Northwestern University Athletics

Wildcats Earn Berth to NCAA Tournament for Second-Straight Year

11/7/2016 5:01:00 PM | Women's Soccer

EVANSTON, ILL. – Northwestern is heading back to the NCAA Tournament for the second-straight year, the selection committee announced Monday. The team will host Kent State in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 3 p.m., at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium.

 

The game marks the first time in program history that Northwestern will host an NCAA Tournament game.
 
Seven other Big Ten teams will be joining Northwestern in the tournament: Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio State. The Big Ten Conference led all conferences with eight teams in the tournament.
 
The Wildcats followed their historic season last year with an even more inspiring one in 2016. They enter the tournament with an overall record of 14-2-4 and a 7-1-3 mark in Big Ten play. The 'Cats finished the year with an NCAA leading 15 shutouts, while allowing only five goals throughout the regular season.
 
The Wildcats secured a share of the Big Ten regular-season title after defeating Illinois in overtime, 1-0, to mark the first conference championships in program history. The squad qualified for its third-straight Big Ten Tournament, and enters the NCAA tournament fresh of a conference tournament semifinal appearance.
 
Six members of the Northwestern women's soccer team collected conference hardware, the Big Ten announced last week.
 
Junior Lauren Clem led the way for the Wildcats, earning All-Big Ten First Team and was named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year – the first in Northwestern history.
 
Additionally, sophomore Kayla Sharples joined her teammate with her first All-Big Ten First Team honor, sophomore Marisa Viggiano was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team, while fifth-year senior Nandi Mehta and junior Kassidy Gorman were recognized on the All-Big Ten Third Team. Mehta was also recognized as the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree.
 
Maddy Lucas was named to Big Ten All-Freshman Team to become the second-straight rookie Wildcat to earn the nod.
 
Last year the 'Cats advanced to the Round of 32 for just the second time ever. In 1998, the squad advanced to the Round of 16 where it lost to the eventual national champion Florida Gators.
 
Kent State heads to Evanston with a 15-2-2 overall record and its first-ever MAC Conference Tournament Championship. With the championship victory, the Golden Flashes clinched the first birth into the NCAA Tournament in program history. 


 

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