No. 1 'Cats Win Overtime Thriller, Beat No. 8 Princeton 2-1

Sunday, September 18

Princeton, NJ

11 A.M. CT

Northwestern

(8-0)

#8 Princeton

(3-3)

Northwestern

Princeton

No. 1 'Cats Win Overtime Thriller, Beat No. 8 Princeton 2-1

9/18/2022 1:08:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score WATCH: Highlights

PRINCETON, N.J., – With a 2-1 overtime win over No. 8 Princeton Sunday afternoon, No. 1 Northwestern is now tied for the second longest win streak in program history since the 1985 Wildcats managed 14 wins in a row. The 2022 'Cats improved to 8-0 and have won 12 in a row dating back to last season.

It marked the first overtime game and win for Northwestern since the 2021 NCAA semifinal against Harvard.

Alia Marshall. Stone. Cold. Killer. ??#B1GCats | #CelebrateVictory pic.twitter.com/aapqHnntNE
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) September 18, 2022

Princeton played the reigning national champions close in the first half, giving goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz her first real test in the cage in 2022. By halftime, Skubisz already notched a season-high five saves. She added three more in the second half and overtime for a total of eight.

Coming out of the break, the Tigers converted on a penalty corner for the first goal of the game and led 1-0 until just five minutes left in regulation. But the Wildcats would not go down easily. Maddie Zimmer sent a dime to the center of the circle for a Bente Baekers shot that Peyton Halsey deflected into the goal to send the game into overtime. It marked Halsey's fourth goal of the season, one shy of her career best season mark with five goals in 2020-21.

After narrowly outshooting the Wildcats 14-13 in regulation, the Tigers went quiet in the overtime period as the Northwestern offense began to dominate.

After three consecutive corners turned up empty, the 'Cats used their speed to earn Sunday's road win. Baekers, reigning NFHCA Division I Offensive Player of the Week, sent a pass to Alia Marshall and charged the circle. Marshall then tried to send a cross back to Baekers which was deflected by the defending Tiger into the high corner of the cage.

Marshall's first goal of the season couldn't have come at a better time, completing the comeback to stay undefeated.

The assist on Marshall's game winner gave Baekers her first two-assist game of the season. The nation's leader in points and points per game has recorded at least two points in every game this season.

Northwestern will return to Evanston for a two-week homestand, starting off with its first Big Ten game of the season against No. 5 Iowa on Friday at 3 p.m. CT.