Northwestern
(22-1)
#14 UMass
(17-6)
‘Cats Punch Ticket to Fourth Straight National Championship Game
11/22/2024 4:27:00 PM | Field Hockey
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – For the fourth consecutive season, Northwestern will play for a national championship. The 'Cats took down UMass, 1-0, in Friday's Final Four matchup to set up a battle with No. 4 St. Joseph's on Sunday.
CHAMPIONSHIP BOUND ?? #EarnIt pic.twitter.com/hVlpLQY0Jz
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 22, 2024
After a tough fought three quarters of play, the 'Cats found a breakthrough with 10 minutes left in regulation. Maddie Zimmer, the Senior captain, found herself with space in the middle of the field. With a pass ahead to teammate Ashley Sessa, the sophomore attacker knocked one backhanded to find the back of the net. Overall, Northwestern outshot the Minutewomen 10-2 and 7-1 in shots on goal. The shutout was the team's 13th in 23 games.
ZIMMER. SESSA. 'CATS IN FRONT ?? pic.twitter.com/J63vXFc0L8
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) November 22, 2024
The only save in the game for the 'Cats came courtesy of sophomore Ilse Tromp, who impressively swatted away a shot from the goal line that had squeaked past goalie Annabel Skubisz to keep UMass off the scoreboard.
Otherwise, Northwestern's defense completely shut down UMass' attack.
Northwestern will now face off against St. Joseph's with a national championship on the line. The Hawks pulled off a major upset, beating previously-undefeated No. 1 North Carolina, 2-1, in the first semifinal on Friday.
The two programs have only ever faced each other once, a 7-3 win for the Wildcats back on Sept. 20, 2009, Tracey Fuchs' first season as the Northwestern head coach. Fifteen years later, the stakes will be much higher.
The game will be played on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. CT at Phyllis Ocker Field and broadcast on ESPNU. Northwestern looks to secure its second National Championship after defeating Liberty, 2-0, in 2021, while St. Joseph's will be playing for its first national title.
Team Stats
Ashley Sessa (24)
Assisted By: Maddie Zimmer
steal at midfield, taken up the middle,
49:50
