Big Ten Network : Northwestern Top Stories

Northwestern sends Iowa to season's first loss

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 09:03:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- With Ricky Stanzi watching from the sideline on crutches, No. 8 Iowa ran out of magic. Dan Persa threw a touchdown pass and Marshall Thomas recovered a fumble for another score, and Northwestern dealt a crushing blow to Iowa's national championship hopes with a 17-10 victory Saturday. Stanzi was knocked out of the game with an ankle injury in the second quarter on the play in which Thomas scored the Wildcats' first touchdown. "Anytime you lose your quarterback, that's not good," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. The Hawkeyes (9-1, 5-1 Big Ten) have been living dangerously all season, making a habit of comebacks and close games. Still, they were good enough to be fourth in the latest BCS standings, hoping that with a slip or two by Florida, Alabama and Texas they could end up in the BCS national championship game in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 7. Now that their 13-game winning streak -- second longest in the nation -- has been snapped, the Hawkeyes' focus can shift to the other big game in Pasadena. Iowa can still win the Big Ten and land in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1 for the first time since the 1990 season. It was the first win over a top-10 opponent for the Wildcats (6-4, 3-3 Big Ten) since knocking off No. 6 Ohio State 33-27 in overtime in 2004. It also ended the nation's second-longest winning streak. Ferentz said Stanzi had a "severe" ankle injury. Freshman James Vandenberg was just 9 of 27 for 82 yards and couldn't lead the Hawkeyes to any points after Stanzi left the game. Ferentz said that while preliminary X-rays on Stanzi's ankle were negative, he'll likely be out the next couple of weeks. That's not a good sign for the Hawkeyes heading into next week's game against Ohio State in Columbus. Iowa finishes up at home against Minnesota. "Right now we just have to take the approach that he won't go, and if he does that's a bonus," Ferentz said. Northwestern scored twice off turnovers in the second quarter. Thomas' fumble recovery made it 10-7. Drake Dunsmore caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Persa after another Iowa miscue. Brandon Wegher had 63 yards rushing for Iowa. Stanzi was 4 of 9 for 134 yards with a touchdown, an interception and that costly fumble. Iowa committed four turnovers. "It's hard to win football games against good, competitive teams, and that's basically everybody in our conference, if you're going to turn the ball over," Ferentz said. "If you do that week in, week out, you're not going to win many football games. That's what has allowed us to be successful. We have to get back to that formula." Vandenberg, a native of Keokuk, Iowa, who holds the state high school record for career touchdown passes, had thrown three passes entering the game. His inexperience showed and after the Hawkeyes won four games by three points or fewer this season they finally had a hole too deep to climb out. Northwestern's Stefan Demos hit a 47-yard field goal with 13:29 left to give the Wildcats a 17-10 lead. The Hawkeyes had a chance to tie the game after taking over with 2:04 left on their own 17, but an incomplete pass on fourth down sent the Northwestern bench erupting in celebration. Stanzi watched from the sideline in a warmup suit with crutches. He was taken to the locker room after being drilled in the end zone by Corey Wootton with 11:46 to go in the second quarter. "Obviously it was a big momentum play. Not only get the sack to cause a fumble but you also get the touchdown," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said of the hit that knocked out Stanzi. "It was greatly important from a momentum standpoint." Vandenberg's first pass was intercepted by Quentin Davie, and Northwestern took advantage. Persa's TD pass to Dunsmore gave the Wildcats their first lead, 14-10. This was a huge win for Northwestern, which just last week got drilled by Penn State 34-13. Starting quarterback Mike Kafka left that game with a hamstring injury, and he and Persa split the snaps before Persa left in the third quarter with an apparent hand injury. Before the injury to Stanzi, it looked like the Hawkeyes might finally have an easy game. They needed three plays for Stanzi to find Marvin McNutt for a 74-yard touchdown catch to make it 7-0, and Murray's 39-yard field goal pushed the lead to 10 midway through the first quarter. But a week after committing six turnovers in a win over Indiana, Iowa turned it over four times in the second quarter against the Wildcats. Northwestern took its 14-10 lead despite gaining just 109 yards of offense in the first half. The Hawkeyes honored former coach Forest Evashevski, who died last week at the age of 91, with a helmet decal and highlights on the scoreboard. Evashevski coached at Iowa from 1952-60, leading the Hawkeyes to three Big Ten titles and two wins in the Rose Bowl. These Hawkeyes still control their Rose Bowl hopes. "There's no time to hang our heads," Vandenberg said. "We're in a race with two other good teams and it's all going to be about getting back to work."

Michigan rides double-doubles to win over NU

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 22:03:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan volleyball team had three players post double-doubles on Saturday night (Nov. 7) in a 3-1 (21-25, 25-17, 25-12, 25-17) win at Northwestern inside Welsh-Ryan Arena. Sophomore Alex Hunt (Granger, Ind./South Bend St. Joseph) notched 15 kills, senior Juliana Paz (Porto Alegre, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) tallied 13 kills and junior setter Lexi Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) racked up 43 assists as each earned 11 digs. Senior Veronica Rood (Temperance, Mich./Bedford) added 10 kills to join Hunt and Paz in double figures. The Wolverines held off a comeback bid by the Wildcats midway through the fourth set, using seven straight points to build a 22-13 lead in a 25-17 victory, claiming the match. Paz had the hot hand in the deciding stanza, posting five kills while adding three service aces. In set one, the Wolverines found themselves out-blocked 8-0 and held to a -.023 attack percentage in a 24-21 loss. Hunt tallied four kills to lead all Wolverines but hit at a negative clip in the frame. Down early in set two, the Wolverine offense started to awaken, using kills from Rood, senior Megan Bower (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) and sophomore/junior Karlee Bruck (Elyria, Ohio/Elyria) to build a 10-7 lead. Bower continued her hot play, winning a joust at the net and contributing another kill off the slide, building a 15-10 lead and forcing Northwestern into its first timeout of the set. A 6-3 U-M run from there pushed the lead to 21-13 as the Wolverines cruised to a 25-17 win. Hunt posted six terminations in the frame, while Bower and Paz each added three apiece as the Wolverines hit a much-improved .419 as a team. The Wolverines brought momentum with them out of the locker room to begin set three, racing out to an 11-2 lead, punctuated by a Paz service ace that forced another Northwestern timeout. The stoppage failed to slow down the U-M offensive explosion, which produced nine of the next 12 points, expanding the lead to 20-6 en route to a 25-12 win and 2-1 set lead. Michigan returns to action next Friday (Nov. 14) when it returns to Cliff Keen Arena to face Purdue. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. with MGoBlue.com carrying live game audio and live stats.

NU wraps up second place with win over MSU

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 21:27:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. - Junior forward Matt Eliason's 13th goal of the season just over five minutes in the match held up as No. 17 Northwestern concluded its regular season Saturday with a 1-0 win over Michigan State at Lakeside Field. The victory allowed the Wildcats to finish their Big Ten season with a 3-2-1 record, good for a second-place tie with Penn State. Entering the day, NU had an opportunity to win a share of the conference title if Ohio State were to lose or tie Michigan. However, the Buckeyes earned a 1-0 victory to claim the outright title and the No. 1 seed for next week's Big Ten tournament. Northwestern (10-3-4, 3-2-1) will be seeded third for the tourney and will face off again against the sixth-seeded Spartans (10-6-2, 2-4-0) in Thursday's opening round. As he has done all year, Eliason provided the heroics. On Senior Night, redshirt junior Kevin Valenta fed a ball through the box to Eliason who found himself one-on-one with Jeremy Clark and beat him for the score. It was Eliason's 30th goal of his career, tying him with Jonathan Hall (1986-89) for the school's all-time lead. The Wildcats would finish the opening half of play with an 8-3 advantage in shots. Michigan State came out t he aggressor following the intermission and controlled possession, but Northwestern was able to prevent the visitors from earning any quality scoring chances. The Spartans' closest call came in the final 30 seconds of as Cyrus Saydee fired a shot on goal, but a Wildcat defender was in the right place at the right time to make the stop and preserve the win. NU finished with a 13-9 edge in shots, while MSU had a 9-5 advantage in corner kicks. Misha Rosenthal made two saves to earn his sixth shutout of the season and the 29th of his career.

Northwestern rallies past Spartans

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 22:21:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) recorded her second career double-double, knocking down 17 kills and tying a career-best with 10 blocks, and junior Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) added 17 kills as well as Northwestern rallied past Michigan State 20-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-22 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats notch their third-straight Big Ten Conference victory, improving to 14-11 on the year and 5-8 in Big Ten play. Moffett's nine block assists on the evening propelled her into ninth-place all-time in program history with 251 career block assists. She also had just five attack errors on 36 attempts for a .333 hitting percentage. Johnson did one better, finishing with no errors on 25 attempts for a career-best .680 hitting percentage, while also tying her personal-high with seven blocks on the night. Northwestern's defensive play at the net proved to be the deciding factor, as the Wildcats held an 18-5 block advantage over the Spartans. In addition to the big nights from the Moffett-Johnson middle blocking tandem, redshirt freshman Kathryn Chrystal (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) finished with six blocks, with junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) adding five and junior Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) rejected four Michigan State attacks. Gray also finished with seven kills on the night, followed by six from senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Chapparal). Glab dished out 46 assists on the night to go along with her three kills and senior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) had 20 digs and a kill of her own for the 'Cats. Coming off a pair of thrilling five-set road victories over Purdue and Indiana last weekend, Northwestern held the early lead over Michigan State (16-9, 4-9 Big Ten) in the opening set, only to see the Spartans use a 6-1 run to break out to a 13-8 lead. The Wildcats were able to cut the gap to one at 18-17, but couldn't get any closer as Michigan State took set one 25-20. The Spartans appeared to be in control of the match early in the second set as well, building a five-point cushion over the 'Cats at 15-10. But Northwestern found that confidence it had gained the previous weekend and slowly chipped away at the Michigan State advantage, tying the match at 22. The Spartans looked poised to reclaim the lead, but Nobilio, who was just trying to keep the set alive, heaved a desperation shot over the net which floated just past the Michigan State attack, giving Northwestern the lead at 23-22. A block from Glab and a kill from Moffett closed out the set and turned momentum back in Northwestern's favor. The Wildcats carried that momentum into the third set, notching the first point of the set and never looking back. Northwestern would lead by as many as eight at 16-9 before Michigan State staged a 5-0 rally to pull to within a pair at 16-14. But the 'Cats outscored the Spartans 9-4 down the stretch for the 25-18 third set victory. With only 25 points separating itself from victory, Northwestern came out energized in set four, tallying the set's first four points. Michigan State would rally again, tying the set at 10, only to see NU respond with an 8-3 run of its own. The Spartans would stage one final rally, pulling to within two a handful of times, but kills from Gray and Moffett would ensure the Wildcat victory. The three match Big Ten winning streak is the first for Northwestern since the 2007 season as the Wildcats earn a season split with the Spartans for the fourth consecutive year. NU also extends its lead in the overall series with Michigan State, holding a 32-26 advantage. Megan Schatzle led the Spartans with 15 kills, while Kyndra Abron and Mischelle Nelson each added 11 for Michigan State. Natalie Emro had a match-high 47 assists while Allyson Karaba tied Nobilio with 20 digs on the night.

Dagley's first career goal lifts NU over Illinois, 1-0

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:28:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Caroline Dagley (San Rafael, Calif./The Branson School) scored the first goal of her career as Northwestern women's soccer closed its season with a 1-0 victory over Illinois Friday at Lakeside Field. Dagley's goal, in the 47th minute of the match, came on the Wildcats' first shot of the game. Jessica Palo (Ames, Iowa/Ames) played a ball into the box from the left side that was passed on by Jill Dunn (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) to Dagley, who made a long run down the right side of the field and struck for the score. Carolyn Edwards (Lincolnshire, Ill./Stevenson) made a career-high 11 saves in the match to make the lead hold up for Northwestern (7-10-2), which beat its in-state rival for the second consecutive time. Edwards made six saves in the first half, as Illinois opened the match with a strong wind at its back. The 'Cats offense did not take a shot in the first half. Northwestern nearly extended its lead with seven minutes remaining when Jennifer Baumann (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) drilled a shot on target, but Illinois' Alexandrea Kapicka managed to punch it over the net for a save.

No. 8 Iowa not looking past Northwestern

LUKE MEREDITH — Fri, 6 Nov 2009 02:01:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa(AP) Much of the buzz surrounding No. 8 Iowa has been about its resume, and whether the Hawkeyes can truly be considered national title contenders when they keep sneaking past everyone. Throw in a showdown with No. 15 Ohio State in Columbus next week that could determine the Big Ten title and Saturday's home date with Northwestern (5-4, 2-3 Big Ten) has all the makings of the classic trap game. Let's be honest, though. Every week's a trap game for Iowa. The Hawkeyes (9-0, 5-0) have survived them all so far, despite key injuries and fourth-quarter deficits in four of the nine games. ``I think we're getting great leadership,'' Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. ``I think the team overall gets it. I'm not taking anything for granted. But I think they understand we're going to be up against it week in and week out.'' This weekend should be no different, even if the Wildcats' hopes for an upset rest on the tender left hamstring of quarterback Mike Kafka. Kafka tweaked the hamstring last week against No. 11 Penn State with the Wildcats ahead 10-3. Sophomore backup Dan Persa led Northwestern to just a field goal after that as the Nittany Lions rolled to a 34-13 win. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said he expects Kafka to play, though Persa was listed as the co-starter on a depth chart released this week. Few players in the Big Ten are as important to their team as Kafka is to Northwestern. He leads all Big Ten quarterbacks in passing yardage, completions, completion percentage and total offense, and he leads the Wildcats in rushing with 248 yards and six touchdowns. Despite Kafka's heroics, Northwestern ranks just 74th in the nation with 25.7 points per game and will face a stout Iowa defense Saturday. Iowa allowed Indiana to score just 10 points following six Hawkeyes turnovers in last week's 42-24 win. The Hawkeyes have also forced 26 turnovers this season, including 18 interceptions. ``Iowa is one of those teams you can set your watch by what they're going to do from a schematic standpoint,'' Fitzgerald said. ``They do what they do very well.'' The Hawkeyes offense has been all over the map this season, which in many ways is related to the performance of quarterback Ricky Stanzi. Stanzi had one of the worst quarters an Iowa signal caller has ever had last week, throwing four picks in the third as Indiana jumped ahead 24-14 and seemed poised to end the Hawkeyes dream season. But with the unwavering support of Ferentz, Stanzi bounced back with two quick TD throws and Iowa scored 28 points in the fourth quarter - more than they had scored in all but two games up to that point. The Hawkeyes, who have scored exactly as many points as Northwestern this season, have battled through injuries all season. They are down to their last proven running back, true freshman Brandon Wegher - though he responded with a career-best 118 yards rushing and three TDs last week. ``I think Brandon's pretty comfortable and has been,'' Ferentz said. ``You have to be patient. I think that's offense in general. You have to have patience and a lot of people don't.'' Anyone who believes that Iowa will simply cruise past Northwestern at home clearly hasn't seen the Hawkeyes play this season or doesn't know the series' recent history. Northwestern has won three of the last four in the series, stopping Iowa four times inside the Wildcats 10-yard line late in a 22-17 win in Iowa City in 2008. ``We're doing a good job of focusing on who we've got the next week,'' said Iowa wide receiver Trey Stross. ``Close games definitely make you a little nervous.''

Hoosiers defeat Wildcats to advance

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 20:25:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The No. 18 Indiana field hockey team used a strong offensive effort to beat sixth seed Northwestern, 4-2, in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing, Mich. The Hoosiers (13-5) had goals from redshirt freshman Morgan Fleetwood (two), freshman Brooke Borneman and redshirt sophomore Brenna Moeljadi. Indiana didn't take long to get on the board as Fleetwood scored with 11:26 on the clock as she took a pass from sophomore Corey Brautigam and beat the keeper with a high goal. Close to 11 minutes later, Borneman got a pass from senior Meg O'Connell and beat Northwestern's keeper with a low goal to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats (12-8) cut IU's lead in half as Stephanie Fortson scored off a deflection in front of the net to beat IU's Alex Mann with a high goal, putting Northwestern on the scoreboard, 2-1, with 29:29 on the clock. At the 46:40 mark, Fleetwood netted her second goal of the game as she took a pass from junior Kelsey Kiper and put it past Northwestern's keeper to give IU a 3-1 lead. Moeljadi scored Indiana's final goal at the 53:44 mark off a Hoosier corner to take a 4-1 advantage. The Wildcats were able to score one more time as Kaylee Pohlmeyer scored off a rebound with 66:43 on the clock, but IU maintained the two-goal edge for the 4-2 win. The Wildcats outshot the Hoosiers, 15-14. Fleetwood led IU with five shots for two goals. Moeljadi tallied three shots and one goal, while Borneman had one shot for one goal off the bench. Kiper tallied two assists, and O'Connell, Brautigam and Griswold recorded one assist apiece. Freshman Julia Raymakers tallied her second defensive save of the season, and Mann started in goal for the Hoosiers and registered six saves in 70 minutes.

Northwestern takes care of Robert Morris

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 20:50:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. - Sophomore forward John Shurna posted game highs of 21 points and seven rebounds as the Northwestern men's basketball team defeated Robert Morris (Ill.) 78-49 Wednesday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena. It was the Wildcats' lone exhibition contest prior to opening the regular season against Northern Illinois Nov. 13. Kevin Coble chipped in with 15 points and six boards for NU. Lester Ferguson paced the Eagles with 15 points. Shurna tallied 13 points and grabbed six of his boards during the opening half of play. The Wildcats held a slim 18-17 lead with under eight minutes left before the intermission when Shurna caught fire. He nailed back-to-back 3-pointers and Jeff Ryan added a lay-up as Northwestern extended its lead to nine. Robert Morris was within six before Shurna knocked down his third trey in as many attempts and Ivan Peljusic threw down at dunk to give NU its largest lead of the half at 11. The 'Cats would eventually take a 35-26 advantage into the break. The Eagles scored the first four points of the second half to get within five before Northwestern gradually began to pull away. A lay-up by Drew Crawford capped a 12-3 surge over a four-minute span that extended the advantage to 14 at 47-33. The visitors trailed by 12 with 12 minutes left before the Wildcats put the game out of reach by scoring 16 of the game's next 19 points. NU held a commanding 51-33 advantage on the boards, including hauling in 18 offensive caroms which led to 19 second-chance points. The Wildcats dominated the play in the post, out-scoring the Eagles 44-16. Sophomore center Luka Mirkovic was a key figure in the post for Northwestern, notching eight points and six boards. Peljusic and Ryan contributed to the Wildcats' 26 points off the bench by scoring nine and seven points, respectively. Ryan's solid all-around effort also included four rebounds and a game-high four assists. The hosts also dished out 24 assists while committing only seven turnovers.

Stanzi, Iowa look for payback against Northwestern

Tue, 3 Nov 2009 20:07:00 +0000

Iowa quarterback Ricky Stanzi came up short in a late-game situation against Northwestern last season, but that likely won't be the fourth-quarter performance on the Iowa quarterback's mind in his second career meeting with the Wildcats. After remaining undefeated with a remarkable comeback victory last weekend, Stanzi and the eighth-ranked Hawkeyes look to extend the best start in team history Saturday when they host the Wildcats, who hope their quarterback will be available for their second consecutive meeting with a ranked Big Ten rival. In his sixth career game last Sept. 27, Stanzi completed 21 of 30 for a then-career-high 238 yards against Northwestern. But after guiding the Hawkeyes to the Wildcats' 8-yard line in the final minutes, Stanzi threw three straight incomplete passes before his fourth-down attempt was knocked down. Iowa lost that game 22-17 for its second consecutive defeat against Northwestern at Kinnick Stadium. The Hawkeyes also fell to the visiting Wildcats 21-7 on Nov. 4, 2006. While Stanzi couldn't finish the rally in his first meeting with Northwestern, he and the Hawkeyes (9-0, 5-0) have become masters of the comeback victory in 2009. Iowa has trailed in eight of nine games and four times entering the fourth quarter, but it's still off to the best start in team history. Iowa overcame a slow start to beat Indiana 42-24 last Saturday for its 13th straight victory, the second-longest streak in the nation. Trailing 24-14 heading into the fourth quarter, the Hawkeyes outscored the Hoosiers 28-0 in the final period to improve to 5-0 in the Big Ten for the first time since going undefeated in conference play in 2002. "No matter what happens, we know there's still time left on the clock," Stanzi said after throwing for a career-high 337 yards. "There's a chance to win, so you can't give up." Stanzi, 17-3 as a starter, threw four of his career-high five interceptions in the third quarter last week, but connected with Marvin McNutt for a 92-yard TD and hit Derrell Johnson-Koulianos for a 66-yard score in the fourth to put Iowa up 28-24. "No matter what happens, (Stanzi) keeps on playing," coach Kirk Ferentz said. "If there's one thing I can say about Rick, it's resiliency. He's done a great job of leading our football team." Senior quarterback Mike Kafka has done the same for Northwestern, leading the Big Ten in passing yards and total offense. Kafka, though, was forced to the sideline with a left hamstring injury in the second quarter of last Saturday's 34-13 loss to then-No. 12 Penn State. The Wildcats (5-4, 2-3) led 10-3 when Kafka left the game, but allowed 24 unanswered points in the second half with backup Dan Persa taking the snaps. "No excuses. I made some mistakes," Persa said after getting sacked four times and completing 14 of 23 for 115 yards. "I didn't get it done." Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald is expecting Kafka, who was 14 of 18 for 128 yards with a rushing touchdown against the Nittany Lions, to be ready to make his first career start against Iowa. "He's feeling better today than he did yesterday," Fitzgerald said Monday. Whether it is Kafka or Persa, Northwestern will face a Hawkeyes pass defense that is 26th in the Football Bowl Subdivision, allowing 180.1 yards per game. Iowa leads the nation with 18 interceptions. Sophomore defensive back Tyler Sash is tied for third in the FBS with six, including one in the third quarter against Indiana that he returned 86 yards for a touchdown. "I thought Tyler gave us that boost," Ferentz said after the Hawkeyes picked off three passes against the Hoosiers. "Good teams have that." In his first collegiate start last weekend, Iowa freshman Brandon Wegher rushed for a season-high 118 yards with three TDs, two in the fourth quarter. The Wildcats' last two opponents have rushed for six combined TDs and an average of 5.5 yards per carry. Iowa leads the all-time series with Northwestern 46-21-3. The Hawkeyes' last home win over the Wildcats was a 62-10 victory Nov. 9, 2002.

Jacobsen's late goal gives UW win over NU

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 23:29:00 +0000

MADISON, Wis. – Erin Jacobsen waited until the last minute, but her late goal sealed a 2-1 victory for the Wisconsin women's soccer team Monday as the Badgers topped Northwestern at Lakeside Field to clinch third place in the Big Ten Conference. The win, which helped Wisconsin avoid going to overtime for the ninth time, allowed the Badgers to conclude their regular season on a seven-game unbeaten streak, thanks to Jacobsen's 89th-minute score. After battling for 66 scoreless minutes, Jacobsen turned and connected on a right-footed shot from 30 yards out to improve the Badgers' record to 9-5-5 (5-1-4 Big Ten). The Wildcats dropped to 6-10-2 (3-5-1 Big Ten). ""I thought Northwestern did a great job,"" said head coach Paula Wilkins. ""The game could have gone either way; Northwestern played us hard all over the field. Our players keep finding ways to win games. This young group keeps figuring it out and I continue to be impressed with what they can do."" Paige Adams tallied her third goal of the season to put the Badgers on the board first. In the 14th minute, Laurie Nosbusch played the ball into the right side of the box and Adams beat Northwestern keeper Carolyn Edwards to the lower left to give the Badgers the 1-0 lead. Northwestern responded less than 10 minutes later on a goal by Alicia Herczeg in the 23rd minute of play. Caroline Dagley fed the ball to Herczeg, who put it past a diving Michele Dalton in the UW goal. The first half played out evenly. Northwestern had five shots to Wisconsin's four, with each keeper picking up one save. After going the first half without a corner kick, the Badgers had five corners in the second half. Dalton finished the outing with three saves and Edwards finished with two. The physical match saw 21 fouls called, along with four yellow cards. The Badgers finished with nine shots to the Wildcats' eight. The Badgers' third-place finish in the Big Ten marks the program's best finish since the 2000 season, when UW took second place in conference. The Badgers will now play the waiting game until Monday, Nov. 9, when selections for the NCAA tournament are announced live on ESPNews, starting at 7 p.m.

Strong finish propels Penn St. past Northwestern

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:46:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Penn State's defense clamped down after Northwestern lost starting quarterback Mike Kafka. In the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions' offense kicked in. Evan Royster bolted 69 yards for a TD to cap a three-score spurt in the final period and No. 12 Penn State pulled away to a 34-13 victory Saturday night. "You got to understand that a kid like that quarterback [Kafka] is out of there, it's a big loss," Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. "Kafka's a heck of a football player. We played them more aggressively in the second half and did a better job with the pass rush, regardless of whether Kafka was in there or some other kid." Daryll Clark threw a 53-yard TD pass to Derek Moye before Royster broke loose for the third of three Penn State touchdowns during a span 3 minutes, 40 seconds of the fourth quarter that turned a tight game into a rout. "I was just praying Daryll was going to hand the ball off, because it was one of those ones where he could throw it out or hand it off," said Royster, who ran for 118 yards on 15 carries. "I knew it was going to open up. After that I just had to run as fast as I could." Penn State (8-1 4-1 in the Big Ten) trailed 10-3 in the second quarter when Kafka was forced out with a left leg injury. And the Nittany Lions were still behind 13-10 at the half. But they shut out the Wildcats and backup QB Dan Persa in the final two quarters and gave Paterno his 391st win. "I think that affected them. I think the kid came in and did a good job. Kafka was really playing well in the first half. He had us on our heels," Penn State linebacker Sean Lee said. Behind the strong running of Royster, Penn State moved in for the go-ahead touchdown early in the final quarter on a 2-yard run by Brandon Beachum that made it 20-13. When the Nittany Lions got the ball back, Clark rolled right and found Moye behind Northwestern's secondary for the 53-yard TD pass, making it 27-13 with 10:16 to go. After Penn State forced another punt, Royster broke through the Northwestern defense on first down and sprinted to the end zone. Northwestern (5-4, 2-3) finished with 371 yards total offense after having 246 in the first half. Kafka injured his leg midway through the second quarter. He'd been sacked and then completed a pass before he was replaced by Persa. When he left, he'd completed 14 of 18 passes for 128 yards and carried eight times for 42 more. "When Mike was in there I don't think they stopped us. I think we stopped ourselves a couple of times," Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald said. Persa, whose mother and sister attended Penn State, completed 14 of 23 passes and rushed for 42 yards on 14 carries, but couldn't get the Wildcats to the end zone. He was sacked four times. "No excuses. I made some mistakes. ... I didn't get it done," Persa said. There was no word on what type of injury Kafka had or how long he would be out. He was on the sideline during the second half and even pedaled an exercise bike, but did not return. He entered the game leading the Big Ten in passing yards and total offense per game. "If he was healthy, I'd put him back in there," said Fitzgerald. Clark was 22 of 31 for 274 yards. "We noticed there were a couple of voids in their defense. ...We knew there would be a big play for us," Clark said. Clark led the Nittany Lions on a 93-yard drive in the second quarter, going 5 for 5 for 64 yards and also carrying for 12 yards. After a pass interference call on Northwestern, Clark hit Curtis Drake for 13 yards and then scored from the 2 -- his 20th career rushing TD, tying Michael Robinson's school record -- to make it 10-10. Persa then got the Wildcats in position for a go-ahead score but Jared Odrick blocked Stefan Demos' 37-yard field goal attempt. Demos got another shot and hit a 45-yarder with three seconds left in the half to give Northwestern the 13-10 lead. Collin Wagner kicked a 23-yard field goal to tie it in the third quarter. After the team's traded first-quarter field goals, Kafka and the Wildcats grabbed the lead in the second quarter. Kafka completed four straight passes in a hurry-up offense, had a 13-yard keeper on a key third down, and carried the final 7 yards to complete an 80-yard TD drive that put Northwestern up 10-3. It was just the second first-half TD allowed by Penn State's rugged defense all season.

Schmitt, Michigan top Northwestern in 2OT

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 17:50:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Senior/junior forward Matt Schmitt (Muskegon, Mich./Reeths-Puffer) scored the "golden" goal in the 102nd minute of action to send the University of Michigan men's soccer team to a 1-0 double overtime victory over No. 12 Northwestern on Sunday at the U-M Soccer Complex. Schmitt, who scored his second goal in as many games, was in the right place at the right time for the game winner. On the previous possession, the Wolverines had back-to-back blocked shots from junior forward Justin Meram (Shelby Township, Mich./Yavapai College), one of those shots deflected off of the goalpost onto Schmitt's foot, who put it just past Northwestern's Misha Rosenthal to give U-M head coach Steve Burn's his 100th career victory and the 100th program victory. Junior/sophomore midfielder Adam Shaw (Lone Tree, Colo./Highlands Ranch) and senior forward Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, Texas/Stratford) led the way for the Wolverines with four shots each. Junior/sophomore goalkeeper Chris Blais (Seattle, Wash./Kennedy Memorial) made four saves on the afternoon and earned his sixth shutout of the season. The Wolverines were knocking on the door throughout the second half and both overtime periods and it looked like U-M was going to get the victory in regulation with a goal from Meram in the final seconds. Meram put a shot just past Rosenthal but it was called back with a handball call from the referee. Northwestern also had two quality opportunities in the second half to get on the board. The first was a shot from Drew Pavlovich that hit the post and rolled out of bounds and the second was a header on a corner kick from Piero Bellizzi that went just over the crossbar. The teams entered the second half deadlocked at 0-0 after a first half that was a typical Big Ten slugfest. U-M and Northwestern put on a battle with both teams playing an evenly matched game on both sides of the ball. Neither team registered a shot on goal until the 25th minute of the half when Michigan freshman defender Brian Klemczak (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson) hit a shot from the right side that was scooped up by Rosenthal. From that point the teams seemed to battle back on forth on both sides of the ball but the Wolverines seemed to have the upper hand in terms of possession and registered several shots on goal. Northwestern's Oliver Kupe looked like he was going to give the Wildcats the early 1-0 lead after breaking through the U-M defense but Blais made a point blank save, one of his four of the game, to keep the game knotted at 0-0. The Wolverines were able to control the midfield in the first half. Junior midfielder Alex Wood (Northville, Mich./Northville), getting his first start of the season, was able to serve several spectacular long balls through the midfield and Shaw really proved to be U-M's workhorse battling for each and every ball that came his way. The Wolverines close out the 2009 regular-season on Saturday (Nov. 7) when they travel to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State in a televised. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. in Jesse Owen Memorial Stadium.

Northwestern holds off Indiana, 3-2

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:00:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Apparently Northwestern's moniker as the "Cardiac 'Cats" is now extending to the volleyball court, as the Wildcats held off six Indiana match points in a wild fifth set, earning a thrilling 23-25, 25-18, 25-17, 17-25, 24-22 Halloween night victory over the Hoosiers at University Gym. It was Northwestern's second-consecutive five-set road victory as the Wildcats improve to 13-11 on the year and 4-8 in Big Ten play. Junior Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) once again anchored the Wildcats up front, recording match-highs in both kills (23) and blocks (6) with junior Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) adding 17 kills on a .500 hitting percentage and three blocks. Redshirt freshman Kathryn Chrystal (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) had nine kills and just one error on 13 attempts for a .615 hitting percentage as the trio paced a potent Northwestern attack which hit .305 on the evening. Junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) dished out a career-best 66 assists on the night with nine digs and a pair of kills, as senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) and sophomore Alexandra Ayers (Playa del Rey, Calif./Marymount) each added seven kills. Defensively, Chrystal had five blocks to compliment the six from Moffett. Four different Wildcats recorded double-digit dig totals, led by 23 from senior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg). Baxterbeck added 18 while Ayers chipped in with 13 and freshman Julie Chin (Naperville, Ill./North) had 11. In what will go down as one of the classic matches in the Northwestern - Indiana series, both teams battled back and forth in the decisive fifth set. The Wildcats led 15-14 with a chance to close out the match, but the Hoosiers rallied for a pair of points and had match point of their own at 16-15. It was the first of six different match point opportunities for Indiana that Northwestern was able to fend off, the last of which came at 22-21. But three straight points for the Wildcats gave NU the victory, capped by a block from Chrystal and Johnson for match point. Set one set the tone for what would prove to be a competitive evening as neither Northwestern or Indiana (14-13, 3-9 Big Ten) could take control. After 12 ties and five lead changes, the Hoosiers held off the Wildcats long enough to take a 25-23 decision. The second set, however, would belong to Northwestern, as the Wildcats pounced to an early 13-8 lead and never looked back. Northwestern would push its advantage to nine at 22-13 before cruising to the 25-18 victory, sending the match into the intermission tied at one. NU carried its second-set momentum into the third, as after falling behind 8-5 early, the 'Cats would use an 11-2 run to break the set open at 16-10. Indiana tried to climb back into the set, but Northwestern held off every attempt en route to the 25-17 decision and a 2-1 lead in the match. But just like Purdue a night earlier, Indiana refused to go down without a fight on its home court. The Hoosiers slowly extended its lead to eight at 20-12 and seemed to be in control of the fourth set. Northwestern staged a late rally cutting the deficit to four at 21-17, but Indiana held off NU to take the set 25-17 and force the thrilling decisive set. The victory gives Northwestern the season sweep over Indiana after taking another five-set decision at Welsh-Ryan Arena back on Oct. 11. The Wildcats also notch their first win in Bloomington since the 2006 season. Kelsey Hall led the Hoosiers with 18 kills with Ashley Benson adding 15 and Jordan Haverly notching 13. Taylor Wittmer had a big night for Indiana, recording seven kills and a team-high five blocks in defeat. After four-straight road matches, the Wildcats finally get to return home for a pair of matches this weekend. Northwestern takes on Michigan State Friday, Nov. 6 before a showdown with nationally-ranked Michigan Saturday, Nov. 7. Both matches get underway at 7 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan Arena, with the match against the Wolverines airing nationally on the Big Ten Network.

Northwestern QB leaves with injury

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:46:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill.(AP) Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka injured his leg in the second quarter Saturday and had to leave the Wildcats' game with No. 12 Penn State. Kafka was replaced by Dan Persa midway through the second quarter. After talking on the phone on the sideline, Kafka left for the locker room with just more than five minutes to go in the first half. He had completed 14 of 18 passes for 128 yards and carried eight times for 42 yards, including a touchdown carry to help Northwestern build a 10-3 lead.

No. 13 Ohio State drops No. 20 NU, 2-1

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:48:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. - With Big Ten tournament seeding on the line, the No. 13 Ohio State field hockey team earned a 2-1 conference victory over No. 20 Northwestern on Saturday to finish the regular season in a two-way tie for second with Indiana with matching 4-2 league ledgers. By virtue of its win over Indiana this season, Ohio State (13-5 overall) earned the tiebreaker and will be the No. 2 seed at the conference tournament. The Buckeyes open the conference tournament vs. Penn State, the No. 7 seed, at 1:15 Nov. 5 in East Lansing, Mich. "This is a great win for us on the road," Anne Wilkinson, Ohio State head coach, said. "It is a strong win for us to the season and we are in a good rhythm going into the Big Ten tournament." After three first half goals, both the Buckeyes and Wildcats turned up their defensive efforts for a scoreless second half. The two teams combined for just 16 shots on the game with Ohio State holding a 9-7 advantage. The Wildcats held a slight advantage in penalty corners, 7-5. Northwestern struck first but its lead did not stand for long. After two-consecutive penalty corners, NU sophomore Chelsea Armstrong, who leads the league in scoring, was able to sneak one by sophomore goalkeeper Ally Tunitis after picking up a loose ball in front of the net at 8:03. Freshman Berta Queralt, who is second in scoring in the Big Ten, used her speed and stick-handling skills to tie the game at 1-all in the 12th minute. Picking the ball up in the midfield, Queralt carried the ball deep into Wildcat territory to the top of the arc, ripping off a reverse shot to the far post and beating Northwestern keeper Katie Lynch at 12:10 with an unassisted goal. Queralt now has 44 points on the season which ties former Ohio State All-American Yesenia Luces for 10th on the single season points record list, making her just the third freshman in Buckeye history to break into the Top 10 of the category. With things clicking on offense, Ohio State continued to pressure NU's defense. Sophomore Maria Briones gained control of a deflected ball three yards out from the Wildcat's goal and moved through traffic to score her 12th goal of the season and third gamewinner at 19:15. Tunitis, playing in her second game of the season, made two saves while Lynch made one for Northwestern. After the halftime, Ohio State made a switch at goal, bringing in senior goalkeeper Lindsay Quintiliani who made four second-half stops to ensure the Buckeye win. The Ohio State offense was still on the attack, posting five shots, including a penalty stroke situation. Queralt just missed, hitting the post on the free position. Northwestern also made changes between the pipes in the second half with Amanda Wirth playing 26:50 and facing no shots while Jaimie Orrico played 8:10 and made two saves.

Wildcats fall to Gophers in overtime

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:12:00 +0000

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Kylie Kallman's overtime goal was the difference Friday as Northwestern women's soccer fell, 1-0, at Minnesota. The two sides battled Mother Nature for most of the match, as rain and cold temperatures created sloppy playing conditions and limited scoring chances for both sides. Kallman scored the game's only goal in the 98th minute. A Northwestern foul gave the Gophers (11-5-3, 4-3-2 Big Ten) a free kick from the top right corner of the 18-yard box, which Minnesota's Katie Bethke put in front of the net. Kallman tipped the ball into the goal for her second tally of the season. Northwestern's best scoring chance of the match also came in overtime, when Jennifer Baumann (Waukesha, Wis./Catholic Memorial) put a high, arcing shot on frame that Minnesota goalkeeper Cat Parkhill just managed to get underneath and hold. The Wildcats (6-9-2, 3-4-1) took 10 shots in the match, including four from Alicia Herczeg (Agoura Hills, Calif./Agoura Hills). Herczeg recorded NU's other shot on goal in the first half. Four Minnesota natives saw action for Northwestern Friday, including Briana Westlund (Cottage Grove, Minn./Park). The freshman center back took one shot off a corner kick in the first half. Carolyn Edwards (Lincolnshire, Ill./Stevenson) made four saves in the contest for the 'Cats.

Northwestern tops Purdue in five sets

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:55:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Junior Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) knocked down 16 kills with senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) and sophomore Alexandra Ayers (Playa del Rey, Calif./Marymount) each knocking down 13 as Northwestern took a dramatic 25-23, 25-22, 17-25, 23-25, 16-14 win over Purdue at Holloway Gymnasium. The victory gives the Wildcats the season sweep over the Boilermakers for the first time since 2004, which also marks the last time Northwestern won in West Lafayette. Northwestern also notches its first Big Ten road victory of the year, improving to 12-11 overall and 3-8 in conference play, while Purdue drops to 11-11 and 3-8 in the Big Ten. The California trio provided the spark for the Wildcats all night, with Moffett adding five blocks against Purdue. Ayers had a career-best 18 digs on the night, second only to senior Kate Nobilio's (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) 19, with Baxterbeck adding 12 digs defensively for the 'Cats. Junior Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) continued her solid play at the net for Northwestern, blocking a team-best six attempts to go along with her three kills. Redshirt freshman Kathryn Chrystal (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) added four kills and three blocks, with junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) dishing out 42 assists to compliment her four blocks and three kills. After taking the first two sets, Northwestern found itself trailing Purdue 8-7 at the turn in set five. The teams would trade points before a Boilermaker service error and a kill from Moffett gave NU a 13-11 lead. Purdue would rally, tying the set at 13 and again at 14, but a kill from Baxterbeck and a Boiler attack error sealed the victory for the 'Cats. Northwestern, which defeated Purdue in five sets at Welsh-Ryan Arena back on Oct. 10, came out energized early on. The Wildcats pounced to an early four point lead at 10-6, but Purdue rallied to tie the match on seven different occasions, including 22-22 late. But it was NU that took three of the last four points to take set one 25-23, with a kill from Moffett sealing it. Set two continued right where set one left off, as both teams battled back and forth for points. Northwestern would build a five-point lead at 18-13, only to see Purdue close the gap to one a handful of times. But the Boilers were never able to reclaim the lead as the 'Cats once again used a late run to seal the victory, taking set two 25-22. Purdue would start the comeback in set three, building a six-point cushion on Northwestern at 16-10. The Boilermakers avoided the sweep by holding off the Wildcats for the remainder of the set, taking the third 25-17. That momentum would carry into the early portion of the fourth set, as Purdue looked to be easily in control holding a 20-13 lead. But the Wildcats weren't going down without a fight, using a 9-3 run to pull to within a point at 23-22, and then again at 24-23. Unfortunately the rally came up just short as Purdue took the 25-23 decision to force the decisive fifth set. Carrie Gurnell led the Boilermakers with a match-high 17 kills while Ariel Turner had 13 kills and four blocks and Jaclyn Hart finished with 55 assists and five blocks in defeat.

Penn St.-Northwestern Preview

BRETT HUSTON — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:46:00 +0000

With the Big Ten's highest-rated passer looking to build on another stellar performance, Penn State will try to keep its conference title hopes alive when it visits Northwestern on Saturday afternoon. The No. 12 Nittany Lions (7-1, 3-1) have gotten back on track since being upset 21-10 at home by Iowa on Sept. 26. They've done so behind senior quarterback Daryll Clark, who has rebounded from a three-turnover performance against the Hawkeyes to spark a four-game winning streak. Clark has averaged 231.5 yards through the air and totaled 12 touchdowns during that span, and he tied a career high with four TD passes in a 35-10 rout at Michigan on Saturday. "I don't think Clark's gotten anywhere near the kind of credit he should have after the season he had last year and the kind of season he's having this year," coach Joe Paterno said after the Nittany Lions' first win in Ann Arbor since 1996. Clark leads the Big Ten in passer rating (148.4) and touchdowns (17) and directs the conference's top offense at 428.1 yards per game. He broke a school record with his 55th career touchdown last week. "I play for the team, the coaches and to get the `W' every time we step out on the football field," Clark said. "We've won four straight and we have another tough opponent next week in Northwestern." Penn State and Ohio State each have one league loss, and both are looking up at unbeaten Iowa. The Nittany Lions host the Buckeyes next week, and Ohio State then returns home to face the Hawkeyes the following week. Along with Clark, Penn State can thank its defense for keeping it in contention for its first back-to-back Big Ten titles. Michigan came in averaging a conference-best 37.3 points before being shut down by the Nittany Lions. After going 70 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown to open the game, the Wolverines were held to 180 yards and three points. Northwestern (5-3, 2-2) is in the middle of the conference in total offense at 392.6 yards per game, but it racked up quite a few yards in a hurry against Indiana last Saturday. The Wildcats trailed 28-3 at home midway through the second quarter, but rallied to win 29-28 as Stefan Demos kicked a 19-yard field goal with 21 seconds left. "It's kind of like, 'What are we doing here?'" said receiver Andrew Brewer, who had eight catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. "Let's play the way we know we're capable of playing, and for some reason this season, we are starting out late and having some tremendous finishes. ... Just imagine how good we could be and how the score would look if we played both halves that way." Senior Mike Kafka leads the Big Ten with 2,067 passing yards, but was intercepted three times Saturday after being picked off four times in his first seven games. Penn State is tied for 18th in the nation with 10 interceptions, and though Northwestern got away with a minus-three turnover differential against the Hoosiers, coach Pat Fitzgerald knows it's unlikely the Wildcats will be able to do it again. "It's pretty hard to win a Big Ten game and lose the turnover battle," Fitzgerald said. "We need to do a better job, the ball was out a couple times and we had our hands on the ball a couple of other times, and didn't get the picks." Penn State has not visited Northwestern since a 34-29 victory Sept. 24, 2005. Three of the Nittany Lions' four wins in Evanston came by five points or fewer. Penn State leads the series 9-3.

Penn State-Northwestern preview

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:11:00 +0000

With the Big Ten's highest-rated passer looking to build on another stellar performance, Penn State will try to keep its conference title hopes alive when it visits Northwestern on Saturday afternoon. The No. 12 Nittany Lions (7-1, 3-1) have gotten back on track since being upset 21-10 at home by Iowa on Sept. 26. They've done so behind senior quarterback Daryll Clark, who has rebounded from a three-turnover performance against the Hawkeyes to spark a four-game winning streak. Clark has averaged 231.5 yards through the air and totaled 12 touchdowns during that span, and he tied a career high with four TD passes in a 35-10 rout at Michigan on Saturday. "I don't think Clark's gotten anywhere near the kind of credit he should have after the season he had last year and the kind of season he's having this year," coach Joe Paterno said after the Nittany Lions' first win in Ann Arbor since 1996. Clark leads the Big Ten in passer rating (148.4) and touchdowns (17) and directs the conference's top offense at 428.1 yards per game. He broke a school record with his 55th career touchdown last week. "I play for the team, the coaches and to get the 'W' every time we step out on the football field," Clark said. "We've won four straight and we have another tough opponent next week in Northwestern." Penn State and Ohio State each have one league loss, and both are looking up at unbeaten Iowa. The Nittany Lions host the Buckeyes next week, and Ohio State then returns home to face the Hawkeyes the following week. Along with Clark, Penn State can thank its defense for keeping it in contention for its first back-to-back Big Ten titles. Michigan came in averaging a conference-best 37.3 points before being shut down by the Nittany Lions. After going 70 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown to open the game, the Wolverines were held to 180 yards and three points. Northwestern (5-3, 2-2) is in the middle of the conference in total offense at 392.6 yards per game, but it racked up quite a few yards in a hurry against Indiana last Saturday. The Wildcats trailed 28-3 at home midway through the second quarter, but rallied to win 29-28 as Stefan Demos kicked a 19-yard field goal with 21 seconds left. "It's kind of like, 'What are we doing here?'" said receiver Andrew Brewer, who had eight catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. "Let's play the way we know we're capable of playing, and for some reason this season, we are starting out late and having some tremendous finishes. ... Just imagine how good we could be and how the score would look if we played both halves that way." Senior Mike Kafka leads the Big Ten with 2,067 passing yards, but was intercepted three times Saturday after being picked off four times in his first seven games. Penn State is tied for 18th in the nation with 10 interceptions, and though Northwestern got away with a minus-three turnover differential against the Hoosiers, coach Pat Fitzgerald knows it's unlikely the Wildcats will be able to do it again. "It's pretty hard to win a Big Ten game and lose the turnover battle," Fitzgerald said. "We need to do a better job, the ball was out a couple times and we had our hands on the ball a couple of other times, and didn't get the picks." Penn State has not visited Northwestern since a 34-29 victory Sept. 24, 2005. Three of the Nittany Lions' four wins in Evanston came by five points or fewer. Penn State leads the series 9-3.

No. 12 Northwestern knocks off No. 25 Indiana

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:41:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. - No. 25 Indiana fell behind in the 63rd minute and could not mount a comeback in a 2-0 loss at No. 12 Northwestern (9-2-4, 2-1-1) Sunday afternoon at Lakeside Field. The Hoosiers fall to 7-7-1 overall, 2-2 in Big Ten play. Indiana has now gone 277:22 minutes without scoring a goal. "This is a very difficult loss," said head coach Mike Freitag. "It is indicative of the season at this point and time. For whatever reason we have not come together as a team and we have very little time left to do that." Northwestern took a 1-0 lead at 62:12 when Matt Eliason corralled a free ball in the box and sent it to the lower left corner. It was the first goal scored by Northwestern against Indiana since the 2005 season when the teams played to a 1-1 tie. The Wildcats put the match out of reach with their second goal in the 79th minute as Oliver Kupe scored his second goal of the season. The Hoosiers did not record a shot in the second half until 12:30 remaining when Eric Alexander sent a shot high. With 10 minutes to play freshman Kevin Bick sent a ball off the NU cross bar. With sophomore Will Bruin ineligible for this contest after receiving a red card in the last match, redshirt freshman Tim Wylie earned his first career start, pairing up top with senior Darren Yeagle. Senior Eric Alexander took a shot in the 11th minute that Northwestern goalkeeper Misha Rosenthal came out to block, The ball rolled over to the back post but no Hoosier was in position to put home the rebound. Neil Wilmarth, who came on for the Hoosiers mid-way in the first half, out-jumped his opponent and got his head on the end of an Andy Adlard corner kick in the 33rd minute but an IU defender was there for the team save. Indiana was lucky to survive a pair of dangerous chances by the Wildcats in the first half. Goalkeeper Luis Soffner tried to one-hand a serve that bounced over his head, but he was able to cover the ball before an NU player could get a foot on it. With less than 10 minutes to play, a deflected header off a corner kick bounced off the cross bar and out of play to keep Northwestern scoreless. The Hoosiers had an 8-2 advantage in shots at the half, limiting NU to just one on-goal look. Yeagle and Kevin Bick led IU with two attempts each. Indiana will close the regular season with a three-match home stand, beginning with Evansville Wednesday night at 7 p.m. ET on Jerry Yeagley Field at Armstrong Stadium.