Top 5 Match-up.
Two rivals facing off.
It’s the type of game that everyone wants to play in and it’s the matchup that looms on the horizon for #5 Iowa and #1 Northwestern on Friday afternoon.
“Definitely (it’s a rivalry),” said Head Coach Lisa Cellucci. “Dating back, we’ve both knocked each other out of Final Fours in the 80s and the 90s and the now the 2000s…They are definitely one of our biggest rivals.”
“They’ve always been our rivals, ever since I’ve been here,” said senior goalkeeper Grace McGuire. “Pretty exciting, I think we have some revenge to get back from last year.”
The series dates back to 1977, with the Hawkeyes holding a 56-29-4 advantage, but recently, the Wildcats have had the upper hand winning 11 of the last 16 matchups, including a pair of wins last season. The teams have met in the NCAA Tournament 11 times, while an incredible 55 matches (61.8%) have been decided by one goal.
“We treat them like any other team, but we really really want to take it to them on Friday,” said senior midfielder Esme Gibson.
“I’m so excited and I know the team’s probably even more excited than I am,” said Cellucci. “We know Northwestern so well. We played them very well in August in the exhibition and we feel we know what we need to do to win the game.”
Imagine the Iowa football game facing Nebraska in a scrimmage in August, or Iowa basketball facing Iowa State in a scrimmage before the season began. That’s what the field hockey team does with Northwestern. On top of the two meetings during the season last year, the two teams faced off in a pair of exhibitions before the season. This year, the Hawkeyes traveled to Evanston for an exhibition match before the season officially kicked off.
Although teams try to keep preparation as normal as possible, it isn’t uncommon to see the energy levels ratchet up an extra level when a big game looms on the schedule.
“Sunday, they had unbelievable energy and today so far even in this heat,” says Cellucci. “They’ve been watching tons of film and players have really been on the front foot and ready to go.”
“I think we know the importance of it and also really like the challenge,” said Esme Gibson. “I think we thrive on being underdogs sometimes, especially from the Elite Eight last year, we really want to change the narrative.”
Last year, Iowa spent a good portion of the season at #1 in the NFHCA rankings, but a loss to Northwestern in the regular season finale and in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament propelled the ‘Cats to a national title and the #1 ranking this season. When I talked to Grace McGuire before the season, she mentioned how much that last loss has stuck with them.
“We would walk up to practice in the spring, and they’d still have the scoreboard on from the last game…We don’t want to hang onto it in a negative way…Whatever people need to fuel the fire. Me personally I like it.”
“Obviously, we are a really different team since back then,” said Esme Gibson. “This is a very new season, but we really do want to beat them and that does have to do a bit with the Elite Eight.”
The matchup between the #5 Iowa Hawkeyes and #5 Northwestern Wildcats is set for Friday afternoon at 3:00pm in Evanston. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network. A more in-depth preview of the game will be coming later in the week.
