Northwestern women’s soccer stays hot with back-to-back shutouts

The Wildcats’ defense has been downright dominant lately.

In 2022, when Northwestern women’s soccer made its first NCAA Tournament since 2018, the ‘Cats started out scorching. By Sept. 8, the squad had seven games under its belt, and its record stood at a sparkling 5-1-1. The victory on Sept. 8 was a 1-0 shutout over a ranked team at home, the second straight game the Wildcats earned a shutout.

In other news, Northwestern currently sits at 5-2 on Sept. 8 (although this article is being published on Sept. 9). Northwestern’s most recent conquest was a 1-0 shutout over a ranked team at home, and it was also the second straight shutout from the Northwestern defense. Here’s a look at the Wildcats’ postseason-ready play from the past week.

Sept. 5 at Illinois State

Northwestern had a week off after a narrow loss to Syracuse, the team’s second straight loss on the road. The extra time off helped ensure that the ignominious road record would not continue dipping into the red. After the Redbirds notched a corner kick less than three minutes into the game, the Wildcats quickly took over. Northwestern kept the pressure on early, and the result was an easy score in the 14th minute.

That might be the easiest (and flukiest) goal of Kennedy Roesch’s collegiate career, but the Wildcats’ presence in the box remained a constant throughout the game. The Wildcats tallied three corner kicks and three shots on goal over the next 20 minutes, but Illinois State was able to keep the deficit at one. That was, until…

Were either of Northwestern’s first half goals on actual shots? Not really, but that doesn’t matter. Considering the Wildcats tallied five shots and five corner kicks in the first frame, a 2-0 lead isn’t all that shocking. And it could have been a lot worse had Redbirds goalkeeper Madi Valenti not made four saves before the halftime break.

Unfortunately for Valenti, Northwestern’s unrelenting attack continued. After four shots in the first 12 minutes of the second half, Northwestern was still searching to extend the lead. Once again, the score came from a loose ball in the box that bounced the Wildcats’ way.

Now, you can quibble all you want about whether these goals say more about Northwestern’s knowledge of the game and where to be at the right time, Illinois State’s inability to corral a loose ball in its own end, or the inherent randomness of sports as a whole, but any way you slice it, the Wildcats had a 3-0 lead. I personally would take a little of column A and a little of column C, but Northwestern will take it either way. And besides, there’s no debating the sheer talent required for Northwestern’s fourth goal of the night.

Good gravy. Josie Aulicino has an early contender for play of the year. She had two other shots on goal in the match while Nicole Doucette got the assist on Megan Norkett’s goal. The Wildcats only allowed two shots on goal, both of which Reiley Fitzpatrick saved. It was a great way for the team to get its first road win of the season, as Northwestern cruised to the 4-0 victory.

Sept. 8 vs. No. 21 Virginia Tech

After getting their first road win of the campaign, the Wildcats sought to get their first ranked win since that magical run in 2022. The Hokies entered Evanston with five shutouts and just three goals allowed all season, giving Northwestern’s offense arguably its stiffest test of the season thus far. Early on, the Wildcats were clearly struggling to find space, tallying just one corner kick in the first 26 minutes. The Wildcats did wind up garnering two more corner kicks in a span of roughly 10 minutes, but still went to the half locked in a scoreless tie.

Credit goes primarily to the goalkeepers — Fitzpatrick had two saves in the opening frame, and her Hokie counterpart Lauren Hargrove added a pair of prohibitions as well. Northwestern did have three corner kicks to Virginia Tech’s two, but nothing came of any of the set pieces. Even at the start of the second half, the Wildcats still couldn’t push through. Three shots in quick succession around the 57th minute resulted in another Hargrove save and two misses wide.

The situation was bleak for the home team, especially when the Hokies went on a sustained attack lasting nearly eight minutes. But their three shots resulted in one save and two misses. Northwestern was able to withstand a great attack, but now had to put forth one of its own. The result is one of the most beautiful pieces of soccer I’ve seen this year.

Unreal. Perfect lob from Aulicino, perfect header from Emma Phillips, perfect finish from Caterina Regazzoni. The rest of the game was incredibly physical (three yellow cards were handed out in the ensuing 15 minutes), but Virginia Tech was unable to match the scintillating score. After 90 minutes had elapsed lakeside, the Wildcats were standing tall with a 1-0 victory.

Points to Ponder

Northwestern’s defense has made life absolutely MISERABLE for its opponents in recent weeks. The Wildcats have allowed just one goal in their last five matches, and that was on a passing lapse against Syracuse that resulted in a one-on-one with Fitzpatrick. Speaking of Fitzpatrick, she’s tallied five saves in the last two contests, and already has three full-game clean sheets (she was pulled in the 80th minute against Illinois State). Of course, the offense deserves mention too — that Aulicino corner kick gave her 30 career assists, putting her just one away from the program record. But she’s not this team’s highest point-scorer — that’s Roesch, the first-year, who’s tallied three goals and an assist in her first seven career games. Regazzoni and Norkett also have multiple goals this year, and Doucette and Phillips have a pair of assists apiece. And a quick shoutout to the marathon women of this squad: Phillips and Maddie Finnerty, who have not missed a single minute yet this season, and Tanna Schornstein, the first-year who’s played all but four minutes of the 2024 campaign.

What’s Next

Get ready for some Big Ten soccer. Northwestern welcomes Purdue to Martin Stadium to begin conference play this Thursday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m. CST. After that, there’s one more non-conference game, as the ‘Cats face Harvard in Evanston on Sunday, Sept. 15 at 1 p.m. CST.