Northwestern University Athletics
Big Ten Champion Wildcats Set 2015 Schedule
6/16/2015 5:21:00β―PM | Field Hockey
Northwestern hosts 10 contests at Lakeside Field
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Ten home contests highlight the 2015 schedule for the reigning Big Ten champion Northwestern field hockey team.
Head coach Tracey Fuchs and the Wildcats will face a stiff test right out of the gates as they open their season at home against two-time defending national champion Connecticut. Fuchs' alma mater edged NU 3-2 in overtime last season in Storrs.
The 'Cats also host Northeastern two dates later to wrap up the opening weekend of their season.
Northwestern hits the road for the first time the following weekend as it will play a pair of neutral site matches in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The Wildcats square off against Duke on Sept. 4 prior to a Sept. 6 showdown against Boston College. The first contest will be a rematch of an NCAA tournament game from last season won by Duke, 2-1.
The road trip continues with a Sept. 8 match at Ball State before the 'Cats return to Evanston to face Drexel and Central Michigan Sept. 11 and 12, respectively. Another midweek contest is on tap for Sept. 15 when UC Davis ventures to Evanston.
The Big Ten slate gets underway in style Sept. 18 when Northwestern travels to Maryland. The Wildcats twice defeated the second-ranked Terrapins a year ago, including a 3-1 victory in the Big Ten tournament championship match in Ann Arbor.
NU's season-long four-match road trip rolls on with a contest at Temple two days later before Big Ten matchups at Rutgers (Sept. 25) and Indiana (Sept. 27).
A challenging four-match homestand follows beginning with a conference clash against Iowa on Oct. 2 before Stanford comes to Lakeside Field one week later. Two teams from the Great Lakes State head to Evanston the next weekend when the Wildcats battle Michigan Oct. 16 and Michigan State Oct. 18.
Northwestern's final Big Ten road contest is set for Oct. 23 when it travels to Ohio State before remaining in state to face associate head coach Ali Johnstone's alma mater, Ohio University, Oct. 25 in Athens.
The Wildcats' home finale takes place Oct. 30 when the 'Cats and Penn State tussle on Senior Day at Lakeside Field.
The 2015 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament will take place Nov. 5-8 in Bloomington, Indiana.
