Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, October 24
Evanston, Ill.
3 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Michigan
Photo by: Conner Cunningham/Northwestern Athletics
NU to Host No. 13 Michigan, No. 18 Ohio State
10/23/2025 7:10:00 PM | Field Hockey
EVANSTON, Ill. - Returning to Lakeside Field, the No. 2 Northwestern field hockey team (13-1, 5-0 Big Ten) could claim its third-straight Big Ten regular season title this weekend. The Wildcats will host matchups against conference foes No. 13 Michigan (8-4, 3-2 Big Ten) and No. 18 Ohio State (7-6, 3-2 Big Ten) in Evanston, with a chance to clinch the regular season championship.
NU takes on the Wolverines on Friday, Oct. 24, set for a 3 p.m. CT pass-back on the Big Ten Network. Two days later, the 'Cats meet the Buckeyes on Sunday, Oct. 26, at noon CT on B1G+. Sunday's game will also honor the team's senior student-athletes.
Scouting the Wolverines
NU holds a 37-35 all-time record against Michigan. The Wildcats and Wolverines have split the last 10 matchups, dating back to 2019. Last year, Northwestern won both of its regular-season games against the Wolverines but fell 1-0 in a well-matched battle in the Big Ten Tournament Championship on a third-quarter Michigan goal.
The Wolverines are coming off a bye week, having most recently played Ohio State in Columbus. Before the 1-0 loss at the Buckeyes, Michigan bested Rutgers, 2-1, at home.
Michigan goalkeeper Hala Silverstein is 11th in the country and second only to Northwestern's Juliana Boon in the Big Ten in goals against average (1.00). As a team, the Wolverines' defense is allowing the third-fewest goals per game (1.17) in the conference.
On the offensive side, graduate student Abby Tamer (1.33 points per game) and junior Juliette Manzur (1.25 points per game) lead Michigan in individual scoring and are in the top 15 in the conference in points.
Scouting the Buckeyes
The 'Cats lead the all-time series against Ohio State 41-29-1. Winning each of the last five games played against the Buckeyes, NU has outscored OSU 14-6 in the process. The last time they played in 2024, the Wildcats took down Ohio State, 2-1, in Evanston.
Forward Makenna Webster leads the team with 17 goals and 39 points and is second in the Big Ten in goals per game (1.31) and points per game (3.00). Sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Stevens is seventh in the conference in save percentage (.702).
Northwestern Notables
In its second ranked Big Ten road test of the weekend, Northwestern (13-1, 5-0 Big Ten) found its groove in the third quarter to come back and defeat No. 10 Maryland, 2-1. The Sunday matchup against the Terrapins (8-6, 4-3 Big Ten) felt a momentum shift after the break, as the Wildcats found their way on the board, and eventually in the lead for their 25th consecutive regular-season conference win.
Graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer posted the equalizer early in the third quarter with a penalty stroke, notching her fourth goal of the season. Nine minutes later, senior back Maja Zivojnovic put the ball away after a penalty corner attempt for the go-ahead goal. The senior has now scored in back-to-back games for the second time in her career (Sept. 22-24, 2024, Ohio State, Princeton).
With 48 saves through her first 14 collegiate starts, redshirt first-year 'Cats goalkeeper Juliana Boon leads the nation in goals against average (0.50). She has allowed just seven goals on the year and is fourth in the country in goalie win-loss percentage (0.923) and leads the NCAA in save percentage (0.873).
Three NU starters are in the top 10 in the Big Ten in points per game: Ashley Sessa (No. 3 - 2.77 points per game), Ilse Tromp (No. 4 - 1.64), and Grace Schulze (No. 8 - 1.36).
After claiming their second national championship in four years and eighth Big Ten regular season title in 2024, the 'Cats look ahead to attack their 2025 slate. Over half of Northwestern's 2025 opponents appeared in NFHCA preseason rankings.
The 2025 captains for Northwestern are Greta Hinke, Aerin Krys, and Zimmer.
Boon and Sessa returned to the Big Ten weekly honor roll on Oct. 20, as they both brought home their respective accolades for the second time this season. Boon earned Freshman of the Week, while Sessa was tabbed for her fifth-ever Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor.
NFHCA Week Seven Ranking: No. 2. The Oct. 21 ranking drops NU out of the top spot for the first time in the 2025 season. The 'Cats reigned in the NFHCA poll for seven straight polls, which had not been done by any team since 2022. While now No. 2, the 'Cats are sharing first-place votes with No. 1 UNC.
NU takes on the Wolverines on Friday, Oct. 24, set for a 3 p.m. CT pass-back on the Big Ten Network. Two days later, the 'Cats meet the Buckeyes on Sunday, Oct. 26, at noon CT on B1G+. Sunday's game will also honor the team's senior student-athletes.
Scouting the Wolverines
NU holds a 37-35 all-time record against Michigan. The Wildcats and Wolverines have split the last 10 matchups, dating back to 2019. Last year, Northwestern won both of its regular-season games against the Wolverines but fell 1-0 in a well-matched battle in the Big Ten Tournament Championship on a third-quarter Michigan goal.
The Wolverines are coming off a bye week, having most recently played Ohio State in Columbus. Before the 1-0 loss at the Buckeyes, Michigan bested Rutgers, 2-1, at home.
Michigan goalkeeper Hala Silverstein is 11th in the country and second only to Northwestern's Juliana Boon in the Big Ten in goals against average (1.00). As a team, the Wolverines' defense is allowing the third-fewest goals per game (1.17) in the conference.
On the offensive side, graduate student Abby Tamer (1.33 points per game) and junior Juliette Manzur (1.25 points per game) lead Michigan in individual scoring and are in the top 15 in the conference in points.
Scouting the Buckeyes
The 'Cats lead the all-time series against Ohio State 41-29-1. Winning each of the last five games played against the Buckeyes, NU has outscored OSU 14-6 in the process. The last time they played in 2024, the Wildcats took down Ohio State, 2-1, in Evanston.
Forward Makenna Webster leads the team with 17 goals and 39 points and is second in the Big Ten in goals per game (1.31) and points per game (3.00). Sophomore goalkeeper Maddie Stevens is seventh in the conference in save percentage (.702).
Northwestern Notables
In its second ranked Big Ten road test of the weekend, Northwestern (13-1, 5-0 Big Ten) found its groove in the third quarter to come back and defeat No. 10 Maryland, 2-1. The Sunday matchup against the Terrapins (8-6, 4-3 Big Ten) felt a momentum shift after the break, as the Wildcats found their way on the board, and eventually in the lead for their 25th consecutive regular-season conference win.
Graduate student midfielder Maddie Zimmer posted the equalizer early in the third quarter with a penalty stroke, notching her fourth goal of the season. Nine minutes later, senior back Maja Zivojnovic put the ball away after a penalty corner attempt for the go-ahead goal. The senior has now scored in back-to-back games for the second time in her career (Sept. 22-24, 2024, Ohio State, Princeton).
With 48 saves through her first 14 collegiate starts, redshirt first-year 'Cats goalkeeper Juliana Boon leads the nation in goals against average (0.50). She has allowed just seven goals on the year and is fourth in the country in goalie win-loss percentage (0.923) and leads the NCAA in save percentage (0.873).
Three NU starters are in the top 10 in the Big Ten in points per game: Ashley Sessa (No. 3 - 2.77 points per game), Ilse Tromp (No. 4 - 1.64), and Grace Schulze (No. 8 - 1.36).
After claiming their second national championship in four years and eighth Big Ten regular season title in 2024, the 'Cats look ahead to attack their 2025 slate. Over half of Northwestern's 2025 opponents appeared in NFHCA preseason rankings.
The 2025 captains for Northwestern are Greta Hinke, Aerin Krys, and Zimmer.
Boon and Sessa returned to the Big Ten weekly honor roll on Oct. 20, as they both brought home their respective accolades for the second time this season. Boon earned Freshman of the Week, while Sessa was tabbed for her fifth-ever Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor.
NFHCA Week Seven Ranking: No. 2. The Oct. 21 ranking drops NU out of the top spot for the first time in the 2025 season. The 'Cats reigned in the NFHCA poll for seven straight polls, which had not been done by any team since 2022. While now No. 2, the 'Cats are sharing first-place votes with No. 1 UNC.
Players Mentioned
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