EVANSTON, Ill. - The No. 2 Northwestern field hockey team clinched a share of the 2026 Big Ten regular-season title Sunday, defeating Rutgers 2-1 at Lakeside Field.
Northwestern has won the past four Big Ten regular-season titles, dating back to the 2023 season. It is the program's 10th regular-season conference championship. NU has also earned the No. 1 seed for the Big Ten Tournament Presented by Allstate, slated for Nov. 4-8 at Columbus, Ohio.
The Wildcats (16-1, 7-0 Big Ten) trailed 0-1 and were tied 1-1 with the Scarlet Knights (10-7, 4-3) with three minutes left to play. However, a game-winning goal from senior back Ilse Tromp put Northwestern on top to eventually win the game.
“I was worried about a letdown after Thursday night, but honestly, I think Rutgers gave us everything we could handle,” Northwestern head coach Tracey Fuchs said. “I’m really proud of the way we just kept fighting and fighting, and then finally Ilse put one home.”
First-year Kiera Sack scored the game’s first goal, while seniors Olivia Bent-Cole and Ashley Sessa contributed assists.
Northwestern won the contest with relatively low shooting numbers from both teams. The ‘Cats outshot the Scarlet Knights 7-4, including five shots on goal to Rutgers’ two. NU also drew four corners compared to Rutgers’ two, with one of its corners leading to the game-winning goal.
“They don’t give it up, and they’re tough,” Fuchs said of Rutgers. “So really happy with our resilience and our ability to really come alive in the fourth.”
Before the game, Northwestern celebrated senior day for its eleven members of the class of 2026, which included Bent-Cole, Sessa, Kerry McCormick, Aerin Krys, Tromp, Piper Borz, Roisin Sexton, Emilie Kirschner, Ella Kokinis, Faye Post and Maddie Epke.
Rutgers put the game’s first goal on the board, with Talia Schenck shooting from the top of the circle to give her team a 1-0 lead. Northwestern then drew two corners in the first quarter, but both of Tromp’s dragflick shots were stopped by the Scarlet Knights.
Sack evened the score in the 21st minute, grabbing a loose ball and striking the ball past Nicholls in a solo effort. Her goal was the second of her Northwestern career. At halftime, Northwestern and Rutgers were tied 1-1, with no team recording a shot after Sack’s goal, though the Wildcats controlled possession.
“She’s so strong. Typically, she’s such a good defender up front,” Fuchs said of Sack. “She’s a tough player, and it was so nice to see her get an opportunity to get a shot, get it off, and put it home.”
At the half, Northwestern had outshot Rutgers 4-1, with the four shots including three shots on goal. However, the one shot that the Scarlet Knights made converted into a goal.
The scoreline remained the same in the third quarter — both teams threatened with corners, with Rutgers taking two and Northwestern drawing one, but no significant scoring opportunities from either side.
The first 13 minutes of the fourth quarter were similar to that of the third. Krys tried to connect with Hofmeister in front of an open cage but narrowly missed, while Bent-Cole had a one-on-one opportunity. It was Tromp who opened the gates for the ‘Cats in the 57th minute, scoring on a dragflick after a Rutgers foul outside the goal circle was converted to a corner.
Tromp’s goal was just enough for the ‘Cats, who concluded the match by defeating Rutgers 2-1. However, she came out of the contest hungry for more.
“We’re not that happy with this game. Of course, we're so happy to win a Big Ten championship again, but I think we wanted to come out of senior day with a good win,” Tromp said. “I’m happy we could put it down and win this game at the end. Hopefully, next week we become much stronger.”
Northwestern heads to Penn State for its regular season finale on Friday, Oct. 30, when it will take on the No. 19 Nittany Lions at 2 p.m. CT. With a win, the ‘Cats can take outright possession of the Big Ten regular season trophy.