Top-Seeded 'Cats to Face Indiana in Big Ten Tournament Semifinal

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 1-seeded Northwestern field hockey team is set to kick off its 2026 Big Ten tournament campaign against No. 5-seeded Indiana in the semifinals of the tournament. The contest will kick off at 12 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 6, at Buckeye Varsity Hockey Field in Columbus, Ohio.

Northwestern, the reigning Big Ten Tournament champions, begins the tournament in the semifinals after getting a quarterfinal bye as the top seed. The Wildcats look to bounce back after falling at then-No. 14 Penn State, 2-0, on Oct. 30 to conclude their regular season with a 16-2 record (7-1 in Big Ten play).

The matchup’s winner would go on to play the advancing team of Friday’s second semifinal, between No. 2 Maryland and No. 6 Iowa, in the Big Ten Tournament Championship game on Sunday, Nov. 8.

Matchup Notes

• Indiana heads to its first Big Ten Tournament Semifinal since 2012 after defeating No. 4 Rutgers 2-1 in Wednesday’s quarterfinal round. Agustina Gamonal scored the game-winning goal for the Hoosiers in the 32nd minute off a penalty corner. 
• Wednesday’s win flipped the Hoosiers’ last result against the Scarlet Knights from a week prior, which Rutgers won 2-1.
• Indiana finished its 2026 regular season with a 9-7 record and a 4-4 record in Big Ten play, which included a 4-1 home loss to Northwestern on Oct. 16. In that contest, NU’s Ilse Tromp led the ‘Cats with two goals to start the game.
• Indiana’s best showings at the Big Ten Tournament were in 2005 and 2009, as it made the championship game in both years. Northwestern is a three-time tournament champion, winning it in 2014, 2023 and 2025. The ‘Cats have made the championship game the past three seasons.
• The Hoosiers are currently ranked No. 17 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll. They were ranked as high as No. 11 this season.
• Northwestern holds a 23-10 record over the Hoosiers and is on a 10-match win streak against them that dates back to Oct. 7, 2016. 
• The Hoosiers earned two All-Big Ten honors in midfielder Inés Garcia Prado and forward Mijntje Hagen, who were both first-team selections. Midfielder Gabriela Garayo Aranceta made the All-Freshman Team. Hoosier forward Molly Stutte leads the team offensively, with eight goals and eight assists.

Northwestern Players To Watch

On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced its 2026 Postseason Honors, with the Wildcats picking up four of six individual awards. Senior forward Ashley Sessa won Big Ten Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year, earning the latter award for a third consecutive season. After Maddie Zimmer won the 2024 and 2025 Player of the Year awards, Sessa continues NU’s streak of holding the Big Ten’s top individual honor.

Senior back Ilse Tromp earned Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight year, while Northwestern’s coaches (Tracey Fuchs, Georgia Holland and Will Byrne) won Coaching Staff of the Year for the fourth consecutive season. 

Senior forward Olivia Bent-Cole joins Tromp and Sessa as unanimous selections on the All-Big Ten First Team, the third first-team selection of Bent-Cole’s career. Junior midfielder Laura Salamanca also earned first-team nods after earning second-team honors in 2025.

Forward Raquel Hofmeister, midfielder Kiera Sack and back Bree Moffett were all named to the Big Ten’s All-Freshman Team, while sophomore forward Lindsey Brown was Northwestern’s winner of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

The efforts of Northwestern’s honorees helped the ‘Cats to a share of the 2026 Big Ten regular season title. This season is NU’s fourth consecutive season being crowned Big Ten regular season champions. Northwestern has won both the Big Ten regular season and tournament titles in a single season twice, in 2023 and 2025.

NFHCA Week 10 Ranking: No. 2. Northwestern drops to the No. 2 spot after a loss to Penn State on Oct. 30, with Maryland moving back to No. 1. The ‘Cats have spent eight weeks this season in the top spot of the polls, and previously ranked No. 2 during the weeks of Oct. 13 and Oct. 20. They received two first-place votes compared to Maryland’s eight, while No. 3 University of Connecticut received one.