture to Penn State for the annual event Nov. 3-6.
All home Northwestern field hockey games offer free admission and parking for all fans.
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook! and subscribe to the NU Sports Express e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!
