The ‘Cats capitalized on a tough stretch for the Ducks
Madison Taylor stole the show—after seven first-half goals, the Oregon Ducks weren’t fending off the Wildcats Sunday afternoon. Northwestern came away with 19 goals, beating the Ducks by a score of 19-10.
The Wildcats jumped off to a quick 5-0 start thanks to a series of draw controls and defensive stops. With the ‘Cats playing at this level, Oregon didn’t stand a chance.
The Ducks were able to rally a couple of wins off the draw, scrapping for three goals before the first quarter expired. The Wildcats entered the second quarter with a 7-3 lead—they will look to close quarters out stronger as they finish the season.
“I was proud of the group because when we did have those lapses or setbacks, we really bounced back quickly and that’s a sign of a good team,” Northwestern Head Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said.
The second quarter was Northwestern’s most dominant, as it ran away with the game. With 10 second-quarter goals scored, the Wildcats left no wiggle room for the Ducks as they pummeled the rest of the field.
Taylor made most of her damage in the second quarter, coming away with five goals to close out the half. Perhaps most memorable were her three consecutive goals that extended the Wildcat lead to 15-5—putting the game firmly out of hand.
Yet again, Taylor gave all the credit to her teammates, citing that she would do anything to help her team win.
“I’ll do anything for the team to be successful and to win. So if that means I have to feed the ball, then I’ll do it,” the junior said.
In what was a tale of two halves, the Ducks were able to chip away at the Wildcat lead. Entering the third quarter down 12 goals, the Wildcats went into cruise control. Subbing out most of their starters, other Wildcat players had their chance to shine.
Cara Nugent and Francesca Argentieri subbed in for Delaney Sweitzer between the pipes, giving the Northwestern starter some much-deserved rest.
The Wildcats only scored two goals in the second half—both coming in the earlier minutes of the third quarter. Noel Cumberland and Niki Miles finished the scoring for the Northwestern side. The Ducks went on to put away four unanswered goals for a 19-10 Wildcat win.
Northwestern’s success on Sunday can be attributed to its ability to retain possession–thanks to midfielder and draw control specialist Sam Smith. The senior had a game-high 13 draws.
After a slower start, Smith was able to get back on track.
“You don’t really know what it’s gonna be like until you get out there, and I think it just takes a minute to get into the groove,” Smith said.
Getting into the groove is certainly what she did. Smith controlled the draw for the remainder of the game, helping to propel the Wildcats over the Ducks.
Northwestern looks to carry Sunday’s momentum this Thursday against Michigan when it returns to Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium for Lacrosse Night in Chicago—its last regular season home game.