Kaleigh Craig and Kara Mupo led the Wildcat charge, both scoring hat tricks in the 13-9 victory in Piscataway, N.J. Senior goalkeeper Bridget Bianco held strong between the pipes with 5 saves.  Freshman stand-out Selena Lasota also racked up a few points with a goal and assist, also pressuring the goalie with 4 shots on goal, and fellow freshman Corinne Wessels also had a goal and two assists to contribute to the tally.

The Wolverines never found their way into the game.  The Wildcats didn’t allow one player to beat them, as the Wolverines had just two players net multiple goals.

Northwestern seemed to control the entire stat line, which included a 19-14 margin for ground balls. The Wildcats also dominated draw controls two-to-one at 16-8.  Defensively, Northwestern allowed just two free position shots in contrast to the 6 given up by the Wolverines.

But considering Michigan’s 0-5 B1G record coming into today’s game, one might have expected a stronger performance from Northwestern.  If you can complain about a 4 goal victory, this would be the time to do so.  Still, a win is a win, and style points don’t count towards winning championships.

Next up for the Wildcats, the two-seed Penn State Nittany Lions. PSU had a first round bye after a 13-10 loss to the top Maryland Terrapins and will have fresh legs for tomorrow’s rematch.

Last time these teams met, the Wildcats controlled draws and ground balls better, yet still came up short in the 14-10 loss.  Northwestern will be out for revenge tomorrow.