'Cats Travel to Pennsylvania for B1G/ACC Cup

9/3/2015 2:31:00 PM | Field Hockey

Northwestern faces first road tests of 2015 season

By: Nick Brilowski

NORTHWESTERN FIELD HOCKEY: GAME DAY INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	BROADCAST	LIVE STATS
Friday, Sept. 4	#5 Duke	6 p.m. CT	Spooky Nook Sports (Lancaster, Pa.)	N/A	STATS
Sunday, Sept. 6	#13 Boston College	11 a.m. CT	Spooky Nook Sports (Lancaster, Pa.)	N/A	STATS
Tuesday, Sept. 8	Ball State	2 p.m. CT	Briner Sports Complex (Muncie, Ind.)	N/A	STATS
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EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 10 Northwestern faces a pair of stiff tests in its first games away from Evanston this season as it takes on fifth-ranked Duke on Friday and No. 13 Boston College on Sunday in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for the B1G/ACC Cup. Friday's contest is slated for 6 p.m. Central time while Sunday's matchup is set for 11 a.m. Central.

The Wildcats will follow up the two games in Pennsylvania by heading to Muncie, Indiana, to face Ball State at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Friday's showdown with Duke will be a rematch of a second-round NCAA tournament match from a year ago. The Wildcats and the Blue Devils squared off in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with Duke holding off Northwestern for a 2-1 win.

The 'Cats split their two home matches to open their campaign last week. NU statistically dominated top-ranked and two-time defending national champion Connecticut in every category except for the scoring column, falling 4-1 in their season-opener last Friday at Lakeside Field. Northwestern out-shot the Huskies 15-8 and held a 10-0 advantage in penalty corners. Freshman Eva van Agt tallied the Wildcats' goal in her first collegiate game.

NU bounced back in convincing fashion two days later as it rolled to a 4-1 victory over Northeastern. Flens posted two goals and an assist while Lisa McCarthy and Dominique Masters also added a goal. Lindsay von der Luft recorded two saves to earn her first collegiate victory in goal. The Wildcats finished the match with advantages of 20-4 in shots and 10-3 in penalty corners.

The trip to Pennsylvania this weekend will be a homecoming for a number of Wildcats as the team's roster has nine individuals who hail from the state. Ashley Bernardi (Pittston), Lauren Bernardi (Pittston), Sophie Eldridge (Ardmore), Maggie Fitzgerald (Philadelphia), Annie Kalfas (Camp Hill), Kirsten Mansfield (West Chester), Lena Phillips (Allentown), Kelley Stump (Allentown) and Caroline Troncelliti (Jeffersonville) all call The Keystone State home.

Northwestern is set to play nine of its 19 scheduled regular-season matches against teams ranked in the top 20 of the NFHCA Preseason Poll, including five of the teams ranked in the top seven.

Scouting Duke
The Blue Devils (1-1) opened their season with a 5-1 win over California in Stanford, California, last Friday before falling 3-2 in overtime at sixth-ranked Stanford on Sunday. Sophomore forward Ashley Kristen recorded her first career hat trick to go along with two assists in the win over Cal. Senior goalkeeper Lauren Blazing recorded 13 saves against Stanford. She is a Preseason All-ACC selection along with senior midfielder Aileen Johnson. The all-time series between Northwestern and Duke is knotted, 3-3, including 1-1 in two previous neutral-site matchups.

Scouting Boston College
The Eagles (2-0) started off their 2015 campaign by earning consecutive shutout victories at home. Boston College blanked Providence 3-0 on Friday prior to a 4-0 win over Quinnipiac on Sunday. Seven different players scored goals for the Eagles in the two contests while goalkeeper Leah Settipane made seven total saves to earn the two blank sheets. Junior midfielder Emily McCoy, who recorded all three of the team's assists last weekend, is a Preseason All-ACC pick. Northwestern holds a 9-1 edge in the all-time series with Boston College, though the schools haven't met since the 2003 season-opener when the 'Cats posted a 3-2 road win.

Scouting Ball State
The Cardinals (0-2) dropped each of their first two season-opening contests, falling 4-0 at Rutgers on Saturday before dropping a 3-2 decision at Lafayette on Sunday. Junior Lexi Kavanaugh had a goal and an assist in Sunday's contest. Sally Northcroft, a two-time All-American for Ball State in the 1990s, is in her first season as the head coach at her alma mater. The Cardinals will play at Villanova on Friday and LaSalle on Sunday prior to the Wildcats heading to Muncie. Northwestern leads the all-time series between the schools 18-7-2, including a 6-3-1 edge in Muncie. In the last meeting between the teams, NU posted a 5-1 win Sept. 21, 2014 in Evanston.