Wildcats Head to Indianapolis for Sunday Matchup at ButlerWildcats Head to Indianapolis for Sunday Matchup at Butler
Isaac Wasserman

Wildcats Head to Indianapolis for Sunday Matchup at Butler

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern travels to Butler for a Sunday matchup in Indianapolis. Kickoff from the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl is set for 12 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
 
Last time out, Northwestern (1-2-1) played Illinois State to a 1-1 draw. NU’s 39th-minute strike from senior forward Sarah O’Donnell, assisted by sophomore forward Liz Cardwell, gave the Wildcats the lead, but Illinois State’s 73rd-minute equalizer evened the game at one for good. Sophomore goalkeeper Nyamma Nelson was shown a red card in the 33rd minute, forcing the 'Cats to play the majority of the game with 10 players.
 
O’Donnell’s goal gave her the second of her career. The senior from Ashburn, Va., scored her first career goal in a 3-0 win over Nebraska last season. Cardwell’s assist is her first of 2026 after leading all ‘Cats with four a season ago. 
 
Senior goalkeeper CJ Roy played 57 minutes as a substitute on Thursday night, collecting one save in her second appearance of the season. Roy made her first career start in the season opener at No. 11 Virginia, recording a career-high five saves.
 
First-year defender Amber Weaver made her collegiate debut against the Redbirds, logging a strong 34 minutes at center back.
 
Since 2022, Northwestern’s 22 regular-season non-conference wins rank third-most among Big Ten teams, trailing only UCLA (24) and Iowa (23).
 
The Wildcats have had three goals and four assists so far on the 2026 season, coming from seven different players.
 
Northwestern leads the all-time series against Butler 6-1-1 and is 2-1 all-time in Indianapolis. The 'Cats have taken each of the previous two meetings in Evanston 1-0 but dropped the most recent contest in Indianapolis 3-1 in 2021.

Butler (1-1-1) returns to action after a week off following its 1-0 win at Miami (OH). The Bulldogs are led offensively by junior midfielder/defender Chloe Brecht, who has two goals in three games. Sophomore goalkeeper Addison Ash is allowing 1.00 goal per game to go with an .842 save percentage.
 
The Wildcats return home on Thursday night for a matchup against local foe Loyola Chicago. Kickoff from Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on B1G+.