Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Welcome No. 11 PSU, OSU to Lakeside Field
9/19/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 19, 2012
Northwestern (4-3-2, 0-1-0 B1G) vs. No. 11 Penn State (6-2-0, 1-0-0 B1G)
Friday, Sept. 21 • 7 p.m. • Lakeside Field
Live Video: Wildcats All-Access
Live Stats: Gametracker
In-Game Tweets: @NU_SportsLIVE
Northwestern (4-3-2, 0-1-0 B1G) vs. Ohio State (RV) (6-2-0, 1-0-0 B1G)
Sunday, Sept. 23 • Noon • Lakeside Field
Live Video: Wildcats All-Access
Live Stats: Gametracker
In-Game Tweets: @NU_SportsLIVE
Ticket Prices: $7 Adults • $4 Youth/Seniors • $3 Groups of 15 or more (Tickets to NU women's game vs. Ohio State on Sunday are also good for the men's match vs. Michigan at 3 p.m.!)
Northwestern Women's Soccer Season Stats 
The Weekend
Northwestern continues Big Ten action at home, hosting two tough opponents at Lakeside Field. The weekend begins against the defending Big Ten regular-season champions, and 11th-ranked Penn State at 7 p.m. Friday and continues Sunday at noon against Ohio State, who is receiving votes in the latest NSCAA poll.
Last Chances to Catch Your 'Cats
After this weekend, the Wildcats are home for only two more matches the rest of the regular season. NU stayed comfortable in Evanston for late August and all of September, playing seven of eight matches at Lakeside Field, including Friday and Sunday's games. After this weekend, NU hosts Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 6 and concludes the regular-season home schedule with Senior Day vs. Iowa on Sunday, Oct. 21.
Double-Header Day
It's another double-header weekend at Lakeside Field as the Northwestern men's soccer team plays after the women's game vs. Ohio State. The women kick off at noon, while the men open the Big Ten season against Michigan at 3 p.m. One ticket is good for both matches.
Allen Leading the Way
NU's leading goal scorer the last two seasons, forward Kate Allen, is doing much of the same in 2012 as her five goals currently pace the Wildcats. She is on target to surpass her six goals scored during her freshman campaign, which was a career-best for the junior from Whitehouse, Ohio. Allen currently has 16 career goals and needs one more to rank ninth all-time on NU's career goals list (Jenny Dunn and Alicia Herczeg are currently tied for ninth with 17 career goals). Allen is also amongst the top goal-scorers in the Big Ten as she currently ranks sixth with five goals in nine matches and is seventh in goals-per-game average at 0.56.
Cassell Back in Net
Sophomore Anna Cassell was back in net for the Wildcats last weekend for the first time since Aug. 26. NU's starting goalkeeper left the Dayton match with an injury and missed four matches before returning against Nebraska. Cassell is 2-1-1 on the year and ranks second in the Big Ten with 4.20 saves per game. In five matches, she has made 21 stops.
Last Time Out
Northwestern began Big Ten competition and concluded its nonconference schedule last weekend. The Wildcats opened up the conference slate at home, hosting Nebraska, and fell 2-0 to the Huskers, but bounced back with a comeback 1-1 tie against Oakland Sunday in double-overtime to post a 4-2-2 record in nonconference matches.
The Grizzlies jumped out to a 1-0 lead, less than a minute after the start of the second half. Kate Allen tied things up for the Wildcats though, scoring in the 53rd minute after she capitalized on an Oakland turnover deep in the Grizzlies' territory. NU had seven shots in the second half to finish with 13 for the match, but both teams were unable to score, resulting in a 1-1 tie. Allen led Northwestern with four shots while sophomore midfielder Niki Sebo had three.
Scouting Penn State
Penn State is out to a 6-2-0 start and opened the Big Ten season with a 2-1 victory over No. 13 Wisconsin. Raquel Rodriguez is this week's Big Ten Freshman of the Week after scoring one of two goals against the Badgers. Senior Christine Nairn currently leads the Nittany Lions in points (18), goals (seven) and assists (four), while freshman Mallory Weber is second on the team with five goals. Senior Erin McNulty has started all eight matches in net for PSU and has a 1.33 goals-against average.
Scouting Ohio State
After dropping their first two games of the season, the Buckeyes have won six-straight, including it's Big Ten-opener with a 2-1 OT victory over Minnesota last Sunday. The Buckeyes have allowed just one goal (the Gophers' score) in its six-match winning streak. Tiffany Cameron leads OSU with seven goals and an assist for 15 points. Cameron carries most of the scoring load for Ohio State as Lauren Granberg (three goals) and Marisa Wolf (two goals) are the only other goal-scorers on the team. Northwestern assistant coach Shannon Neely graduated from Ohio State in 2008 and was a goalkeeper for the Buckeyes during their 2002 and 2004 Big Ten titles.
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