Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Stanford
'Cats Get 2017 Season Underway in Connecticut
8/25/2017 10:24:00β―AM | Field Hockey
| NORTHWESTERN FIELD HOCKEY: GAME DAY INFORMATION | |||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | BROADCAST | LIVE STATS |
| Saturday, Aug. 26 |
Stanford | Noon CT | Sherman Family Sports Complex Storrs, Conn. |
N/A | GameTracker |
| Sunday, Aug. 27 |
UConn | Noon CT | Sherman Family Sports Complex Storrs, Conn. |
UConnHuskies.com | GameTracker |
| Social: Twitter (@NUFHCats and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (@NUFHCats) | Facebook | |||||
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern opens up its 2017 season this weekend in Storrs, Connecticut, taking on No. 13 Stanford on Saturday and fourth-ranked UConn on Sunday. Both matches are slated to get underway at 12 p.m. Central time.
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The Wildcats enter their ninth season under head coach Tracey Fuchs ranked No. 14 in the preseason NFHCA coaches poll. NU returns eight starters from last year's team that posted a 13-8 record.
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Headlining the list of returners is senior midfielder Sophia Miller who was recognized as a first-team All-Big Ten selection and a second-team All-NFHCA West Region pick a year ago .
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Redshirt junior forward Pascale Massey is the team's top returning goal scorer after ranking second on the team with 13 tallies in 2016.
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Massey and Miller as well as senior midfielder Elena Curley have been named Big Ten Players to Watch entering the 2017 campaign.
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NU will be tasked with replacing two of its top four scorers in school history due to the graduation of Isabel Flens and Dominique Masters, but the 'Cats return a talented, veteran group in the midfield.
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In addition to the aforementioned trio, Northwestern also welcomes back juniors Puck Pentenga, Eva van Agt and Charlotte Vaziri as well as sophomores Lily Gandhi and Kirsten Mansfield to form a formidable defense.
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The Wildcats will have a new starter in goal this year due to Lindsay von der Luft's graduation. Redshirt sophomore Annie Kalfas will have the first shot. She split time with von der Luft in goal during three of the team's shutouts in 2016. Freshman Florian Marcussen also is in the mix to receive playing time in the cage.
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This week's trip to UConn will be a homecoming for Fuchs who starred there, being named an All-American three times while also being honored as the recipient of the Honda Broderick Award as the nation's top player in 1987.
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Scouting Stanford
The Cardinal posted a 14-6 record last season. Sara Helgeson and Jessica Welch are Stanford's top returning scorers after posting 12 points apiece in 2016. Kelsey Bing returns in goal after recording a 1.17 goals-against average. Junior defender Jordan Barry is the sister of NU redshirt freshman Lakin Barry. Stanford defeated Northwestern, 3-2, in a shootout in the regular season finale for both teams on Oct. 29 of last season in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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Scouting UConn
The Huskies were national semifinalists in 2016 and finished with a 22-2 record. UConn returns both the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the year in first-team All-American Charlotte Veitner and the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year in third-team All-American Casey Umstead. Nina Klein is back in goal for the Huskies after sporting a 1.22 goals-against average in 2016. UConn is led by former Northwestern head coach Nancy Stevens. The schools last met Aug. 28, 2015 with the Huskies posting a 4-1 win in Evanston.
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