Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan
Wildcats Seek Two Wins to Claim Share of Big Ten Title
10/19/2017 9:27:00 PM | Field Hockey
| NORTHWESTERN FIELD HOCKEY: GAME DAY INFORMATION | |||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | BROADCAST | LIVE STATS |
| Friday, Oct. 20 |
#4 Michigan | 3 p.m. CT | Ocker Field; Ann Arbor, Mich. |
Big Ten Network | SIDEARM |
| Sunday, Oct. 22 |
Michigan State | Noon | Lakeside Field; Evanston, Ill. |
BTN Plus on BTN2Go | SIDEARM |
| Social: Twitter (@NUFHCats and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (@NUFHCats) | Facebook | |||||
EVANSTON, Ill. -- No. 8 Northwestern controls its own destiny as it seeks a share of the Big Ten regular season title this weekend. The Wildcats close out their regular season by traveling to fourth-ranked Michigan at 3 p.m. Friday prior to hosting Michigan State on Senior Day at noon Sunday.
Friday's contest is being televised live by Big Ten Network.
With two wins, Northwestern can share the Big Ten regular season crown with Michigan. The Wolverines, who are playing their conference finale Friday, have already earned at least a share of the title, as they're undefeated through their first seven league matches.
NU is aiming for its first regular season title since 2013 when it shared the crown with Penn State. The Wildcats last won a Big Ten championship in 2014 when they won the conference tournament. Two wins would also make Northwestern the No. 1 seed for the Big Ten tournament which gets underway next week.
Friday's contest matches two of the hottest teams in the nation. Northwestern has won six straight and 10 of its last 11 while Michigan has won 10 in a row.
The Wildcats are coming off a pair of overtime wins last weekend, posting a 5-4 victory at No. 22 Iowa on Friday before edging No. 24 UMass in double overtime 2-1 on Sunday. Sophia Miller had the game-winner against the Hawkeyes while Kirsten Mansfield had the golden goal against the Minutewomen.
Junior Puck Pentenga was rewarded for her stellar weekend by being named both the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week as well as the NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week. She tallied her first career hat trick in the win over Iowa before notching her Big Ten-leading 14th assist of the season in the win over UMass.
Michigan represents the 11th ranked opponent that Northwestern has faced this season. The Wildcats are 6-4 in their first 10 matchups against ranked foes, with three of those losses coming by one goal.
Michigan is paced by its defense which has allowed a mere 13 goals through 15 matches this season as Sam Swenson boasts a 0.88 goals-against average with a .797 save percentage. Meg Dowthwaite paces the attack with a team-leading 15 goals and 37 points while Emma Way contributes nine goals and eight assists for 26 points. The Wolverines have outscored their first seven Big Ten opponents by a 23-4 margin.
NU will be looking to cap an undefeated home regular season when it faces Michigan State on Sunday. The Wildcats boast a 7-0 record at Lakeside Field in 2017.
The Spartans bring an 8-8 overall mark and a 2-4 Big Ten record into Friday's home match against Iowa. Kendal Anderson leads the team with seven goals while Simone Vagnoni and Sophie Macadre have contributed six apiece. Katie Miller has seen the majority of time in goal and has a 2.88 goals-against average with a .706 save percentage.
