Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Headed to NCAA Tournament!
11/11/2019 3:44:00β―PM | Field Hockey
EVANSTON, Ill. β Northwestern field hockey secured a berth in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, earning one of eight at-large bids up for grabs. This marks the 15th tournament apperance in program history and third since Head Coach Tracey Fuchs took over in 2009.
The Wildcats will face off against Boston College in the first round of tournament at 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday, November 15, with the game taking place in Louisville, Kentucky. The winner will advance to the national quarterfinals to play either Louisville or Michigan.
"It feels amazing," Fuchs said. "It's tough to get in in any sport, and with eight at-large bids you really have to be top 12 in the country. I'm really proud of them, we knew if we played as a team and played together, good things would happen."
Northwestern faced Boston College earlier this season during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on September 8, with the Wildcats claiming a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Eagles thanks to two fourth quarter goals in a span of under 30 seconds.
The 'Cats' tournament resume included a seven wins over teams currently ranked in the Top-25 in RPI in the country and four wins among other NCAA Tournament qualifiers. The Wildcats went 5-3 during Big Ten play to earn the three seed in the Big Ten Tournament last weekend, where they advanced to the semifinals for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
The Wildcats' memorable 2019 season also includes a red-hot month of September, during which the Wildcats notched an eight-game winning streak, tied for their longest streak since 1990.
The team has seen multiple contributors step up in big spots. Last Wednesday, redshirt first-year Bente Baekers became just the second player in program history to be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, along with earning first team All-Big Ten accolades. Baekers leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the country with 27 goals scored on the season to go along with a Big Ten-leading 57 points. Her 27 goals scored are the most scored by a first-year in program history and currently ranks third in the single-season record books.
Other noteworthy Wildcat performances this season include senior Saar de Breij and sophomore Kayla Blas, who each picked up second team All-Big Ten honors last week, as well as senior Kirsten Mansfield, who leads the nation with 17 assists on the year to go along with four goals scored. In the net, junior goalkeeper Florien Marcussen has notched a Big Ten-best five shutouts along with a total of 84 saves on the season.
"I'm just very proud of the whole team this season and how hard this season and how hard everyone has worked," de Breij said. "This is a real team effort and I'm glad it paid off for everyone."
β’β’β’β’β’β’
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'CatsΒ --Β Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter,Β become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook,Β check us out on Instagram, visit ourΒ Social Media pageΒ and download our mobile app from theΒ Apple StoreΒ andΒ Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become aΒ season-ticket holderΒ or join theΒ Wildcat Fund!
The Wildcats will face off against Boston College in the first round of tournament at 1:30 p.m. CT on Friday, November 15, with the game taking place in Louisville, Kentucky. The winner will advance to the national quarterfinals to play either Louisville or Michigan.
"It feels amazing," Fuchs said. "It's tough to get in in any sport, and with eight at-large bids you really have to be top 12 in the country. I'm really proud of them, we knew if we played as a team and played together, good things would happen."
Northwestern faced Boston College earlier this season during the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on September 8, with the Wildcats claiming a dramatic 3-2 victory over the Eagles thanks to two fourth quarter goals in a span of under 30 seconds.
The 'Cats' tournament resume included a seven wins over teams currently ranked in the Top-25 in RPI in the country and four wins among other NCAA Tournament qualifiers. The Wildcats went 5-3 during Big Ten play to earn the three seed in the Big Ten Tournament last weekend, where they advanced to the semifinals for the fifth time in the last six seasons.
The Wildcats' memorable 2019 season also includes a red-hot month of September, during which the Wildcats notched an eight-game winning streak, tied for their longest streak since 1990.
The team has seen multiple contributors step up in big spots. Last Wednesday, redshirt first-year Bente Baekers became just the second player in program history to be named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, along with earning first team All-Big Ten accolades. Baekers leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the country with 27 goals scored on the season to go along with a Big Ten-leading 57 points. Her 27 goals scored are the most scored by a first-year in program history and currently ranks third in the single-season record books.
Other noteworthy Wildcat performances this season include senior Saar de Breij and sophomore Kayla Blas, who each picked up second team All-Big Ten honors last week, as well as senior Kirsten Mansfield, who leads the nation with 17 assists on the year to go along with four goals scored. In the net, junior goalkeeper Florien Marcussen has notched a Big Ten-best five shutouts along with a total of 84 saves on the season.
"I'm just very proud of the whole team this season and how hard this season and how hard everyone has worked," de Breij said. "This is a real team effort and I'm glad it paid off for everyone."
β’β’β’β’β’β’
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'CatsΒ --Β Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter,Β become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook,Β check us out on Instagram, visit ourΒ Social Media pageΒ and download our mobile app from theΒ Apple StoreΒ andΒ Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become aΒ season-ticket holderΒ or join theΒ Wildcat Fund!
Players Mentioned
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