EVANSTON, Ill. – No. 2 Northwestern showcased its resilience and firepower on Friday, overpowering Rutgers with a dominant second-half performance to secure a 4-0 win at Lakeside Field.
Knighty Knight ?? #EarnIt pic.twitter.com/MIeSm0Wt7e
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) October 4, 2024
Sophomore Ashley Sessa led the way, recording a hat trick to bring her season total to 10 goals. Ilse Tromp opened the scoring with a perfectly executed dragflick five minutes into the third quarter, assisted by Katie Jones and Maddie Zimmer. From there, Northwestern’s offense caught fire. Sessa found the back of the net three times in the fourth quarter, including two penalty strokes, with her third goal coming off an assist from Olivia Bent-Cole.
Hat Trick for Ashley??
OBC ??Sessa?? pic.twitter.com/tK37hrVMmS
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) October 4, 2024
The Wildcats ramped up their pressure in the second half, outshooting the Scarlet Knights 13-9 and earning eight penalty corners in the fourth quarter alone.
Graduate goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz remained a steady force in goal, stopping all six shots she faced to notch her ninth shutout in 11 games.
With the win, Northwestern improves to 11-0 on the season and 4-0 in Big Ten play, continuing their unbeaten streak. Rutgers falls to 4-5 overall and 1-2 in the Big Ten.
The Wildcats are back in action on Sunday, as they host Penn State at noon CT at Lakeside Field.
