Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Miami (Ohio)
No. 2 Northwestern Dominates Miami (OH) to advance to NCAA Quarterfinals
11/15/2024 2:44:00 PM | Field Hockey
EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 2 Northwestern delivered a commanding performance, defeating Miami (OH) 9-2 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday at Lakeside Field. The Wildcats' explosive offense set multiple NCAA Tournament records in the process and secured their spot in the quarterfinals.
ONWARD. #EarnIt pic.twitter.com/8FhbzWQHaT
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 15, 2024
The Wildcats struck early, with Ashley Sessa scoring less than three minutes into the game to put Northwestern on the board. First-year Laura Salamanca followed with her first career goal, and Ilse Tromp added a goal off a penalty corner to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Northwestern didn't let up in the second quarter. Chloe Relford found the back of the cage off an assist from Elaine Velthuizen, and Tromp netted her second goal of the game on another corner opportunity. By halftime, the Wildcats had built an imposing 5-0 lead.
Build the play, seal the finish ?? pic.twitter.com/YQ6LpDeWKp
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 15, 2024
In the third quarter, the 'Cats kept rolling. Lane Herbert scored her first of two goals off an assist from Katie Jones, followed by Olivia Bent-Cole, who added two quick strikes, bringing the score to 7-0. Miami responded with back-to-back goals from Claudia Negrete Garcia, but Bent-Cole closed the quarter with her second tally, making it 8-2. Herbert capped the scoring in the fourth, giving Northwestern a seven-goal victory.
A must watch sequence ?? ?? pic.twitter.com/kpxlPVKeQN
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 15, 2024
The Wildcats dominated every facet of the game, outshooting the Redhawks 30-8, including a 19-6 edge in shots on goal. Northwestern also earned 10 penalty corners compared to Miami's three.
Friday's nine goals mark the most scored in an NCAA Tournament game since Old Dominion's nine in 1997 and are the highest by any team in the tournament since Maryland's nine against New Hampshire in 2000.
Northwestern now turns its attention to Sunday's NCAA Quarterfinals, where it will face the winner of Virginia and Michigan at 1 p.m. CT at Lakeside Field. The Wildcats aim to clinch their fourth consecutive Final Four berth, with this year's semifinals and finals set to take place in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
