Junior Nicole Doucette deflected the ball into the bottom right of goal during a scrambly play in front of the Rutgers net to provide what would end up being the winning tally, as Northwestern closed out Rutgers 2-1 in their opening game of the Big Ten Tournament. The goal came at 52:25 after forward Ella Hase had sent a centering pass towards the RU net, where Doucette provided the deflection that put the ball past Scarlet Knights goalkeeper Meagan McClelland.

Things started off well for the Knights as junior Sara Brocious launched a lengthy crossing pass through the goalmouth to forward Riley Tiernan, who was breaking in on net from the left wing. Tiernan then made the left-footed kick towards the far post, and got the ball past Wildcats’ goalkeeper Mia Raben at 7:30 to give Rutgers the early 1-0 lead.

Play then went up and down the pitch at a good pace, with opportunities being thwarted at both ends until the Wildcats found a scoring opportunity of their own.

When senior Danika Austin set up midfielder Rowan Lapi, the senior shot one with her left foot from distance that appeared to fool McClelland. While the RU goalkeeper dove to make the save, it went past her on the right side to bring the game level, 1-1, at 21:29 into the first half. Both teams retired to the locker room with the game tied after the first 45 minutes.

The Northwestern defense then clamped down on the Scarlet Knights in the second half and took control of the match. The Knights had difficulties clearing their own zone and could not mount an offensive threat. The Wildcats, conversely, made use of the many Rutgers turnovers to manufacture scoring chances of their own.

Taking advantage of traffic in front of the Rutgers goal, Doucette crashed the net for Northwestern, where she tangled with Rutgers’ junior back Emma Misal. In fact, it appeared that the congestion in front of the net actually inhibited McClelland’s ability to step up and make the play, allowing for the go-ahead goal to go past her, making the score 2-1.

The Scarlet Knights’ defense was noticeably lacking due to the absence of sophomore Emily Mason, who was injured late in the game against Michigan State. The absence of Mason caused several line-up and positional changes by head coach Mike O’Neill, but in the end it was the Wildcats’ offensive pressure that found the cracks in the Rutgers armor and exploited them to their advantage.

The Wildcats had nine shots on goal in the contest and amassed six corner kicks. By comparison, the Scarlet Knights could only find their way clear to get three shots on net, while benefitting from only one corner kick.

With the loss, the Knights will now play the waiting game, as their post-season fate will lie in the hands of the selection committee for the NCAA Tournament. The time away may be just what the Knights need to exorcise the demons of a three-game losing streak while healing up from their physical injuries. The NCAA selection takes place on November 7.