EVANSTON, Ill. - Powered by two goals from Ashley Sessa, the No. 1 Northwestern field hockey team defeated No. 6 Iowa 2-1 on Friday at Lakeside Field.
The win is Northwestern’s (13-0, 4-0 Big Ten) second top-10 victory of the 2026 season, after defeating then-No. 6 Duke on Sept. 6, and the team’s sixth ranked win. The Friday victory is also the program’s 600th overall win since achieving varsity status in 1980, and its sixth-straight over the Hawkeyes.
Senior forward Sessa was responsible for both of NU’s goals, as she both opened scoring and posted the game-winner. Senior forward Olivia Bent-Cole also provided a critical assist on Northwestern’s second goal, while Aerin Krys contributed a helper on the first.
“It was a great battle,” Northwestern Head Coach Tracey Fuchs said. “We knew Iowa coming in; they have had a lot of momentum over the last few weeks and some dynamite players. We wanted to play our game, and it took us a little while to get into the game.”
Northwestern controlled possession for the majority of the first quarter, putting pressure on the Iowa defense. That eventually paid off after a missed corner in the 13th minute; Northwestern’s Sessa got the ball back and opened the scoring with a rip into the left post. She received the ball from fifth-year Krys, who recorded her eighth assist of the season.
To begin the second quarter, Iowa’s Reine van Hoof had an opportunity for a wide-open goal, being defended by Wildcat Ilse Tromp. But her shot was blocked by NU’s goalkeeper Juliana Boon, who swatted the ball away with her left glove.
However, the Hawkeyes got another chance on a penalty corner in the 18th minute, when Jordan Byers shot the ball high and past Boon to tie the game up 1-1. The game stayed deadlocked throughout the second half, despite the Wildcats outshooting the Hawkeyes 3-1 after Byers’ goal.
At halftime, both teams were relatively even-matched statistically. The ‘Cats had a 9-6 shot advantage, while the Hawkeyes drew four corners compared to NU’s three. Iowa goalie Julia Claessens recorded five saves between the pipes in 30 minutes of play.
“The first half our energy wasn’t there, and we came out to prove that we can give so much more out there,” Sessa said. “That really showed in the second half, just running up the baseline, getting shots, getting some corners and how our defense really stood strong back there.”
To open the second half, Sessa and Bent-Cole generated scoring opportunities in the circle for the ‘Cats, but none found the back of the cage.
The ‘Cats were able to reclaim the lead late into the third quarter off the back of the Sessa and Bent-Cole duo in a two-on-one play. Bent-Cole got the ball into the circle, forcing Claessens to move up and out of position. The NU forward then crossed it to a wide-open Sessa, who struck it into the empty net for her second of the day in the 41st minute.
“I thought it was amazing that Liv was able to pre-scan and see [Sessa],” Fuchs said. “That was a perfect pass on the ground. Stuff we practiced all week, and I won’t say an easy goal for Sessa, but one of her easier ones.”
Northwestern’s defense held down the fort in the fourth quarter. First-year Bree Moffett made a big play, getting the ball out of Iowa’s goal circle with 53 minutes left. That play was followed by two kick saves from Boon, one of them stopping an Iowa corner.
“They executed a really nice one, but…we knew who to key on, and they’re just brave back there,” Fuchs said of Northwestern’s corner defense. “You’ve got to take one for the team and get hit over and over. I think our corner unit is as good as it’s ever been.”
The Hawkeyes pulled Claessens in the 55th minute to gain an extra field player, but to no avail. Northwestern held on to its lead from the third quarter for the 2-1 win.
The Wildcats will next head to New Jersey, where they will play against No. 10 Princeton in a rematch of the 2025 NCAA Championship game. The contest will take place at 11 a.m. CT and be streamed on ESPN+.