Wildcats Open Season Against SMU and Notre Dame

2019 NORTHWESTERN WOMEN'S SOCCER
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME (CT)	LOCATION	WATCH	LIVE STATS
Thursday, Aug. 22	SMU	7 p.m.	Martin Stadium	BTN+	Sidearm
Sunday, Aug. 25	Notre Dame	3 p.m.	South Bend, Ind.	ACC Network Extra	StatBroadcast
Social: Twitter (@NUWSoccer) \| Instagram (@NUWSoccer) \| Facebook Weekly Chat with Michael Moynihan

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern kicks off the 2019 season this weekend by hosting SMU at Martin Stadium on Thursday at 7 p.m. before traveling to Notre Dame to take on the Fighting Irish on Sunday at 3 p.m.

The Wildcats are coming off of a 2018 season where they finished with double-digit wins and made the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. The team graduated a memorable senior class that featured three players drafted to the NWSL. Northwestern added ten new student-athletes in the offseason.

Northwestern had three players named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List in junior Regan Steigleder and sophomores Mackenzie Wood and Julietta Thron. Both Steigleder and Wood have earned selections to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in their career.

The 'Cats are 5-2 under head coach Michael Moynihan in season openers and have won the last four dating back to 2015. The 'Cats have a recent history of starting hot, and finished last year's non-conference schedule 6-0-1, and the 2016 non-con schedule 7-0. Last year, NU opened up its slate with a 2-1 win over Miami (OH), featuring a goal from Steigleder.

Since Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium was opened in 2016, the 'Cats have made it their fortress, posting a 23-3-5 record at home in a three-year span. Last year, the Wildcats were 6-1-1 in Evanston.

With Northwestern losing 10 seniors, a batch of returning players expect to step up, including sophomores Francesca Docters in midfield and Olivia Stone in attack, who both missed last season due to injury.

The team also welcomes graduate students Olivia Korhonen and Taylor Hallmon. Korhonen was a four-year Wildcat, who has made 32 appearances for the Purple and White, but missed her senior season due to injury. Hallmon is a transfer from Florida State, where she appeared in over 40 games, won two conference titles and a national championship.

Northwestern owns a 2-0 record all-time against SMU and has faced off against Notre Dame three times, with the most recent meeting coming in 2013.

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Wildcats Open Season Against SMU and Notre Dame

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Players Mentioned

Francesca Docters

Taylor Hallmon

Olivia Korhonen

Regan Steigleder

Olivia Stone

Julietta Thron

Mackenzie Wood

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics