Overtime Goal Downs Wildcats in 2-1 Loss to Hawkeyes

10/14/2016 6:13:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Curley tallies fifth goal of the season for Northwestern

By: Nick Brilowski

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior Elena Curley tallied her fifth goal of the season but No. 16 Iowa scored once in the second half and again in overtime to down ninth-ranked Northwestern 2-1 Friday afternoon at Lakeside Field.

The loss drops the Wildcats to 10-5 overall and to 4-2 in Big Ten play.

The contest was an evenly played defensive struggle between the two teams. In fact, both teams recorded four shots and two penalty corners over the opening half of play.

The only tally of the first stanza came at 19:19 when Northwestern capitalized on a corner chance. The 'Cats initially mishandled the insert of the corner, but Isabel Flens eventually controlled it and fired a pass to the far post where Curley tipped it home to put NU in front 1-0.

Iowa got the equalizer early in the second half on a corner chance of their own. Freshman Katie Birch scored off an assist from Melissa Progar at 38:26 to even the match at 1-1.

The Hawkeyes had the possession edge through the majority of the remainder of the second half, but Northwestern nearly went in front with just over three and a half minutes remaining. Off a penalty corner, the initial shot by Isabel Flens was saved off the goalline by defender Chandler Ackers. With keeper Alexandra Pecora out of position, the rebound came to Eva van Agt who appeared to have an open goal but her shot was stopped on the goalline on another defensive save, this time by Birch.

The match eventually went to an extra session where Iowa earned a corner and capitalized when Sophie Sunderland tipped in Birch's hit from the top of the circle to give Iowa its second league win of the season.

Northwestern returns to action next Friday, Oct. 21 when it hosts Michigan at Lakeside Field. The Senior Day contest gets underway at 3 p.m.

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