Ashley Sessa led the ‘Cats with two goals, while first-years Bree Moffett and Raquel Hofmeister each scored one in their NCAA Tournament debuts. Laura Salamanca added NU’s final goal in the fourth quarter, while the other four came in the first half.
“I thought it was a good battle,” Northwestern Head Coach Tracey Fuchs said of Friday’s contest. “We were able to make good of our outcomes in the circle, and we had some really feisty play. So proud of our team.”
The ‘Cats controlled most of the game, outshooting the Hawks 20-5 and drawing nine corners compared to the Hawks’ three. Northwestern’s Juliana Boon made two saves and earned her 10th shutout of the season, while Saint Joseph’s goalie Aviana Wagner recorded eight saves on five goals allowed.
Northwestern opened the floodgates early in the third minute, when Sessa received the ball in the circle and fired a reverse chip shot in the cage. Another goal came just under six minutes later on the ‘Cats' first penalty corner of the day. Raquel Hofmeister received the insert and hit the ball off Saint Joseph’s goalie Avainna Wagner, but Moffett collected the rebound to score the second goal of her career.
“I had some space, so I kind of did a little backspace reverse, and it went in,” Sessa said.
The Wildcats continued to dominate possession midway through the first, and almost scored on two more highlight reel plays — a Tromp fake and slip pass to Hofmeister on a corner, and a fast-break opportunity where Sessa nearly connected with Olivia Bent-Cole for a score.
Saint Joseph’s took its first shot of the day in the 13th minute, countering following three consecutive Northwestern corner attempts. NU goalie Juliana Boon came out of her cage to block Cat Aranetz’s point-blank opportunity with her glove, before the ‘Cats corner defense stepped up to stop two subsequent attempts from the Hawks.
Sessa scored her second of the day in the 16th minute, deflecting a hit by Ella Kokinis from outside the circle past Wagner. She continued to push the pace in the second quarter with a drive into the circle and a shot where she attempted to maneuver around Wagner.
“Ashley’s an exceptional talent. She has so much speed in the way she plays,” Saint Joseph’s Head Coach Sam Brown said of Sessa. “It’s her first three steps that catch a lot of defenders out at this level, and it was a lesson for us to go up against an athlete like Ashley, and then how quick she is to pull the trigger as well.”
Hofmeister made it 4-0 in the 29th, giving the ‘Cats further momentum going into halftime. She received a pass from Laura Salamanca on the attempt and hit a low drag-flick shot to score the fifth goal of her career.
After two quarters of play, Northwestern had a significant advantage in several statistical categories. The ‘Cats were outshooting the Hawks 14-3 (with a 10-1 differential in shots on goal), and drew eight corners compared to the Hawks' two.
“We pride ourselves on our press and turnovers and counterattack, and I thought we did a really good job drawing some corners and getting to the back post — getting where you need to be to get those dirty goals,” Fuchs said.
The Hawks found open space in the circle four minutes into the third, but a pressing defensive effort from Kerry McCormick stopped them from getting a shot off. Amy Noonan then struck a ball that Boon kick-saved.
The third quarter was scoreless between both teams, though the ‘Cats outshot the Hawks 5-1 in the frame. Northwestern has had several near-goal chances, including a Hofmeister attempt in the 38th that rolled just right of the cage, and a spin move attempt by Bent-Cole in the 43rd minute.
Northwestern made one final defensive stand in the fourth quarter, as Boon forced a shot from Milou Kluyt out of bounds. Then, with under two minutes left in the game, Salamanca made a sweep shot on a corner to seal her team’s 5-0 victory.
“This entire year I’ve tried to be as consistent as I can be, and I think my defense has set me up for that,” Boon said. “Even in games like today, where I have to sustain minimum pressure — and when I do, they help me get the best angle shots and that’s pretty much been the theme of the season.
