NORTHWESTERN WOMEN'S SOCCER: MATCH INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	LIVE STATS
Thursday, Sept. 24	Maryland	7 p.m. CST	Toyota Park	Sidearm
Sunday, Sept. 27	No. 11 Rutgers	12 p.m. CST	Toyota Park	Sidearm
Social: Twitter (@NUWSoccer and @NU_SportsLive) \| Instagram (@NUWSoccer) \| Facebook 2015 Northwestern Women's Soccer Record Book

EVANSTON, Ill. – Chicago's Big Ten Team returns home to Toyota Park this weekend for a pair of games against Maryland and 11th-ranked Rutgers. Northwestern kicks off against the Terrapins on Thursday, Sept. 24, before hosting the Scarlet Knights on Sunday. The 'Cats are 1-0-1 in Big Ten play after opening its league schedule with a win over Purdue and a 1-1 double-overtime draw against Indiana.

Both Friday and Sunday's matches can be followed with live stats on on NUSports.com. Scoring updates will be provided on the @NU_SportsLIVE twitter account and fans are encouraged to follow the 'Cats on social media for the most up to date news and content.

SCOUTING MARYLAND
• The Terps hold a 5-4-0 record and have alternated wins and losses since a 2-0 win over Navy on Aug. 23.
• Maryland has recorded 16 or more shots in four games this season. The Terps are eighth in the conference in shots with 124.
• The Terps have the most corner kicks in the Big Ten so far this year with 50.
• Senior goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands made her 66th start on Friday, tying her with Cailin Mullins (1990-93) for the most starts among goalkeepers in Maryland history.

LAST TIMEOUT: The two teams faced off for the first time in program history during the 2014 season and battled it out to a 0-0 draw.

SCOUTING RUTGERS
• Rutgers is 8-0-0 on the year for the first time in program history and holds a scoreless streak that sits at 720:00 minutes.
• The Scarlet Knights are ranked No. 11 in the NSCAA Coaches Poll and sit second in RPI rankings.
• Rutgers, along with Cornell (6-0-2), is one of just two teams nationally yet to concede a goal in 2015.
• The Scarlet Knights will play Illinois on Thursday before heading to the Chicagoland area.

LAST TIMEOUT: The Wildcats defeated then No. 14 Ruters, 1-0, in overtime during the 2014 season.

WILD FACTS: NU'S TOP STORYLINES, STREAKS & TRENDS

NON-CONFERENCE WRAP UP
The Wildcats opened their 2015 slate with three-straight shutout victories against North Dakota, Valparaiso and Boston University to mark the best start in program history. Northwestern continued play with a 1-0 loss at the hands of Santa Clara on the road, before rebounding with a 1-0-1 weekend at Toyota Park and a 2-0 weekend to close out its non-conference schedule in the Centennial State. Chicago's Big Ten Team claimed a 2-1 victory over Colorado State before closing out its non-conference schedule with a 1-0 overtime win over Pac-12 opponent Colorado.

BALANCED ATTACK
Nine Wildcats have registered goals so far this year. Junior Addie Steiner leads NU with eight points (2g, 4a) through 10 matches. Sophomore Michelle Manning, meanwhile, paces the Wildcats with two game-winners. Also boasting two goals are senior Niki Sebo and sophomore Maria Fayeulle.

NCAA RPI REPORT
The NCAA released its initial RPI report on Monday and the Northwestern women's soccer team checked in at an impressive No. 26 in the country. Four Big Ten teams currently sit among the top 30.

RPI, or Ratings Percentage Index, is a metric used by the NCAA to rank teams based upon wins and losses within a team's strength of schedule. The ranking takes into account opponents' winning percentages and the winning percentages of those opponents' opponents to calculate how strong a team's record is against the strength of the teams they have faced.

BETWEEN THE PIPES
Sophomore Lauren Clem has been a solid presence for the Wildcats' defense this year, playing every minute of the 2015 season. So far this year, she has helped anchor the squad to five shutouts, including three to start the season. Clem has six shutouts and a 0.38 goals-against average - good for third in the Big Ten. She has made 32 saves for a .889 save percentage, and has given up just four goals all year.

In 2014, Clem registered a .810 GAA, the best average in a single season in Northwestern program history.

COACHES CORNER
Now in his fourth season at Northwestern, head coach Michael Moynihan will utilize a mix of experience and newcomers for the 2015 season with starters from last year returning along with the addition of 11 freshmen. This group of newcomers is the largest incoming class since Moynihan's arrival in 2012. The team's top two goal-scorers from last season – Addie Steiner and Michelle Manning – will be back for the Wildcats in 2015.

Moynihan owns a 26-33-10 overall record during his tenure in Evanston and a 9-24-4 mark in Big Ten play.

STUNNING STEINER
Steiner, who was named to the 2014 All-Big Ten second team, returned to the pitch after an impressive sophomore campaign. Last year, the Prairie Village, Kansas, native led the team in goals with a career-high 10, including a team-best four game winning goals.

So far this year, Steiner has started in all eight matches and currently leads the 'Cats with eight points (2g, 4a). She registered goals against North Dakota and Boston University, and provided an assist to the game-winning golden goal against Colorado last weekend.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Northwestern will play seven home contests at Toyota Park - home of Major League Soccer's Chicago Fire - one home match at Evanston Township and one contest at New Trier HS while renovations continue on Lanny & Sharon Martin Stadium through the fall. The Wildcats are unbeaten (3-0-1) at "home" this year.

MARVELOUS MEHTA
Last year, Nandi Mehta was chosen as one of five junior Northwestern student-athlete winners of the NU For Life Irving Kabiller Memorial Award for Excellence in Character, Commitment, and Community. As a winner, she received a $5,000 grant for her own professional development and she used it to attend the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in February and, over the summer, to work with a faculty member at the University of Geneva in Switzerland on reforming medical policy.

B1G PLAYERS TO WATCH
Three retuning Wildcats were recently named to the Big Ten preseason Players to Watch List including fifth-year senior midfielder, Nike Sebo senior midfielder Margo McGinty and Steiner.

OH CAPTAIN(S), MY CAPTAIN(S)
Sebo and senior Nandi Mehta will serve as captains for the 2015 squad. Mehta, a two-time captain logged over 1,700 minutes during the 2014 season and registered a goal and two assists. She has started in every game so far this season.

Now in her final year at Northwestern, Sebo has been a steady presence for Northwestern's midfield, playing in 68 matches during her tenure in Evanston. Last season, Sebo logged 1,810 minutes and registered a goal and three assists. The fifth-year senior scored the game-winning goal against Saint Louis on Aug. 7, and registered the Wildcats only goal against Indiana.

FLASHBACK TO 2014
Chicago's Big Ten Team upset the sixth-ranked Nittany Lions in the opening-round of 2014 Big Ten Tournament for the squad's first tournament win since 1997, and their first win over perennial national power Penn State since 1998.

The #B1GCats also secured wins over four ranked opponents including Marquette (No. 15), Illinois (No. 19), Rutgers (No. 14) and Penn State. Northwestern's nine wins in 2014 were the most under Moynihan.

••••••

Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To interact directly with the #B1GCats, visit our Social Media page!

#B1GCats Return Home to Host Maryland, No. 11 Rutgers

••••••

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lauren Clem

Maria Fayeulle

Michelle Manning

Margo McGinty

Nandi Mehta

Niki Sebo

Addie Steiner

Northwestern University Athletics

#B1GCats Return Home to Host Maryland, No. 11 Rutgers

••••••

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Lauren Clem

Maria Fayeulle

Michelle Manning

Margo McGinty

Nandi Mehta

Niki Sebo

Addie Steiner

Related Videos