No. 9 Northwestern Hosts Three Games in Five Days

9/10/2015 1:55:00 PM | Field Hockey

Wildcats close out pre-Big Ten play vs. Drexel, Central Michigan, UC Davis

By: Nick Brilowski

NORTHWESTERN FIELD HOCKEY: GAME DAY INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	BROADCAST	LIVE STATS
Friday, Sept. 11	Drexel	1 p.m.	Lakeside Field (Evanston, Ill.)	N/A	STATS
Saturday, Sept. 12	Central Michigan	Noon	Lakeside Field (Evanston, Ill.)	N/A	STATS
Tuesday, Sept. 15	UC Davis	2 p.m.	Lakeside Field (Evanston, Ill.)	N/A	STATS
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EVANSTON, Ill. – Ninth-ranked Northwestern closes out pre-Big Ten play with a trio of home matches at Lakeside Field beginning with a 1 p.m. Friday contest against Drexel. The Wildcats also host Central Michigan at noon Saturday and UC Davis at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15.

The first 100 fans who attend Saturday's game vs. Central Michigan will receive a Northwestern Koozie. Come cheer on the 'Cats before the football team hits the field against Eastern Illinois at 3 p.m.

The Wildcats are coming off a 3-1 win at Ball State on Tuesday. Kelley Stump's two second-half goals helped NU pull away from the Cardinals. Northwestern finished the match with a 22-4 edge in shots, including 12-0 in the second half.

NU's No. 9 ranking in this week's Penn Monto/NFHCA Coaches Poll makes the Wildcats the second-highest ranked Big Ten team behind only eighth-ranked Maryland. Northwestern already has faced three ranked opponents this season. The Wildcats will play eight regular-season matches against teams that are ranked this week, including five against teams in this week's top 10.

Junior midfielder Dominique Masters was recognized on Tuesday as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Masters scored three goals in the Wildcats' 3-1 win over previously unbeaten Boston College for her third career hat trick. It is the first such award of her career. She followed up the effort by recording two assists in Tuesday's victory at Ball State. Masters leads the team with 10 points this season.

Scouting Drexel
The Dragons (0-4) continue their early-season stretch against challenging foes as Northwestern will represent the team's third opponent ranked in the top 10 already this year. Drexel has suffered defeats at the hands of then-No. 9 Virginia (6-0) and No. 2 North Carolina (3-0) in addition to one-goal losses to Richmond (2-1) and Saint Joseph's (1-0). Idrienne Walker has tallied the Dragons' lone goal so far this season. Drexel was picked to finish fifth in the Coloniel Athletic Association (CAA) 2015 Preseason Coaches' Poll. Senior back Jenna Knouse and junior midfielder Jessica McCarthy were named Preseason All-CAA selections. The Dragons posted a 10-8 record in 2014. Friday's matchup will be the first meeting between Northwestern and Drexel.

Scouting Central Michigan
The Chippewas (0-4) are seeking their first victory of the season following losses to Delaware (10-3), Michigan State (5-1), VCU (3-1) and William & Mary (6-1). Senior midfielder Kaysie Gregory, a second-team All-MAC selection in 2014, has scored four of the team's six goals. Molly Pelowski is in her first season as head coach of Central Michigan after previously serving as an assistant coach at Michigan State. The Chippewas were picked to finish tied for third in the MAC Preseason Coaches Poll. The first half hasn't been kind to the team so far this season as CMU has been out-shot 50-6 in its four matches and out-scored 11-2. Northwestern leads its all-time series with Central Michigan 12-3, including 8-1 in matches played in Evanston.

Scouting UC Davis
The Aggies will be in the midst of a six-game road trip that spans 11 days and takes them to five different states when they come to Evanston. UC Davis carries a 2-3 season mark into its contest at Holy Cross on Thursday. The team then plays at Fairfield on Friday and Hofstra on Sunday prior to taking on Northwestern. The road trip wraps up with matchups at Central Michigan and Michigan State. Jamie Garcia has two goals through the team's first five matches to pace the Aggies. Goalkeeper Erica Cohen has held opponents to a 1.92 goals-against average. Every player on the team's roster hails from the state of California. Northwestern holds a 2-0-1 edge in its all-time series with UC Davis, including winning the lone previous matchup in Evanston 5-0 on Oct. 7, 2010.