Kennedy Roesch saved Northwestern’s season finale from ending in disappointment, heading home the equalizer in the 79th minute to earn the ‘Cats a 1-1 draw against No. 20 Wisconsin on Sunday at Martin
Stadium.
The sophomore forward’s timely goal capped a resilient second-half performance from Northwestern (8-3-7, 4-2-5 Big Ten), which will now head to West Lafayette, Ind., as the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
Wisconsin (12-4-2, 6-3-2 Big Ten) controlled possession early, pinning Northwestern back into its own half. But the ‘Cats struck first offensively when Brooke Miller’s tackle near midfield sparked a quick transition. Roesch pushed the ball forward to Kelsey Kwon, who threaded it back to Caterina Regazzoni under pressure from three Wisconsin defenders. Regazzoni immediately switched the play to Megan Norkett on the right wing.
Norkett drove down the line and whipped a cross into a crowded box. The ball bounced through traffic before finding Keira Kemmerley, who cleverly stopped it with a feint that froze a defender, then unleashed a shot to the left side that Drew Stover saved.
The chance ignited Northwestern’s momentum. Norkett dominated her matchups on the left wing, and the ‘Cats gradually pushed Wisconsin’s formation deeper into its own territory. But both teams struggled to create clear opportunities over the opening stretch, managing just two combined shots through the first 30 minutes.
In the 32nd minute, Northwestern found some momentum, producing back-to-back chances. A long ball from Aubrey Kulpa found Norkett on the left flank. She dribbled down the line and crossed into the box, where Roesch fired a shot that a defender blocked. Regazzoni pounced on the rebound and unleashed a long-range effort that Stover corralled.
“She’s a fantastic one-on-one player,” Head Coach Michael Moynihan said of Regazzoni. “She’s shown a little bit of power and pace to cause some problems.”
Despite controlling possession, Wisconsin found it difficult to break down Northwestern’s defensive shape. The ‘Cats looked more threatening on the counterattack whenever they regained the ball.
The Badgers broke through shortly after halftime when Adee Boer connected on Jenna Baumann’s cross from the right, heading it home to give Wisconsin a 1-0 lead.
Northwestern struggled to generate an offensive rhythm after conceding, playing passively as Wisconsin pressed for a second goal through a series of set pieces. In the 65th minute, Ella Ottey found space 20 yards from goal and struck a shot that goalkeeper Nymma Nelson saved. Minutes later, Nelson made another crucial stop, denying Boer on a quick counter down the right side.
The ‘Cats momentarily found some footing in the 68th minute when Regazzoni absorbed some pressure from two defenders before finding an unmarked Roesch, but her cutting shot drifted just wide of the left post.
Roesch, however, continued to threaten. In the 74th minute, she controlled a high ball, spun left, and fired at goal, only for Stover to block it. Keira Wagner followed up with an 18-yard strike, but the shot lacked pace and Stover saved comfortably.
Northwestern’s persistence paid off in the 79th minute. After recovering possession from a set piece, Kemmerley beat her defender on the left and delivered a cross into space. Roesch rose above the defense and headed the ball into the left corner to level the score, her ninth goal of the year.
“I was really proud of the way our group responded,” Moynihan said. “Our kids love playing highly-ranked teams; they’re not afraid of anything.”
Wisconsin nearly snatched a winner minutes later from a corner, but Nelson came away with a diving save on Ottey’s header. In the 85th minute, Roesch nearly completed a brace, shielding the ball before spinning and firing a rocket that Stover just nearly blocked.
Northwestern had one final chance in the last minute with a 40-yard free kick, but couldn’t find the late winner, settling for a draw to close out the regular season.
After securing the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, Northwestern will play 10th-seeded USC next on Oct. 30 at 7:30 p.m. CT in West Lafeyette, Ind. for the first round of the conference tournament.
