Northwestern University Athletics
Tough Weekend Road Swing Awaits No. 15 Northwestern
9/22/2011 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 22, 2011
Northwestern (7-2, 0-0 Big Ten) at No. 18 Indiana (6-2, 0-0 Big Ten)
Friday, Sept. 23
IU Field Hockey Complex
Bloomington, Ind. • 2 p.m. CT •
Northwestern (7-2, 0-0) vs. No. 18 New Hampshire (8-0, 0-0 CAA)
Sunday, Sept. 24
Trager Stadium
Evanston, Ill. • 1 p.m. CT •
Northwestern (7-2, 0-0) vs. Saint Louis (1-6, 0-0 A10)
Tuesday, Sept. 27
Lakeside Field
Evanston, Ill. • 3 p.m. CT • • Wildcats All-Access
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Following an impressive weekend homestand, complete with two wins against a pair of top-20 opponents, No. 15 Northwestern finds itself charged with that same tall task yet again, this time away from the friendly confines of Lakeside Field. The Wildcats open up Big Ten play at No. 18 Indiana at 2 p.m. Friday, followed by a neutral-site showdown with No. 7 New Hampshire at 1 p.m. Saturday in Louisville, Ky.
After the tough road test, Northwestern returns to Evanston to face their second Atlantic 10 opponent this year when Saint Louis visits Lakeside Field at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Armstrong Watch: Blowing By Records
Junior Chelsea Armstrong had an exceptional weekend in the two victories over No. 11 California and No. 18 Virginia. With 11 total points in the two games, Armstrong tied Nancy Fisher's record for career goals with 59 and smashed the school record for career points. The previous NU record was 139 career points, set by Sannie Van Djick 23 years ago, and with a full season and a half left to play, Armstrong currently sits at 145.
Cats Earn Highest Ranking in 15 Years
Northwestern vaulted from the depths of the unranked this week (though it has been receiving notes all season), entering the next three games ranked 15th in the most recent Kookaburra/NFHCA Coaches' Poll, the highest ranking for a Wildcat squad in over a decade. The last time NU was among the nation's top-25 was in 2009 when the 'Cats were ranked 17th in the country. Prior to that, 1996 was the last time a Northwestern squad was seen in the top-15.
Mooney-shine
Senior Regan Mooney has been a definitive senior leader for the 2011 Wildcat squad, especially in the offensive attack. Mooney ranks first in the Big Ten with nine assists through nine games and stands fourth in the conference for points scored. The senior is tied with sophomore Nikki Parsley for second on the team with four goals.
Scouting the Hoosiers
No. 18 Indiana (6-2, 0-0) welcomes the Wildcats to Bloomington, having won two games in a row, knocking off UC Davis, 4-1, and Ohio, 3-2, both away from home. A trio of upperclassmen in Morgan Fleetwood, Brenna Moeljadi and Katie Griswold lead the Hoosiers on offense, combining for 38 total points. Redshirt freshman Maggie Olsen and senior Vicki Green split time for IU in the cage, but Olsen owns a .786 save percentage and an unblemished 5-0 record.
The Wildcats lead the all-time series against the Hoosiers, 10-5, most recently taking the last meeting, 4-2, at Lakeside Field.
Scouting the (Other) Wildcats
Ranked seventh in the country, New Hampshire proves to be a formidable opponent for Northwestern, especially at a neutral site in Louisville, Ky. NHU enters the weekend with an 8-0 record, one of only two squads in the country to remain undefeated (No. 1 Old Dominion being the only other team).
A pair of experienced seniors in Hayley Rausch and Whitney Frates lead the Wildcats of New Hampshire, who, as a team, have outscored their opponents by a remarkable 35-6 margin. Rausch leads the team with 29 points (13g, 3a) and Frates is close behind with 21 points (8g, 5a). UNH also is experienced in the cage as senior Katherine Nagengast has tallied 36 saves to only six goals allowed. With the first meeting coming in 1983, Northwestern is 3-6 all-time against New Hampshire, but 2-2 against the blue-studded 'Cats on a neutral pitch.
Scouting the Billikens
Saint Louis (1-6, 0-0) is currently on a four-game losing streak, but they have not gone down without a fight. The Billikens are led by senior Nicole Kent and junior Lexie Linblad on offense, while Megan Ambrose stands firm in the cage with 55 saves on the season.
Following a 10-0 victory over SLU last season, NU is now 11-1-1 against the Billikens in a series that dates back to the Wildcats' first varsity season of 1980.
Up Next
Following the three-game stretch, the Wildcats resume Big Ten play with a final road trip to Michigan State on Sept. 29 and Penn State on Oct. 1. After the road swing, Northwestern will remain home for the next six matches, finalizing their Big Ten schedule -- beginning with Michigan on Oct. 7 -- while also taking on a slew of non-conference foes.
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