Defense Powers 'Cats to Scoreless Draw with Mountaineers

Sunday, August 26

West Lafayette, Ind.

11 a.m.

Northwestern

3-0-1

#25 West Virginia

0-1-3

Team	1	2	OT 3	OT 4	Final F
West Virginia	0	0	0	0	0
Northwestern	0	0	0	0	0

Defense Powers 'Cats to Scoreless Draw with Mountaineers

8/26/2018 6:29:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score Season Stats Box Score (PDF)

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – No. 19 Northwestern battled to a scoreless 0-0 draw against No. 25 West Virginia behind a monumental defensive effort Sunday afternoon at the Boilermaker Cup Challenge.

First year goalkeeper Mackenzie Wood posted her third career shutout in just her fourth game, and made an impressive 10 saves, the second most in a game in the last five years behind Lauren Clem's 12-save effort against UCLA last November.

The Wildcats landed three players on the Boilermaker Challenge Cup All-Tournament Team in Wood, Kayla Sharples and Regan Steigleder. Wood also was named the Defensive MVP of the Tournament.

Sharples added to her growing awards cabinet, having already been named Hoosier Challenge Cup All-Tournament Team, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts against Miami (Ohio) and Wake Forest. Steigleder also was named to the Hoosier Challenge Cup All-Tournament Team, and like Sharples, scored against Miami.

The 'Cats have now posted three straight shutouts against Wake Forest, Iowa State and West Virginia, and remain undefeated at 3-0-1 on the season. The longest unbeaten streak to start a season was the nine-game win streak to start 2019.

Six starters in Sunday's lineup played in the last matchup between the two teams, the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2015, which the Mountaineers won 4-0. The Wildcats are 1-0-1 so far this season against teams that qualified for last year's NCAA Tournament after their win against Wake Forest last weekend.

The Mountaineers outshot the 'Cats 32-6, but just 10 of those 32 shots came on goal.

The Wildcats battled through a fairly even first half, with chances coming few and far between for both sides. Wood was only forced into one save, and 'the Cats nearly scored in the 40th minute when a Sharples header on a corner kick forced a tough save out of the WVU keeper.

The Mountaineer onslaught started in the second half with Wood making three saves in the first eight minutes after the break. Northwestern's best chance came in the 83rd minute when Brenna Lovera managed to latch onto a cross that whipped into the box, but her header could only graze the top of the crossbar.

West Virginia resumed its siege of the Northwestern net shortly after Lovera's chance, and had three shots blocked in the span of two minutes just before the end of regulation. The 'Cats went on to block three more shots in the first overtime.

Northwestern battled the full 110 minutes for its shutout, blocking two more shots as Wood also produced two more saves in the second extra period. West Virginia hit the post twice throughout the contest, but the resilient NU backline never caved in.

Chicago's Big Ten Team is back in action with just one game this week, as it travels to face Missouri on Thursday, Aug. 30 for an evening kickoff. The match will be streamed on SEC+.

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