Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Commences 2011 Campaign with Ohio Road Swing
8/25/2011 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
Aug. 25, 2011
Kookaburra/NFHCA Preseason Coaches Poll 
Northwestern (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) at Kent State (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Friday, Aug. 26
Murphy-Mellis Field
Kent, Ohio • 11 a.m. CT
Live Stats
Northwestern (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) at Miami (Ohio) (0-0, 0-0 MAC)
Sunday, Aug. 28
Miami Field Hockey Complex
Oxford, Ohio • 11 a.m. CT
FREE Live Stream: MURedHawks.com
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Led by returning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Chelsea Armstrong, Northwestern begins the 2011 campaign this weekend with games against two teams that last year tied for the Mid-American Conference regular-season championship. NU opens against Kent State at 11 a.m. CT Friday looking for a win in its season-opener for the second time in three years under head coach Tracey Fuchs.
On Sunday, the Wildcats make the trek to Oxford to meet up with the RedHawks of Miami (Ohio). The game will be available to watch live online with a free stream on MURedHawks.com All-Access (linked above).
Taking a Poll
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) announced the release of the preseason Kookaburra Division I Coaches Poll on Tuesday, one that reflected favorably on the Wildcats. NU received 84 votes in the poll, second-most among teams outside the top-20. Northwestern is scheduled to face nine teams that begin the year ranked in the top-20, including four conference opponents as well as top-ranked and defending NCAA champion Maryland (Sept. 10).
The complete preseason coaches poll is linked in PDF format at the top of the page.
On the Sideline
Northwestern head coach Tracey Fuchs enters her third season at the helm in Evanston with a 23-17 record since coming to NU prior to the 2009 campaign. This year, however, Fuchs is joined on the sideline by two new assistants in Ali Johnstone and Zoe Almquist. A nine-year competitor of the Canadian national team, Johnstone is no stranger to this weekend's MAC opponents after spending the last two years coaching her alma mater, Ohio University.
Northwestern fans are familiar with Almquist, who quickly made the transition from NU player to coach after graduating last June. Almquist was a staple in Northwestern's defensive backfield, playing and starting in the last 60 games of her Wildcat career (2008-10), while also chipping in 10 goals over her final two seasons.
Trio of Wildcats Named Big Ten Players to Watch
Just days before the start of the 2011 field hockey season, the Big Ten announced its inaugural preseason Big Ten Players to Watch list. The group of 21 student-athletes includes three Wildcats: junior Chelsea Armstrong, sophomore Nikki Parsley and redshirt freshman Kelsey Thompson. In 2010, Armstrong and Parsley combined to account for more than half (32) of Northwestern's 62 goals scored and will once again be asked to carry the offensive load. Thompson, meanwhile, redshirted her freshman season in 2010 but shined while competing for the U.S. Midwest Junior High Performance team during the offseason.
Armstrong Closes In on Wildcat Records
Junior Chelsea Armstrong's assault on the Northwestern field hockey record book resumes this weekend, with the Australian native closing in on longstanding career marks for points and goals. Armstrong, whose goal-scoring totals in 2009 and 2010 rank third and second, respectively, on NU's single-season list, has 46 career tallies, just 13 shy of Nancy Fisher's (1979-82) total. She also is 23 points away from matching Sannie Van Dijck's (1985-88) program-best 139, while also ranking eighth in career assists with 24.
Fourth-Year Foursome
Tracey Fuchs may be leading a relatively young squad, but NU does feature a quartet of seniors who played a key role in Northwestern's turnaround as a program and back-to-back winning seasons. Defender Jaimie Orrico and forwards Regan Mooney and Claire Thompson each will be leading the team on the turf this year while three-year starter Kaylee Pohlmeyer takes on a different role due to a knee injury suffered last spring.
Additional veteran experience will come in the form of defender Megan Jamieson, who returns to the team as a fifth-year senior. Jamieson played in all 20 games last season with six starts, contributing to a defense that limited opponents to 2.15 goals per game.
Scouting the Golden Flashes
Kent State -- which last year won the conference crown by winning the postseason tournament -- was selected by the conference coaches as the favorite to once again emerge as champs in 2011. After losing two-time MAC Player of the Year Rachel Miller to graduation, the Golden Flashes will be relying on senior Debbie Bell, who enters the year ranked third all-time in MAC history with 76 goals. Last season, Northwestern came out on the short end of a 2-1 overtime decision against Kent State, who pulled out the win despite 10 saves in goal by Amanda Wirth and the first career goal by NU's Maria Kovalchuk.
Scouting the RedHawks
Miami (Ohio) was picked to finish in second place right behind Kent State in the preseason coaches poll after a 14-7 finish and that shared regular-season conference title in 2010. The RedHawks, however, are in the process of adjusting to new head coach Inako Puzo, formerly an associate head coach at perennial power Virginia. Puzo will be looking to sophomore Emily Gruesser to provide much of the scoring attack after Gruesser notched 11 goals in her freshman campaign. As they did against Kent State, Northwestern had a tough battle against Miami in 2010 but emerged victorious thanks to a Zoe Almquist penalty corner goal with less than two minutes remaining.
Looking Ahead
Unlike in 2010 when the 'Cats were forced to wait until Sept. 17 to make their home debut, Northwestern will play its first game at Lakeside Field next weekend, Friday, Sept. 2, with a 2 p.m. tilt against VCU. Northwestern will then square off with Albany for the first time in program history at 1 p.m. Sunday. All games at Lakeside Field offer free parking and admission.
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