With 6:24 remaining in the fourth quarter, Madison Taylor passed to freshman Kate Ratanaproeksa, who settled the ball in her pocket. She quickly spotted an opening on the right, sprinted past the Maryland defender, evaded a collapsing group of Terrapins and fired a shot past star goalkeeper JJ Suranio. After scoring her first goal of the evening, Ratanaproeksa immediately threw her stick down in excitement, as her teammates followed common custom by gathering around to congratulate her. The emotional
celebration came after Ratanaproeksa extended the Wildcats’ lead to 11-8 after trailing 8-7 earlier in the period.
Ratanaproeksa’s goal and the celebration that followed were emblematic of this team’s resilience and grit when their backs are against the wall. This team rises to the occasion when the stakes are highest. Steady improvement, clutch performances and fearless comebacks often separate good teams from great teams; the ‘Cats showed this in their win over then-ranked No. 1 North Carolina, and they proved they could do it again in an 11-10 win over No. 1 Maryland in College Park on Wednesday.
This rally wasn’t just reflected through the score. Take draw controls, for example. One major reason why the Terrapins possessed a 5-3 lead at halftime was their success in the draw circle, as they outperformed NU 7-2 in the first half, including 5-0 in the first quarter alone — the first time this season NU didn’t win a first-quarter draw. This helped Maryland take nine shots on goal, compared to just four for Northwestern.
Given those numbers, it’s clear why the Terrapins had control in the first frame — the ’Cats’ attackers had immense pressure to execute against the nation’s best, and simply put, Maryland just had more opportunities.
Goalkeeper Jenika Cuocco did as much as she could to limit the damage. Her seven first-half saves, including multiple back-to-back stops on relentless pursuits from MU’s elite shotmakers, did a lot to keep the Terrapins’ offense at bay and prevent multiple other goals from being scored. The ‘Cats pesky defense also played a role, as they forced 16 turnovers — their second-highest mark in conference play this year.
The draw control battle was flipped upside down in the second half. Like the first, a big reason NU outscored Maryland 8-5 in the second frame was the shift in draws, with Northwestern winning eight to Maryland’s six. Suddenly, the ‘Cats’ offense found themselves with more opportunities and a chance to snatch momentum. NU slowly chipped away, tying the game at 5-5 midway through the third quarter on a goal from Taylor, who had four total on the evening along with a team-high five draw controls. The score remained level as the teams exchanged blows, but it was clear that NU’s success on draws made this a far more contentious battle and sparked the ‘Cats’ comeback.
That improvement culminated in the play that secured Northwestern’s win. With Maryland cutting NU’s three-score lead to make it an 11-10 game in the final minute, Taylor squared up in the circle for a pivotal draw. With only 58 seconds remaining, and Maryland having just scored two goals in under three minutes, the ‘Cats needed not to relinquish possession to a potent offense. But Taylor, as she’s done time and time again during her career, delivered — winning the draw control and securing the ball in Northwestern’s hands. The ‘Cats smartly played backwards to run out the clock and stamp a victory.
Maryland won the draw controls 13-10 overall, but Northwestern performed better in the circle when it mattered most. That is why they continue to outlast the nation’s best, and what fuels growing confidence in this team’s chances in both the Big Ten tournament and at the NCAA Championship.
It would be negligent not to mention another key factor in the second half’s momentum shift in favor of the Wildcats. Northwestern held Lauren LaPointe, Maryland’s leading scorer, scoreless until 13:15 left in the fourth quarter, when her goal put Maryland back on top 8-7. Still searching for their first lead in the game, the Wildcats responded to LaPointe’s goal with a forceful attack. During the play, Madison Smith ran into LaPointe, knocking the Terrapin to the ground. There was no penalty on the play, and LaPointe walked to the locker room shortly thereafter.
Immediately following her departure, Northwestern countered with a goal from its star player in Taylor, which kicked off a 3-1 run that saw NU take an 11-8 lead on goals from Taylor LaPointe, Aditi Foster and Ratanaproeksa. Correlation doesn’t imply causation, but it was clear that following LaPointe’s injury, the fourth quarter’s trajectory changed, and the ‘Cats mounted their comeback.
Discussions will continue to swirl about that play, but it doesn’t nullify the ‘Cats’ dominance in the other areas mentioned — draw controls, turnovers, critical saves, clutch goals and a consistent trend of better play in the fourth quarter.
NU maintained several of its illustrious streaks — five consecutive wins, 15 straight road victories and, most impressively, becoming the first team since 2012 to beat two No. 1 teams in the same season. Teams that accomplish this feat seem destined for greatness, and after this win, there’s no reason to doubt this Northwestern team is an outlier.
