May 9, 2006

2006 Schedule

EVANSTON, Ill.-- Jenny Haigh, head coach of the Northwestern University women's soccer team, today announced the Wildcats' 2006 fall schedule. The season begins with an exhibition match at Dayton Aug. 20 before the first regular-season game at DePaul on Aug. 25. The season concludes with this year's Big Ten Tournament in Iowa City, Iowa.

"This is a great schedule," Haigh said. "Anyone versed in women's soccer can see that this schedule is loaded with great teams. This schedule will help us build to win a Big Ten championship and will afford our student-athletes an opportunity to compete with many of the top programs in the country at the very highest level of collegiate women's soccer. This is an exciting schedule and I know our student-athletes will love the challenge and the rewards of competing at this level."

After that, the Wildcats have a plethora of home games-nine in a row to be exact-starting with the Sunday Aug. 27 game with Kentucky. The non-conference portion then continues with home dates with Missouri, Iowa State, Morehead State, Ball State, Northern Illinois and Western Michigan. The final non-conference game will be Thursday, Oct. 19 at Loyola in Chicago.

After the Sept. 17 game with Western Michigan, the competition heats up as the Wildcats begin Big Ten play with Iowa (Sept. 22) and Illinois (Sept. 24) at home. Northwestern then travels to Minnesota and Ohio State the following weekend before returning home the following weekend for the final two home games of the season with Michigan State and Michigan.

The Wildcats will have their work cut out during the final two weekends with road games at Purdue, Indiana, Penn State and Wisconsin to close out the regular season.

The soccer 'Cats have high hopes heading into the 2006 season. Northwestern, who lost seven Big Ten matches by one goal in 2005, return over 70 percent of its scoring from last season, including junior Kelsey Hans and sophomore Jenny Dunn who finished with 16 and 14 points, respectively. Also back between the pipes is senior Whitney Jones who recorded four shutouts in 2005.

Combine that with one of Haigh's most talented recruiting classes and the Wildcats appear poised to make a serious run in the Big Ten in 2006.