Northwestern Defeats Michigan State 6-0 to Open Big Ten Play

EVANSTON, Ill. - The No. 1 Northwestern field hockey team kicked off 2026 Big Ten play with a dominant win, defeating Michigan State 6-0 on Friday at Lakeside Field.

The Wildcats (10-0, 1-0 Big Ten) extended their win streak over the Spartans (4-5, 0-2 Big Ten) to 14 consecutive games, which dates back to the 2011 season. Friday also marked NU’s fourth straight win over Michigan State by five or more goals. 

“Any time you put six goals on the board, [that’s] pretty good,” Northwestern Head Coach Tracey Fuchs said. “I thought our corners were a little bit better today, so we’re coming along.”

Senior back Ilse Tromp led all scorers with two goals, extending her season total to eight, which ranks first amongst the Wildcats. She recorded her second multi-goal game of this year, and the ninth of her Northwestern career.

Senior forward Ashley Sessa, sophomore midfielder Jess Freedman, junior midfielder Sol Martinez and junior forward Nadia Nemeth each added goals on Friday, while graduate forward Aerin Krys had two assists.

Northwestern recorded a season-high 35 shots on Friday, its highest single-game total since Oct. 27, 2024, when it recorded 43 shots also against the Spartans. Meanwhile, it only allowed six shots from the Spartans on Friday.

Sophomore midfielder Jess Freedman opened the scoring for Northwestern in the eighth minute with an assist by Krys. The Northwestern scoring continued with Sessa, who fired a backhand shot in the net to put the ‘Cats up 2-0 in the 13th minute.

Tromp, who received a slip pass from first-year back Bree Moffett, scored the first goal of the second quarter with her dragflick shot in the 20th minute. The play was NU’s first goal of the day on a penalty corner after nine previous attempts, and Moffett’s first assist as a Wildcat.

“[Tromp] has the ability to recognize during a quarter what needs to be changed, and that’s what you want your leaders and captains to do,” Fuchs said. 

At halftime, the Wildcats led 3-0 while outshooting the Spartans 20-1. They also drew nine corners compared to MSU’s two.

Tromp scored her second of the day in the 36th minute, another goal off a penalty corner. Krys and Freedman assisted on the play to add to their point tallies.

The Wildcats were awarded a penalty stroke in the 55th minute, but Sessa’s shot went high. Two minutes later, Martinez shot a ball that went in and out of the post, which was ruled a goal upon further review. To seal a 6-0 win in the 59th minute, senior forward Olivia Bent-Cole set up a shot deflected in by Nemeth, who scored her first goal since Oct. 20, 2024.

With nine games under the Wildcats’ belt, Fuchs says the team has improved its chemistry over time as it heads into further Big Ten play.

“Not starting school helps a lot because there’s a lot of dead time during the day,” Fuchs said. “But with 10 newcomers, they’re adjusting well. They’re not thinking anymore, ‘where do I need to be?’ They're just starting to react and play because they understand our system, and that’s been really fun to watch."

Up next, NU is back on the road for a contest against Ohio State on Friday, Oct. 2 in Columbus, Ohio. The match is set to take place at 2 p.m. CT and will be streamed on B1G+.