It took until the final second of overtime, but Northwestern captured its fourth straight Big Ten Tournament Title after defeating Maryland 8-7 in Ann Arbor.
Annabel Child’s game-winning goal in extra time helped the Wildcats earn their 5th consecutive win over the Terrapins, by the same score as NU’s win over Maryland in last year’s title game.
Child led all goalscorers with three, while Aditi Foster added
two. While Child was the hero, Jenika Cuocco was the game’s biggest star in goal. She tied her career-high with 18 saves, and set a program record for saves in a Big Ten Tournament game.
The first period was filled with explosive offense and elite goalkeeping performances on both sides. Northwestern won the opening draw control and quickly fired off two shots, with Aditi Foster forcing the first save of the day from JJ Suriano. On the ensuing possession, Kori Edmonson fired past Jennika Cuocco to open the scoring. Maryland earned a Free Position Shot shortly after, but Cuocco was there to meet it. Maryland kept possession and continued to pepper the NU net, but Cuocco’s save on Maryland’s fifth shot of the game gave possession back to the Wildcats.
After a Suriano save from a Hannah Rudolph effort, Northwestern evened the score after Foster opened up space and ripped a left-handed shot past Suriano into the lower corner before the first media timeout.
The two teams exchanged turnovers coming out of the break before NU went a player up thanks to Madison Smith drawing a green card on Neve O’Ferall. NU forced two Free Positions with its number advantage, but JJ Suriano met the challenge. On NU’s next possession, Madison Taylor shook off her defender and opened up space for a diving shot to give the ‘Cats their first lead of the contest.
Maryland was the next team to register a shot, but Cuocco continued her amazing start to the game, reacting quickly to stop a low shot from Keeley Block. NU capitalized on that momentum on the other end, with Taylor Lapointe getting a shot from close range to give the ’Cats a three-goal advantage. Maryland continued to pepper the NU net but had multiple efforts fall wide. NU had one more unsuccessful offensive possession before the explosive first period concluded.
Maryland’s first possession of the second quarter ended the same way many of its possessions in the first quarter did: with a save from Cuocco. Not to be outdone, Suriano saved the next two NU shot attempts, both close range efforts from Taylor. A yellow card from Reese Hansen gave Maryland a numbers advantage, and similarly to the NU in the first period Maryland forced two Free Position shots, but the first thundered off the crossbar and the second landed in Cuocco’s outstretched stick.
A Cumberland effort from just outside the crease and a low Cumberland effort from the center of the fan were both saved by Suriano. The Wildcats continued to pick up fouls with Cumberland and Taylor both getting green cards within a minute-and-a-half of each other. Maryland dominated possession during these stretches, but never truly threatened Cuocco.
NU came close to breaking the quarter deadlock multiple times. Foster cut inside and fired a shot only for it to thunder off the crossbar and hit the back of Suriano’s foot but ultimately stayed out. Taylor then had two shots of her own hit the crossbar in rapid succession.
NU thought it finally got onto the board with under a minute left in the quarter when a slow methodical possession led to Lapointe picking up the ball and firing a shot from the edge of the inner arc past Suriano, but the goal was ultimately overturned, leaving the score at 3-1 going into half. NU’s one goal allowed was the lowest ever in the first half of a B1G Tournament Championship.
Cuocco finished the half with 10 saves compared to Suriano’s seven. Kennedy Major’s three ground balls led all teams while multiple Wildcats had two ground balls and turnovers. Taylor, Foster, Lapointe and Edmonson all had one goal each.
The second half picked up right where the first left off. Taylor won the first draw control of the second half, allowing NU to spend its time down players on the offensive side of the field. Cuocco’s first save of the half came just under two and half minutes in, but Smith and Lipkin fouled each other on the shot and both received yellow cards.
On the resulting possession NU Cumberland made her way into the fan and found Annabel Child who fired home to put NU three goals to the good. Lightning struck a second time three minutes later as Child found the net again with another close range effort after the two squads exchanged empty possessions to put NU up 5-1.
But the Terrapins responded immediately after, passing the ball around behind the net before hitting a cutting Maisy Clevenger who was able to fire past Cuocco from inside the crease and break Maryland’s thirty minute scoring drought. Maryland kept the pressure up when Edmonson got inside the fan and ripped another close range effort but couldn’t convert. A Cuocco ground ball ended Maryland’s best stretch of play since the first quarter.
Taylor hustled to cause a turnover on Annabella Schafer, and NU turned defense into offense when the ball found Foster and she fired across the grain into the bottom corner to restore the four goal advantage. But the four-goal lead lasted less than a minute. Lipkin forced a free position shot on Maryland’s next possession and fired a low bouncer past Cuocco. Taylor almost scored the third goal in a three-minute span, but she committed a crease violation on a free position effort. Edmonson hit the post on a free position effort of her own.
Maryland found itself up by two players to end the quarter after green cards from Smith and Lapointe, but yet another Cuocco save prevented the Terrapins from converting as the two teams went into the final quarter with the score 6-3.
A Cuocco save was followed by a Foster effort thundering off the post before Suriano denied Taylor with her foot on a free-position shot to open the quarter. NU continued to put pressure as Taylor cut in from the right and charged into the fan but shot wide. The ’Cats finally capitalized on its offensive pressure when Taylor found Munro cutting into towards the crease who fired past Suriano.
A yellow card on McKenzie Brown, which would have been NU’s fifth, was overturned but Maryland still earned a free position effort. Edmonson’s shot was saved by Cuocco but Maryland kept the ball and worked it back to Edmonson who fired an underhand shot past Cuocco to make the score 7-4. The Terrapins won the draw control but couldn’t find back-to-back goals.
Taylor turned the ball over on its next offensive outing, but Munro caused a turnover immediately after and Foster opened up space for a shot that was met well by Suriano. After an NU turnover, Maryland worked the ball to Clevenger, who spun off her defender and fired past Cuocco to make it 7-5 with less than five minutes remaining. The Terrapins won the subsequent draw control as they tried to complete its comeback.
Maryland finally scored with a player advantage through a Lauren Lapointe effort to set up a nerve-wracking last 3:50. Smith won the ensuing draw control to give NU a chance to restore the two-goal cushion, and Taylor had a great look from just outside the crease but Suriano saved her shot that was heading for the top right corner.
Maryland completed the comeback, as Lipkin found Keeley Block cutting across the fan, and she fired into the left pocket while moving right to knot the score at 7-7 going into the last 1:46. Maryland won another draw control trying to find the winner.
Out of the timeout Maryland let the clock run down to 45 seconds before initiating its offense, but Smith was there to jump a passing lane and cause a turnover with 17 seconds left to play.
Cumberland took the ball and almost went coast to coast, but her low effort was narrowly wide right, sending the Championship into overtime for the first time ever.
Maryland continued its draw control dominance in the extra period, and Maryland immediately got off to a strong start as Edmonton ran past defenders and fired a close effort, but Cuocco was equal to the shot. NU stayed strong and forced a shot clock violation.
Taylor’s shooting woes continued, as her eleventh shot went wayward, although NU kept position. A Munro shot also went wide, and NU thought it had the winner through Lapointe only for a crease violation to mute the celebrations.
Maryland had a golden chance to take the championship, working the ball around the net before finding a close range opening, but a double save by Cuocco kept NU in the game.
NU raced up the field with under a minute remaining, the ball was in Taylor’s possession but her shot went wide. The ball then found Annabel Child on the right side of the fan, she turned the corner on her defender, found the smallest opening, and while falling to the ground unleashed a low driven effort that beat Suriano and gave the ’Cats its fourth straight Big Ten Tournament Championship.
The ‘Cats will now gear up for the NCAA tournament, which is slated to start May 8th.
