Northwestern avenges its February loss and advances to the Final Four, defeating Colorado 13 – 12 in a 2OT thriller.
Colorado’s Maddie Shoup’s eight points, four goals and four assists were all game highs. Madison Taylor had four goals of her own, while Taylor Lapointe chipped in with three of her own. Jennika Cuocco had six timely saves, while Madison Smith totaled seven draw controls, dominating the Buffs in the circle.
With Martin Stadium split nearly 50-50 between raucous Buffalo and Wildcat supporters,
the first quarter gave both fans plenty of action to cheer for.
Mary Carrol’s green card penalty just 1:11 into the game was a sign of things to come from the ’Cats’ physical defense, which matched the intensity of the crowd from the jump. However, Northwestern was able to survive the Buffs’ early offensive possession, as Colorado’s first shot attempt clanged off the post.
On offense, NU worked the ball over to Lapointe on the left side of the fan, who ripped a shot past Elena Oh to open the scoring. Northwestern kept up its early pressure, making another strong defensive stand before earning a free position shot on the other end. However, the scoring opportunity was shut down by Oh.
From then on, an already fiery game kicked into high gear. An Annabel Child yellow card led to a two-minute numbers advantage for the Buffaloes that they would more than capitalize on.
Rowan Edison cut in from the right side and found an open Maddie Shoup who knotted the score at one. Colorado won the ensuing draw control and Edison made another incisive pass, this time finding Teagan Ryan, who scored Colorado’s second goal in 15 seconds from just outside the crease.
Northwestern responded almost immediately, as Taylor earned and converted a free-position shot 30 seconds after a Maddie Epke draw control, putting the score at 2-2 with 7:53 in the quarter.
However, still with numbers, the Buffs weren’t done.
Out of a quick media break, Colorado took back the lead. Ryan cut from the top of the arc into the heart of NU’s zone defense and scored her second of the game, giving her side a third numbers advantage goal. With the numbers even, Colorado stayed hot offensively, with Shoup running from the edge of the left goal-line-extended and firing home a goal from close range to give the Buffaloes a 4-2 lead with 5:20 in the quarter.
Continuing the cage-to-cage flow of the game, the ’Cats immediately went down to the other end and responded, bringing their deficit back to one as Epke cut into the middle of the fan and ripped a shot past Oh.
The two teams exchanged turnovers on the next two possessions, but the Buffaloes got back to scoring ways when Ryan notched a hat trick with a shot through the bottom left corner of the cage. The ‘Cats trailed 5-3 at the end of the first frame.
Northwestern got the best possible start to the second quarter when Taylor found open space in the middle of the fan and rifled a shot into the bottom right corner after just 25 seconds. Minutes later, Cuocco recorded her first save on a low shot from Shoup.
By 10:52, the game was tied, with Cumberland finding an open Epke in prime scoring position to place an underhand effort past Oh.
However, despite Cuocco settling into a rhythm, recording three consecutive saves, the ‘Cats’ defensive physicality became its detriment. Smith became the fifth Wildcat to receive a card, and Colorado scored its fourth player-up goal of the day shortly after, putting the score at 6-5 with 3:45 in the half.
Colorado restored its two goal advantage out of a media break when Shoup found a cutting Edson who scored from close range. Though, NU did respond almost immediately after, with Foster sending a lofted pass across the fan to Ratanaproeska, who scored while falling over. The half looked set to end at 7-6, but a well worked screen by Rachel Kennedy freed up Shoup in the arc, allowing for Colorado to make the score 8-6 going into the break.
Shoup led all players with six points at the break while Teagan’s four goals paced all players. For NU, Taylor and Smith had two goals a piece, with Taylor adding in two more ground balls, caused turnovers and draw controls. Cuocco led with four saves, with both keepers having a .333PCT.
Penalties continued to influence play for both teams to start the second half. Shoup earned a free position shot and her effort bounced off of Cuocco’s stick and hit the back of the net after just 20 seconds. Soon after it was NU’s turn to take advantage of a power play, with Abby LoCascio scoring in the fan with the Buffaloes down a player.
Cuocco notched another big save on a Colorado fastbreak, but Oh matched it with a save of her own on a close-range NU effort. Soon after the ’Cats turned defense into offense, as Taylor completed her hat-trick from a free position after NU forced a Buffalo turnover to make it 9-8 with 7:55 remaining in the period.
The ’Cats continued their offensive pressure, firing off multiple shots in consecutive possessions before an Oh save finally gave possession back to Colorado. Working off ball, Averi Gardner crept into space and scored from close range to break a 10 minute Buffalo scoring drought.
The ’Cats’ offense clicked into gear to end the quarter, bringing the game to within one once again when Taylor threaded a pass through multiple defenders and found Lapointe in space. Lapointe fired home her shot from midrange and just over a minute later, Foster’s free-position shot nestled into the bottom right of Oh’s net, leaving the score at 10-10.
Foster’s goal marked the first time all season the Buffaloes, who have the No. 1 scoring defense in the nation, had conceded 10+ goals in a single game. With the score knotted, everything was left to play for in the fourth.
The fourth quarter opened with action, as Taylor hit the post on an early free position shot. However, a two-and-a-half minute NU possession ended with an Amelia Byerly CTO. Four minutes later, after six and a half minutes of scoreless play to start the fourth quarter, Colorado broke the deadlock through a Jaimey Hill free position effort. NU used the full shot clock to try and tie things up, but for the third consecutive time the possession ended in a turnover.
But down one, the Cardiac ‘Cats weren’t ready to go away. Mckenzie Brown caused a turnover and ran the length of the field before finding Lapointe. The junior earned and coolly converted a free position to knot it all up at 11 as the last media timeout came with 5:37 remaining.
Out of the timeout NU turned it over, only to cause a turnover immediately after, setting itself up to take a late lead. Noel Cumberland took a big hit that sent her to the fan for a free position. She reset play, only to receive the ball again after a lengthy passing move. Cumberland then found Taylor open in the fan, who zipped a shot past Oh. Advantage Northwestern, with 3:06 to play.
Out of the timeout Cumberland drew a foul, gifting Northwestern a numbers advantage until the 0:17 mark in the fourth. A Foster shot met Oh’s stick with a minute left and the Buffaloes re-gained possession, calling timeout with 41 seconds left on the clock.
Out of the break, with the clock winding down, Colorado found its matchup: Maddie Shoup in a one-on-one. She spun off of Carroll, and fired past Cuocco with four seconds remaining. 12-12. Overtime on the lakefront.
NU won the overtime draw. With the shot clock winding down on its first possession, a pass was sent in to Foster, who sent her shot high. The Buffaloes came down the other way looking for a winner, but Brown stood in and drew a charge to get possession back to the ’Cats. The ’Cats turned it over, but once again rallied on defense to get it right back.
With 30 seconds left the ball was in Taylor’s stick. She worked her way open but hit a defender high with her stick on her shot attempt, drawing a yellow card that would send her to the bench for the next two minutes. With eight seconds left in the period, the Buffaloes managed to get themselves in scoring position. Kennedy took a lot of contact, but no foul was called. Double overtime on the Lakefront.
NU opened up 2OT with yet another draw control, but without Taylor for the opening 1:50. A sloppy first possession ended in a bundled Lapointe shot, but Epke was there again to cause a turnover. With the ’Cats back on offense, they were able to wait to attack until Taylor came back into the game with 25 seconds on the shot clock. But the ball didn’t find her — it was Foster again with the effort with the shot clock winding down, but Oh was there to meet the shot. Shot clock reset, and this time Taylor had a chance to end it, but Oh extended the game once again with another crazy save.
Ball still with NU, Cumberland took a massive hit on the left side of the fan. After a lengthy review, that held the Lakefront silent, the junior stepped up for a potentially game-clinching free position shot. The whistle blew, Cumberland got her shot away, and the ball nestled in the bottom left corner. The stands erupted. NU’s bench rushed the field.
13-12 ’Cats. Final Four ticket punched.
NU will play Johns Hopkins in the national semifinals on Friday, May 22, back at Martin Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPNU.
