'Cats Cap Off Regular Season Against No. 7 Maryland

Thursday, October 26

Evanston, Ill.

3 p.m. CT

Northwestern

#7 Maryland

Photo by: Tom Agudo / Northwestern Athletics

'Cats Cap Off Regular Season Against No. 7 Maryland

10/25/2023 6:06:00 PM | Field Hockey

EVANSTON, Ill. — No. 1 Northwestern field hockey will close out their regular season at home against No. 7 Maryland on Thursday, with eyes set on sole possession of the Big Ten regular season title. Action from Lakeside Field will begin at 3:00 p.m. CT and will be televised on Big Ten Network.

Storylines

After losing the season opener to then-No. 9 Louisville, the Wildcats have run off a program-record 15 straight wins to improve their record to 15-1 with one game left to play. The 'Cats have already secured their first undefeated road season in program history, and a defeat of Maryand would give them their first undefeated conference mark as well. The seven Big Ten wins they've already collected are their most since the conference switched to an eight-game schedule. A victory on Thursday would also give Northwestern a .941 regular season win percentage, which would be the best in program history.
Northwestern's defeat of No. 3 Rutgers on Sunday secured at least a share of the Big Ten regular season title, the 'Cats' first since 2013 and their seventh in program history. With a defeat of Maryland, the Wildcats would clinch the title outright and secure a top seed and a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Wildcats' defense has been the best in the NCAA this season, and they'll enter their final matchup with an nation-leading eight goals allowed all season. Goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz and the Northwestern defense own a 0.49 goals-against-average, and Skubisz has saved over 85 percent of shots on goal, good for second in the conference and third in the nation.
Skubisz enters Thursday's game as the reigning NFHCA and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, her third weekly conference award of the season and the fifth of her career. The senior's 11 shutouts this season rank second in single-season program history, while her 22 career shutouts are third most by a Wildcat all-time. Her six straight shutouts from Sept. 22 through Oct. 20 are a program record. If it held for the rest of the season, her .857 save percentage would be the best by a Northwestern goalkeeper since 1990.
Maryland is the third straight ranked opponent the 'Cats will face after taking down then-No. 16 Penn State last Friday and then-No. 4 Rutgers on Sunday. The 'Cats are 7-1 against ranked opponents this season, including 4-1 against top-15 teams and 2-1 against top-ten teams.

Matchup Information

The Wildcats are 14-19-0 against the Terrapins all-time since the teams' first meeting in 1985. Northwestern has gone 3-6 against Maryland in Evanston, including a 2-1 overtime loss the last time the Terps visited Lakeside Field.
The 'Cats faced Maryland twice in the postseason last year - once in the Big Ten Tournament and once in the NCAA Final Four - and came away with victories in both games.