Hoosiers Fall at No. 10 Northwestern

Friday, October 6

Evanston, IL

4 PM

Indiana University

(5-8 0-4B1G)

Northwestern

(9-4, 4-1B1G)

Indiana

Northwestern

10/6/2017 8:40:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Woods nets second goal of the season

EVANSTON, Ill. – The Indiana field hockey team dropped their final game of a five-game away stretch at No. 10 Northwestern, 4-1, on a misty Friday afternoon at Lakeside Field. The Hoosiers (5-8, 0-4) met a formidable attack from the Wildcats (9-4, 4-1), who built a 2-0 lead from a 4-0 advantage on first half penalty corners.

Junior forward Claire Woods provided a bright spot for Indiana, scoring her second goal of the season off of Kelsey Giese's assist in the 61^st minute. Senior Katie Johnson made eight saves between the posts and got a little help from Ciara Girouard, who made an aerial defensive save as time expired.

The Wildcats pushed ahead by converting their first penalty corner attempt after 13 minutes of back-and-forth play. Johnson stopped the initial hit with a kick save, but Northwestern pursued the rebound and drove it into the boards for a 1-0 lead.

The Hoosiers mustered a couple of chances before hitting the midway break. Junior Taylor Swope made a stellar attack run after picking off a pass, but Northwestern cleared the chance as it crossed the half circle. Minutes later, Cameron Gibson swiped a pass and drove it to Kelsey Giese that made it inside the circle before a foul turned over possession.

The Wildcats made the most of their last chance before halftime, scoring a penalty corner on a dead play clock. Johnson parried her save into the air, but the ball hung over the cage long enough for a Wildcat stick to send it across the line.

Indiana came inches from goal in the 45^th minute. Nora Aucker arrived at the nearside post after inserting IU's first penalty corner at the right time and swung at the floating ball. Aucker's close range shot rattled off the post, nearly scoring in similar fashion to her goal last season against the Wildcats.

Northwestern extended their lead in the second half with a 61^st-minute score. The play traveled inside the circle, where Pascale Massey pushed a pass cross-cage for a score on an open net.

The Hoosiers fought to the finish despite the deficit. It didn't take long after Northwestern's first goal for Indiana to create a successful opportunity on a penalty corner. Giese's pass after the insert found Woods at a low angle, but the junior collected the ball and lobbed it into the net, cutting Northwestern's lead to two scores.

The Wildcats reclaimed their three-goal advantage in the 66^th minute, as Massey added to her assist with a score. That came against an open cage, as Indiana pulled Johnson in hopes of mounting a comeback run.

Up Next: Indiana (5-7, 0-3) vs. Ohio (3-8, 1-2)
Sunday, Oct. 8 • 2:00 p.m. ET • Bloomington, Ind. • IU Field Hockey Complex
Live on BTN Plus • Live Stats • @HoosiersFH on Twitter

After five consecutive games on the road, Indiana returns to the home turf to play their final non-conference game against the Ohio Bobcats in their annual #Play4TheCure game in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The first 100 fans through the gate can receive a free pink t-shirt to join the Hoosiers in promoting awareness. Fans unable to attend Sunday's home game can catch the action live via BTN Plus on BTN2Go.com.

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