Friday, October 9
Evanston, Ill.
3 p.m.
Northwestern
vs
Stanford
No. 14 Northwestern Hosts No. 9 Stanford Friday
10/8/2015 12:49:00 PM | Field Hockey
Wildcats seek second win over a ranked foe this season
EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 14 Northwestern looks to build its postseason resume Friday as it hosts No. 9 Stanford in nonconference action at Lakeside Field. The contest is slated to get underway at 3 p.m.
With only six matches remaining the regular season, the Wildcats are looking to state their case for a return trip to the NCAA tournament. Stanford represents the fourth top-10 opponent NU will have faced the season. Northwestern is yet to knock off a team ranked in the top 10 this season, suffering close defeats at the hands of No. 1 Connecuticut, No. 5 Duke and No. 10 Maryland, though the 'Cats are coming off a convincing 4-0 win over 18th-ranked Iowa last Friday.
Caroline Troncelliti scored two goals in the win over the Hawkeyes. Puck Pentenga contributed the first goal of her collegiate career while fellow freshman Eva van Agt pitched in with her eighth goal of the year. Lindsay von der Luft made four saves in goal to earn her third shutout of the season, a mark that leads the Big Ten.
Isabel Flens continues to lead the Wildcats with 11 goals. The total ranks the junior tied for sixth in the nation. Flens also ranks first on the team with 26 points, while Dominique Masters ranks second in both goals (9) and points (23). In goal, von der Luft ranks second in the conference with a 1.39 goals-against average to go along with a .705 save percentage.
Friday's matchup is the first between Northwestern and Stanford since the 2009 season, Tracey Fuchs' first as the Wildcats' head coach. Northwestern leads the all-time series with Stanford, 11-5, though the Wildcats are just 2-3 against the Cardinal in Evanston. Stanford won last year's neutral-site matchup against Northwestern 2-1 on Oct. 10 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in a matchup of top-10 teams. The Wildcats earned a 4-1 win at Stanford on Aug. 29, 2012 behind a hat trick by then-freshman Caroline Troncelliti.
Following Friday's contest against Stanford, the Wildcats will play three of their final Big Ten games of the regular season at home.
Scouting Stanford
The Cardinal (8-3, 0-1) have won each of their last two games, most recently a 2-1 victory over UC Davis last Friday. Stanford has outscored its opponents 26-14 while holding foes to 1.27 goals per game. The Cardinal allowed a season-high three goals to Connecticut on Sept. 25; Northwestern has scored fewer than three goals only four times this season. Senior midfielder Maddie Secco leads the Cardinal in points with 17, including a pair of assists in Stanford's last match. Senior defender Jessica Chisholm is tied for the team lead with five goals.
With only six matches remaining the regular season, the Wildcats are looking to state their case for a return trip to the NCAA tournament. Stanford represents the fourth top-10 opponent NU will have faced the season. Northwestern is yet to knock off a team ranked in the top 10 this season, suffering close defeats at the hands of No. 1 Connecuticut, No. 5 Duke and No. 10 Maryland, though the 'Cats are coming off a convincing 4-0 win over 18th-ranked Iowa last Friday.
Caroline Troncelliti scored two goals in the win over the Hawkeyes. Puck Pentenga contributed the first goal of her collegiate career while fellow freshman Eva van Agt pitched in with her eighth goal of the year. Lindsay von der Luft made four saves in goal to earn her third shutout of the season, a mark that leads the Big Ten.
Isabel Flens continues to lead the Wildcats with 11 goals. The total ranks the junior tied for sixth in the nation. Flens also ranks first on the team with 26 points, while Dominique Masters ranks second in both goals (9) and points (23). In goal, von der Luft ranks second in the conference with a 1.39 goals-against average to go along with a .705 save percentage.
Friday's matchup is the first between Northwestern and Stanford since the 2009 season, Tracey Fuchs' first as the Wildcats' head coach. Northwestern leads the all-time series with Stanford, 11-5, though the Wildcats are just 2-3 against the Cardinal in Evanston. Stanford won last year's neutral-site matchup against Northwestern 2-1 on Oct. 10 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in a matchup of top-10 teams. The Wildcats earned a 4-1 win at Stanford on Aug. 29, 2012 behind a hat trick by then-freshman Caroline Troncelliti.
Following Friday's contest against Stanford, the Wildcats will play three of their final Big Ten games of the regular season at home.
Scouting Stanford
The Cardinal (8-3, 0-1) have won each of their last two games, most recently a 2-1 victory over UC Davis last Friday. Stanford has outscored its opponents 26-14 while holding foes to 1.27 goals per game. The Cardinal allowed a season-high three goals to Connecticut on Sept. 25; Northwestern has scored fewer than three goals only four times this season. Senior midfielder Maddie Secco leads the Cardinal in points with 17, including a pair of assists in Stanford's last match. Senior defender Jessica Chisholm is tied for the team lead with five goals.
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