Northwestern
(7-0)
#4 Iowa
(4-2)
No. 1 Northwestern Shuts Down No. 4 Iowa in Commanding Big Ten Opener
9/20/2024 5:25:00 PM | Field Hockey
EVANSTON, Ill. – Top-ranked Northwestern delivered a masterclass in both offense and defense, cruising to a 5-0 victory over No. 4 Iowa to launch Big Ten play on Friday at Lakeside Field.
WELCOME TO WILDCAT COUNTRY ?? #Earnit pic.twitter.com/GsVtx9BINZ
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) September 20, 2024
After a quiet first quarter, the Wildcats exploded into action in the second. Sophomore Ella Kokinis opened the scoring just 48 seconds in, notching her first goal of the season off a setup from fellow sophomore Ilse Tromp. Moments later, Ashley Sessa followed with her first of two goals, but it was her second strike that truly stole the show.
Still thinking about this ?? #SCTop10 https://t.co/NHtsUtgMC0 pic.twitter.com/wmnSU8FpL3
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) September 20, 2024
Leading 2-0 at halftime and having completely dominated the first half, Northwestern continued to pour on the pressure. Then came the moment of magic halfway through the third quarter—Sessa delivered one of the most sensational goals of the season. Juggling the ball with supreme control, she maneuvered through defenders before lofting it over Iowa's goalkeeper in an astonishing finish that brought the crowd to its feet, making it 3-0.
From there, Northwestern never looked back. Tromp added another goal off a corner, assisted by Katie Jones and Lauren Hunter, and senior Maddie Zimmer capped the scoring with a fourth-quarter strike.
The Wildcats controlled the game from start to finish, outshooting the Hawkeyes 23-6 and dominating in penalty corners, 9-2.
Graduate goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz was once again impenetrable, securing her sixth shutout in seven games by turning aside four shots.
For Iowa, the loss marks just their second defeat of the season, with their only previous setback coming against No. 2 North Carolina earlier in September. Meanwhile, Northwestern remains unstoppable, improving to 7-0 on the year and extending their remarkable regular-season winning streak to 23 games, a run dating back to the start of last season.
Next up, the Wildcats travel to Bloomington to face Indiana on Sunday at 10 a.m. CT, before returning home for a showdown with Rutgers on October 4 at 3 p.m. CT.
Team Stats
Ella Kokinis (1)
Assisted By: Katie Jones
GOAL by NU Ella Kokinis (FIRST GOAL), Assist by Katie Jones, goal number 1 for season.
15:48
Ashley Sessa (4)
GOAL by NU Ashley Sessa, goal number 4 for season.
19:30
Ashley Sessa (5)
GOAL by NU Ashley Sessa, goal number 5 for season.
37:28
Ilse Tromp (3)
Assisted By: Katie Jones , Lauren Hunter
GOAL by NU Ilse Tromp, Assist by Katie Jones and Lauren Hunter, goal number 3 for season.
39:47
Maddie Zimmer (4)
GOAL by NU Maddie Zimmer, goal number 4 for season.
49:44
