Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics
Northwestern Claims Third National Championship in Historic Year, Season Recap
2/12/2026 3:29:00β―PM | Field Hockey
Even before the 2025 season began, Northwestern field hockey's head coach Tracey Fuchs said that the reigning champs were not defending the title; they were attacking another one.
The Wildcats entered the 2025 campaign as the unanimous No. 1 team in preseason polls after winning the program's second national championship in 2024. With six student-athletes being selected to national watchlists and seven newcomers joining the squad, Northwestern became the first team outside of the Eastern Time Zone to win back-to-back national field hockey titles and the first Northwestern program to repeat as national champs since women's lacrosse in 2011-12.
It all started with eight straight games on the road.
Quickly earning the nickname "road warriors," the 'Cats claimed each of those eight competitions away from Evanston and earned six shutouts in the stretch. NU took two of those clean sheets at No. 5 Duke and No. 8 Boston College. The Wildcats went to overtime at Louisville, where graduate transfer forward Grace Schulze took her first game-winning goal of the year.
NU went on to win four straight games by four or more goals, an early sign of the offensive power that the 2025 squad would provide throughout the rest of the season. From mid-September to mid-October, the Wildcats extended their season-opening winning streak to 11 games and outscored their opponents 26-2 with key wins over No. 20 Miami (Ohio) and No. 10 Iowa. During this stretch, junior back Ilse Tromp, sophomore forward Ashley Sessa and graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer each logged at least two games with five or more points, while first-year goalkeeper Julianna Boon added a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor and a Big Ten Freshman of the Week award.
The Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season in October in a 3-2 defeat against No. 8 Princeton, an opponent whom they would meet again on the biggest stage later in the year. Immediately following the loss, NU shut out No. 15 Rutgers and rallied back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat No. 10 Maryland thanks to third-quarter goals from Zimmer and Maja Zivojnovic on the road in a 2-1 win.Β
The 'Cats then returned home for an Oct. 24 meeting with No. 13 Michigan at Lakeside Field. Laura Salamanca put NU on the board first with a goal off a penalty corner in the second quarter.
After conceding on the visitors' first shot attempt of the game in the third quarter, the 'Cats responded emphatically. Sessa deflected in Aerin Krys' second assist with 5:17 remaining in the period before junior forward Olivia Bent-Cole turned in Northwestern's third tally just over a minute later. With a 3-1 victory, NU claimed a Big Ten championship for the ninth time in program history at Lakeside Field, securing the Big Ten regular season crown with two games left in the regular season.
Fuch's squad did not coast to the end of the regular season, either. The 'Cats set a season-high goals total in a 7-0 win over Ohio State on Senior Day, and they blanked Michigan State 5-0 in East Lansing on Halloween to seal a perfect 8-0 record in Big Ten play.
After five straight wins to wrap the regular season, the Wildcats entered the Big Ten Tournament as the conference's top seed. NU opened postseason play with a back-and-forth battle with Michigan, and the Wildcats ultimately avenged their 2024 conference tournament championship loss with a 5-3 win over the Wolverines to advance to the Big Ten title game. Schulze dominated with five points and a defensive save.Β
She then opened the championship game against Iowa with another goal, and after a pair of lead-bolstering scores from Tromp and Sessa, along with another shutout from Boon, the Wildcats secured their third Big Ten Tournament crown with a 3-0 shutout of the Hawkeyes. It marked the second time in program history (2023) that NU swept Big Ten titles.
The reigning national champions entered NCAA Tournament play with 18 wins in 19 games, two conference titles, five individual Big Ten awards and eight all-conference selections. However, they did not receive one of the top-four national seed designations, which meant a meeting with Yale to start the tournament.
Behind a four-goal second half, NU defeated No. 12 Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats allowed only three shots from the Bulldogs, as Sessa and fellow junior forward Piper Borz put away two goals apiece.
In the second round, Schulze came up clutch for Northwestern yet again. Delivering a game-winning goal, the forward propelled the 'Cats to a 3-2 second-round victory over No. 11 Miami (OH) in Charlottesville, Virginia.
NU advanced to its fifth consecutive national championship game with a comeback victory over top-seeded North Carolina. The 'Cats battled back from a two-goal deficit twice to stun the Tar Heels 4-3 in overtime. Schulze delivered the game-winner, while senior back Maja Zivojnovic, Bent-Cole and Tromp added scores. Zimmer recorded a career-high three assists. In her first-career Final Four start, Boon recorded three saves, including a crucial denial in overtime.
The Wildcats only surrendered one loss during the regular season, and they had an opportunity to avenge it against No. 2 Princeton in the national title game.
Behind goals from sophomore midfielder Kate Janssen and Tromp, the Wildcats clawed back from a one-goal fourth-quarter deficit to take down the Tigers 2-1 in double overtime and secure their second straight NCAA Championship. Sessa, Zimmer and Tromp recorded assists in the victory.
Despite entering the NCAA Tournament as an unseeded team, albeit with just one loss, the Wildcats finished the year leading the nation in scoring margin (2.82) and winning percentage (.957).
The Wildcats' success in 2025 was defined by their response to adversity. They won all four of their games in 2025 in which they trailed at halftime, including the national semifinals against then-No. 1 North Carolina. Fuch's squad is also the first team in Division I history to win a title after trailing in the fourth quarter of both the semifinals and the national championship.
In terms of accolades, Northwestern produced five All-Americans, which was tied for the most in the nation, for the third consecutive year. Sessa, Tromp and Zimmer were each named First-Team All-Americans, Boon was named a Second-Team All-American in her first collegiate season and Bent-Cole received Third-Team All-American honors. Zimmer also became the first Big Ten player to win NFHCA DI Player of the Year in consecutive seasons, and Fuchs, associate head coach Georgia Holland and assistant coach Will Byrne were named the NFHCA Coaching Staff of the Year for the third straight season. In February, Zimmer was announced as the Honda Sport Award Winner for the second year in a row.
Entering 2026, Northwestern has gone 16 straight overtime periods without allowing a goal. It also carries an eight-game NCAA Tournament winning streak into next season, which is tied for the ninth-longest tournament winning streak in NCAA field hockey history.
The Wildcats entered the 2025 campaign as the unanimous No. 1 team in preseason polls after winning the program's second national championship in 2024. With six student-athletes being selected to national watchlists and seven newcomers joining the squad, Northwestern became the first team outside of the Eastern Time Zone to win back-to-back national field hockey titles and the first Northwestern program to repeat as national champs since women's lacrosse in 2011-12.
It all started with eight straight games on the road.
Quickly earning the nickname "road warriors," the 'Cats claimed each of those eight competitions away from Evanston and earned six shutouts in the stretch. NU took two of those clean sheets at No. 5 Duke and No. 8 Boston College. The Wildcats went to overtime at Louisville, where graduate transfer forward Grace Schulze took her first game-winning goal of the year.
SCHULZE CALLS GAME ??
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) September 13, 2025
NU 2 | LOU 1 (OT) pic.twitter.com/y0ewMG58iI
NU went on to win four straight games by four or more goals, an early sign of the offensive power that the 2025 squad would provide throughout the rest of the season. From mid-September to mid-October, the Wildcats extended their season-opening winning streak to 11 games and outscored their opponents 26-2 with key wins over No. 20 Miami (Ohio) and No. 10 Iowa. During this stretch, junior back Ilse Tromp, sophomore forward Ashley Sessa and graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer each logged at least two games with five or more points, while first-year goalkeeper Julianna Boon added a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor and a Big Ten Freshman of the Week award.
Two more shutouts secured, and Boon is your @B1GFieldHockey DPotW ??
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) September 22, 2025
With 8 saves on the weekend, the redshirt fy. leads the conference in save pct, wins, and shutouts. ??
?? https://t.co/7p207tjVok pic.twitter.com/F2XmW09m71
The Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season in October in a 3-2 defeat against No. 8 Princeton, an opponent whom they would meet again on the biggest stage later in the year. Immediately following the loss, NU shut out No. 15 Rutgers and rallied back from a 1-0 deficit to defeat No. 10 Maryland thanks to third-quarter goals from Zimmer and Maja Zivojnovic on the road in a 2-1 win.Β
Zivojnovic sticks with it for the GOALLL ??
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) October 19, 2025
'Cats lead 2-1 after No. 23 scores her third of the season. pic.twitter.com/UNvDq59Cro
The 'Cats then returned home for an Oct. 24 meeting with No. 13 Michigan at Lakeside Field. Laura Salamanca put NU on the board first with a goal off a penalty corner in the second quarter.
After conceding on the visitors' first shot attempt of the game in the third quarter, the 'Cats responded emphatically. Sessa deflected in Aerin Krys' second assist with 5:17 remaining in the period before junior forward Olivia Bent-Cole turned in Northwestern's third tally just over a minute later. With a 3-1 victory, NU claimed a Big Ten championship for the ninth time in program history at Lakeside Field, securing the Big Ten regular season crown with two games left in the regular season.
Zivojnovic sticks with it for the GOALLL ??
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) October 19, 2025
'Cats lead 2-1 after No. 23 scores her third of the season. pic.twitter.com/UNvDq59Cro
Fuch's squad did not coast to the end of the regular season, either. The 'Cats set a season-high goals total in a 7-0 win over Ohio State on Senior Day, and they blanked Michigan State 5-0 in East Lansing on Halloween to seal a perfect 8-0 record in Big Ten play.
The champs. ?? pic.twitter.com/hHITAZnhZ8
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) October 24, 2025
After five straight wins to wrap the regular season, the Wildcats entered the Big Ten Tournament as the conference's top seed. NU opened postseason play with a back-and-forth battle with Michigan, and the Wildcats ultimately avenged their 2024 conference tournament championship loss with a 5-3 win over the Wolverines to advance to the Big Ten title game. Schulze dominated with five points and a defensive save.Β
Up next: @B1GFieldHockey Tournament ??
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 5, 2025
??Bloomington, Ind.
?? Game 1 Winner (Michigan or Rutgers)
? Nov. 7 @ noon CT
?? @BigTenNetwork https://t.co/NJB1VC0Ns3
She then opened the championship game against Iowa with another goal, and after a pair of lead-bolstering scores from Tromp and Sessa, along with another shutout from Boon, the Wildcats secured their third Big Ten Tournament crown with a 3-0 shutout of the Hawkeyes. It marked the second time in program history (2023) that NU swept Big Ten titles.
???????? ?????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????????????????? ??
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 9, 2025
The 'Cats claim the title ?? pic.twitter.com/RuhyJmRMkv
The CHAMPS ????
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 9, 2025
NU earns its 3??rd B1G Tourney Title. pic.twitter.com/BGJ3KTQxQ3
The reigning national champions entered NCAA Tournament play with 18 wins in 19 games, two conference titles, five individual Big Ten awards and eight all-conference selections. However, they did not receive one of the top-four national seed designations, which meant a meeting with Yale to start the tournament.
Headed to Charlottesville.
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 10, 2025
>> NU will face Yale in the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament on Nov. 14. pic.twitter.com/yA0muIBFP0
Behind a four-goal second half, NU defeated No. 12 Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats allowed only three shots from the Bulldogs, as Sessa and fellow junior forward Piper Borz put away two goals apiece.
Do??ned the 'dogs ??
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 14, 2025
SEE YOU SUNDAY ??? pic.twitter.com/815Qv5qsRc
In the second round, Schulze came up clutch for Northwestern yet again. Delivering a game-winning goal, the forward propelled the 'Cats to a 3-2 second-round victory over No. 11 Miami (OH) in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Final Four ??
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 16, 2025
NU punches its ticket for a 5??th-straight semifinal.
See you in Durham! ?? pic.twitter.com/IAPtEkG3aw
NU advanced to its fifth consecutive national championship game with a comeback victory over top-seeded North Carolina. The 'Cats battled back from a two-goal deficit twice to stun the Tar Heels 4-3 in overtime. Schulze delivered the game-winner, while senior back Maja Zivojnovic, Bent-Cole and Tromp added scores. Zimmer recorded a career-high three assists. In her first-career Final Four start, Boon recorded three saves, including a crucial denial in overtime.
FOR THE FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR, THE WILDCATS ARE HEADED BACK TO THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP! pic.twitter.com/Rarj4lEsuW
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 21, 2025
The Wildcats only surrendered one loss during the regular season, and they had an opportunity to avenge it against No. 2 Princeton in the national title game.
Behind goals from sophomore midfielder Kate Janssen and Tromp, the Wildcats clawed back from a one-goal fourth-quarter deficit to take down the Tigers 2-1 in double overtime and secure their second straight NCAA Championship. Sessa, Zimmer and Tromp recorded assists in the victory.
BACK-TO-BACK NATIONAL CHAMPS ?? pic.twitter.com/eMuYuacK6b
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 23, 2025
Despite entering the NCAA Tournament as an unseeded team, albeit with just one loss, the Wildcats finished the year leading the nation in scoring margin (2.82) and winning percentage (.957).
Hoist it high ??
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 24, 2025
Fought for it, earned it. ?? pic.twitter.com/ltS7PPRd2W
The Wildcats' success in 2025 was defined by their response to adversity. They won all four of their games in 2025 in which they trailed at halftime, including the national semifinals against then-No. 1 North Carolina. Fuch's squad is also the first team in Division I history to win a title after trailing in the fourth quarter of both the semifinals and the national championship.
In terms of accolades, Northwestern produced five All-Americans, which was tied for the most in the nation, for the third consecutive year. Sessa, Tromp and Zimmer were each named First-Team All-Americans, Boon was named a Second-Team All-American in her first collegiate season and Bent-Cole received Third-Team All-American honors. Zimmer also became the first Big Ten player to win NFHCA DI Player of the Year in consecutive seasons, and Fuchs, associate head coach Georgia Holland and assistant coach Will Byrne were named the NFHCA Coaching Staff of the Year for the third straight season. In February, Zimmer was announced as the Honda Sport Award Winner for the second year in a row.
NFHCA ???????????????? Coaching Staff of the Year ??
β Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) January 16, 2026
Led by the best in the nation ????
?? https://t.co/fRiYOkZDXX pic.twitter.com/M8y3m0zPPq
Honda Award Winner ????. Maddie Zimmer. ??
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) February 3, 2026
Olympian, 3x National Champion, 2x NFHCA Player of the Year, 5x All-American. Always a Wildcat.?? pic.twitter.com/EXgHInWWS0
Entering 2026, Northwestern has gone 16 straight overtime periods without allowing a goal. It also carries an eight-game NCAA Tournament winning streak into next season, which is tied for the ninth-longest tournament winning streak in NCAA field hockey history.
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