NU to Shut Common Season at Michigan State

EVANSTON, Ill. – With its third-straight Big Ten title secured, the No. 2 Northwestern discipline hockey group is headed to East Lansing, Mich., to conclude its regular-season schedule at Michigan State. The Wildcats (15-1, 7-0 Big Ten) look to notch their eighth convention win to cap the regular-season undefeated in Big Ten play.

The Wildcats and Spartans (5-11, 1-6 Big Ten) are set for a 2 p.m. CT pass-back Friday at Ralph Young Field on B1G+. With a one-game weekend, Northwestern will then look forward to the convention match subsequent weekend in Bloomington, Ind. After clinching the regular-season championship, the ‘Cats have already claimed the No. 1 seed, in pursuit of the Big Ten Tournament crown.

Scouting the Spartans

NU leads the all-time collection in opposition to Michigan State 46-23. The ‘Cats have additionally overwhelmed the Spartans in 13 consecutive conferences, relationship again to 2011. In their final matchup, Northwestern shut out Michigan State, 5-0, in East Lansing in October of 2024.

Entering Friday’s content material, the Michigan State Spartans have misplaced eight of their final 10 video games. The Spartans averaged 0.7 targets per recreation and allowed 3.3 targets per recreation throughout that 10-game stretch. On the season, they’re scoring 1.81 targets per recreation (No. 8 in Big Ten) and are permitting 3.19 targets per recreation (No. 9 in Big Ten).

MSU’s protection is No. 1 within the Big Ten and No. 17 nationally in saves per recreation (6.75). Junior Spartans goalkeeper Lyra Gavino additionally individually leads the convention in saves per recreation (6.27).

Sophomore again Caro Schafer leads the group with 12 factors, and junior ahead Bianca Pizano has scored a team-high 5 targets.

Northwestern Notables

Two days after No. 2 Northwestern discipline hockey secured its third consecutive Big Ten regular-season title, the squad returned to Lakeside Field with a dominant 7-0 win over No. 18 Ohio State. Behind two targets apiece from junior forwards Ashley Sessa and Olivia Bent-Cole, the Wildcats earned an emphatic victory in opposition to the Buckeyes of their penultimate regular-season convention conflict.

Graduate scholar ahead Grace Schulze, senior again Maja Zivojnovic and redshirt junior ahead Aerin Krys, who have been every honored on Sunday for Senior Day, added tallies in Northwestern’s victory. It was NU’s most prolific scoring efficiency since Oct. 20, 2024, in opposition to UC Davis.

With 50 saves by way of her first 16 collegiate begins, redshirt first-year ‘Cats goalkeeper Juliana Boon leads the Big Ten and is No. 2 within the nation in targets in opposition to common (0.51). She has allowed simply eight targets on the 12 months, is third within the nation in goalie win-loss proportion (0.933) and is No. 2 within the NCAA in save proportion (0.862).

Three NU starters are within the prime 10 within the Big Ten in factors per recreation: Sessa (No. 2 – 2.87 factors per recreation), Ilse Tromp (No. 5 – 1.50), and Schulze (No. 6 – 1.44). 

The 2025 captains for Northwestern are Krys, Greta Hinke and Maddie Zimmer.

After posting an eight-point weekend, Sessa earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season. She was additionally named NFHCA Offensive Player of the Week, the third Wildcat to herald nationwide recognition this 12 months, and for her, for the third time in two seasons. The junior ahead logged three targets and two assists throughout the 2 Big Ten video games at dwelling final week.

NFHCA Week Eight Ranking: No. 2. The Oct. 28 rating listed Northwestern because the second-ranked group within the nation for the second consecutive week. The ‘Cats reigned within the NFHCA ballot for seven straight polls, which had not been performed by any group since 2022. While now No. 2, the ‘Cats are sharing first-place votes with No. 1 UNC.