Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, September 23
Evanston, IL
3 P.M. CT
Northwestern
vs
#5 Iowa
Photo by: Northwestern Athletics
No. 1 'Cats to Face No. 5 Iowa in Big Ten Opener
9/21/2022 9:12:00 AM | Field Hockey
| NORTHWESTERN FIELD HOCKEY: GAMEDAY INFORMATION | |||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | STREAM | STATS |
| Friday, September 23 | No. 5 Iowa | 3 p.m. CT | Lakeside Field Evanston, Ill. |
Big Ten Network | Live Stats |
| Sunday, September 25 | Richmond | Noon CT | Lakeside Field Evanston, Ill. |
Big Ten Plus | Live Stats |
| Social: Twitter: @NUFHCats Instagram: @NUFHCats | |||||
EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 1 Northwestern returns to Evanston to kick off a four-game homestand with two contests this weekend. The Wildcats open Big Ten play against No. 5 Iowa Friday at 3 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network, then play Richmond Sunday at noon CT on Big Ten Plus.
Tickets at Lakeside Field for both games this weekend, and all home Northwestern field hockey games this season, are free for fans of all ages.
STORYLINES
» With last Sunday's win over then-No. 8 Princeton, Northwestern is 8-0 for just the second time in program history, the other instance coming in 1985. Dating back to last season, the win also marked the Wildcats' 12th in a row, tied for the second longest win streak in program history. Eleven of those wins have come against ranked competition, including four wins in the NCAA Tournament. The Northwestern record stands at 14 straight wins, also set in 1985.
» Fifth-year forward Bente Baekers won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Monday for the second straight week and the third time in four weeks. She is the first Wildcat to win the award back-to-back and is the first Big Ten student-athlete to win three of four to start a season. Baekers leads the nation in goals, goals per game, points and points per game. She is one goal shy of 75 goals on her career and would become the second Wildcat to ever reach that mark after Chelsea Armstrong.
» Entering the weekend, Northwestern's high-octane offense is the only unit in the nation to rank top five in goals per game, scoring average, scoring margin and penalty corners per game. The Wildcats have out shot their opponents 176-64 this season, shooting an average of 14 more shots per game than their opponents.
» Junior midfielder Maddie Zimmer, a two-time All-American and the glue of Northwestern's attack, recorded career highs with nine shots and six shots on goal against Penn last weekend. Zimmer sparked the comeback win in that game with a brilliant solo goal, dribbling from midfield into the center circle for her second goal of the season.
» Fifth-year midfielder Kayla Blas enters the weekend tied for second in the nation in assists with seven. A second-team All-American in 2020-21, Blas led the team in assists last year with 12 and set a career-high three assists in a game earlier this season against then-No. 25 UMass.
» Northwestern began classes Tuesday, coming off a 2021 season in which 21 Wildcats were named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad and 20 were named Academic All-Big Ten Honorees, both program records.
» Fifth-year forward Bente Baekers won Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Monday for the second straight week and the third time in four weeks. She is the first Wildcat to win the award back-to-back and is the first Big Ten student-athlete to win three of four to start a season. Baekers leads the nation in goals, goals per game, points and points per game. She is one goal shy of 75 goals on her career and would become the second Wildcat to ever reach that mark after Chelsea Armstrong.
» Entering the weekend, Northwestern's high-octane offense is the only unit in the nation to rank top five in goals per game, scoring average, scoring margin and penalty corners per game. The Wildcats have out shot their opponents 176-64 this season, shooting an average of 14 more shots per game than their opponents.
» Junior midfielder Maddie Zimmer, a two-time All-American and the glue of Northwestern's attack, recorded career highs with nine shots and six shots on goal against Penn last weekend. Zimmer sparked the comeback win in that game with a brilliant solo goal, dribbling from midfield into the center circle for her second goal of the season.
Wow wow wow!!!! ??
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) September 16, 2022
Maddie Zimmer goes midfield to goal for her second goal of the season in the first half.#B1GCats | #NUFH pic.twitter.com/MwMRfbxJiu
» Fifth-year midfielder Kayla Blas enters the weekend tied for second in the nation in assists with seven. A second-team All-American in 2020-21, Blas led the team in assists last year with 12 and set a career-high three assists in a game earlier this season against then-No. 25 UMass.
» Northwestern began classes Tuesday, coming off a 2021 season in which 21 Wildcats were named to the NFHCA National Academic Squad and 20 were named Academic All-Big Ten Honorees, both program records.
MATCHUP INFORMATION
NO. 5 IOWA (Friday, Sept. 23, 3 p.m. CT)
» Friday's matchup is the 89th all time between Northwestern and Iowa and comes on the heels of two Wildcat wins last season. Northwestern beat then-No. 1 Iowa in a thriller late in the regular season, with Ana Medina Garcia's 57th minute goal the difference in securing the program's first-ever win over a top-ranked opponent. The Wildcats followed that up with a shutout victory over the Hawkeyes in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on the way to their first-ever national title.
RICHMOND (Sunday, Sept. 25, Noon CT)
» Sunday's matchup with Richmond is Northwestern's third-ever meeting with the Spiders, a series the Wildcats lead 2-0. Its the first game between the programs since 2000 when Northwestern prevailed 3-1 on the road.
» Friday's matchup is the 89th all time between Northwestern and Iowa and comes on the heels of two Wildcat wins last season. Northwestern beat then-No. 1 Iowa in a thriller late in the regular season, with Ana Medina Garcia's 57th minute goal the difference in securing the program's first-ever win over a top-ranked opponent. The Wildcats followed that up with a shutout victory over the Hawkeyes in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on the way to their first-ever national title.
RICHMOND (Sunday, Sept. 25, Noon CT)
» Sunday's matchup with Richmond is Northwestern's third-ever meeting with the Spiders, a series the Wildcats lead 2-0. Its the first game between the programs since 2000 when Northwestern prevailed 3-1 on the road.
Players Mentioned
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