Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, October 14
East Lansing, MI
2 P.M. CT
Northwestern
at
Michigan State
Photo by: Maren Kranking/Northwestern Athletics
No. 3 'Cats Set for Weekend Clashes with Michigan State, No. 21 Ohio State
10/12/2022 10:07:00 AM | Field Hockey
| NORTHWESTERN FIELD HOCKEY: GAMEDAY INFORMATION | |||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | STREAM | STATS |
| Friday, October 14 | Michigan State | 2 p.m. CT | East Lansing, Mich. | Big Ten Plus | Live Stats |
| Sunday, October 16 | No. 21 Ohio State | 11 a.m. CT | Columbus, Ohio | Big Ten Plus | Live Stats |
| Social: Twitter: @NUFHCats Instagram: @NUFHCats | |||||
EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 3 Northwestern hits the road again this weekend for a pair of Big Ten showdowns with Michigan State and No. 21 Ohio State. Friday's game at Michigan State will start at 2 p.m. CT and Sunday's game at Ohio State is set for 11 a.m. CT. Both contests will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
STORYLINES
» The Wildcats clocked in at No. 3 with one first place vote in the latest NFHCA Coaches Poll released Tuesday. Northwestern has received first place votes and ranked in the top three of all seven polls released this season, including four straight weeks at the No. 1 spot. Chicago's Big Ten Team also currently ranks fourth in the nation in RPI.
» Fifth-year forward Bente Baekers leads the nation in goals (18), points (42) and points per game (3.23). She has already matched her goal total from last season and is 10 goals shy of her career-best 28 goals set as a first-year in 2019. The Northwestern record for goals in a season is 29, set by Chelsea Armstrong in 2012. On her career, Baekers needs just one more goal to become the second player in program history and fifth player in Big Ten history to reach 80 goals.
» Senior midfielder Peyton Halsey scored a goal off a penalty stroke against then-No. 23 Rutgers last weekend, pushing her total to eight goals this season, already a career best. Last Saturday's strike came on the heels of her breakout performance against then-No. 6 Penn State two weekends ago in which Halsey scored a hat trick with all three goals coming in the 50th minute or later to seize an improbable comeback victory. She also scored the walk-off winner in overtime that game on a penalty stroke, making the Wildcats' specialist a perfect 2-of-2 from the spot this season.
» Fifth-year midfielder Kayla Blas leads the team with eight assists, a mark that ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Blas, a team captain and All-American two seasons ago, has moved into sole possession of ninth place in Northwestern history for career assists this season with 35. She led the Wildcats' with a career-best 12 assists last season and played in her 93rd game as a Wildcat last weekend.
» Northwestern has scored 24 goals in the second half and overtime this season, more than 36 of 82 Division I teams, including four ranked squads, have scored total goals this year. The Wildcats' elite halftime adjustments have led to 15 goals in the third quarter alone this season, making up over 36% of the teams total scoring, while holding opponents to just three goals in that frame.
» Friday's game will be the 65th all-time meeting between Northwestern and Michigan State, a series the Wildcats lead 41-23. Northwestern has won the last 11 straight matchups, a streak that dates back to 2011. It will be the first game in the series played in East Lansing since 2018, a game Northwestern won 2-0.
» Michigan State will be the Wildcats' first unranked conference opponent of the season and its third unranked opponent overall. The Spartans are currently 6-6 overall and 0-5 in the Big Ten.
NO. 21 OHIO STATE (Sundaym Oct. 16, 11 a.m. CT)
» Sunday's game will be the 68th all-time meeting between Northwestern and Ohio State, a series the Wildcats lead 37-29-1. Northwestern won the last matchup with the Buckeyes 3-0 in Evanston. Maddie Zimmer and Kayla Blas connected on the game-winning goal in that contest.
» No. 21 Ohio State climbed three spots in the rankings this week after back-to-back 7-1 victories over Central Michigan and Ohio. Those latest wins are part of a four-game winning streak for the Buckeyes that will be tested against two top-five teams in Iowa and Northwestern this weekend.
» Fifth-year forward Bente Baekers leads the nation in goals (18), points (42) and points per game (3.23). She has already matched her goal total from last season and is 10 goals shy of her career-best 28 goals set as a first-year in 2019. The Northwestern record for goals in a season is 29, set by Chelsea Armstrong in 2012. On her career, Baekers needs just one more goal to become the second player in program history and fifth player in Big Ten history to reach 80 goals.
» Senior midfielder Peyton Halsey scored a goal off a penalty stroke against then-No. 23 Rutgers last weekend, pushing her total to eight goals this season, already a career best. Last Saturday's strike came on the heels of her breakout performance against then-No. 6 Penn State two weekends ago in which Halsey scored a hat trick with all three goals coming in the 50th minute or later to seize an improbable comeback victory. She also scored the walk-off winner in overtime that game on a penalty stroke, making the Wildcats' specialist a perfect 2-of-2 from the spot this season.
PEYTON HALSEY FROM THE SPOT!
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) October 8, 2022
The senior's 8th goal of the season cuts the deficit to one and we've got a game folks ??#B1GCats | #NUFH pic.twitter.com/pQxZV8yTdQ
» Fifth-year midfielder Kayla Blas leads the team with eight assists, a mark that ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Blas, a team captain and All-American two seasons ago, has moved into sole possession of ninth place in Northwestern history for career assists this season with 35. She led the Wildcats' with a career-best 12 assists last season and played in her 93rd game as a Wildcat last weekend.
» Northwestern has scored 24 goals in the second half and overtime this season, more than 36 of 82 Division I teams, including four ranked squads, have scored total goals this year. The Wildcats' elite halftime adjustments have led to 15 goals in the third quarter alone this season, making up over 36% of the teams total scoring, while holding opponents to just three goals in that frame.
MATCHUP INFO
MICHIGAN STATE (Friday, Oct. 14, 2 p.m. CT)» Friday's game will be the 65th all-time meeting between Northwestern and Michigan State, a series the Wildcats lead 41-23. Northwestern has won the last 11 straight matchups, a streak that dates back to 2011. It will be the first game in the series played in East Lansing since 2018, a game Northwestern won 2-0.
» Michigan State will be the Wildcats' first unranked conference opponent of the season and its third unranked opponent overall. The Spartans are currently 6-6 overall and 0-5 in the Big Ten.
NO. 21 OHIO STATE (Sundaym Oct. 16, 11 a.m. CT)
» Sunday's game will be the 68th all-time meeting between Northwestern and Ohio State, a series the Wildcats lead 37-29-1. Northwestern won the last matchup with the Buckeyes 3-0 in Evanston. Maddie Zimmer and Kayla Blas connected on the game-winning goal in that contest.
» No. 21 Ohio State climbed three spots in the rankings this week after back-to-back 7-1 victories over Central Michigan and Ohio. Those latest wins are part of a four-game winning streak for the Buckeyes that will be tested against two top-five teams in Iowa and Northwestern this weekend.
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