For the past three years, the word “host” has been written on a whiteboard in coach Tracy Fuchs’ office.
Even during a successful Big 10 season and a national championship, the word didn’t go away, as third-placed Northwestern University didn’t get enough seeds to host the tournament’s opener. did. Now the Wildcats (17-4, 5-3) have a chance.
No. 2 seed NU will host its first NCAA Tournament matchup against No. 25 Miami, Ohio on Friday.
“This is a testament to how hard the team has worked to earn the No. 2 seed and play for Evanston at home,” Fuchs said.
Removed the season from the first-ever national tournament championship titlethe Cats enter the postseason looking to bring more hardware back to Evanston.
NU dominated the regular season competition with just three losses against competitive Big Ten foes. This stellar play brought many accolades in the postseason, including fifth-year midfielder Kayla Blass Big Ten Defender of the Year and multiple All-His Big Ten First his team’s winners.
The regular season was jam-packed for the Cats, who appeared in seven games in October alone. With a busy regular season schedule, Fuchs feels the team is primed for the postseason and a strong show on Friday.
The No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, NU upset No. 2 Maryland last week to advance to a Big Ten Championship matchup for the first time since 2014. Overcoming the deficit was difficult. NU eventually lost him 2-1.
Fuchs and junior midfielder Lauren Wadus said getting off to a strong start for the Cats in the postseason will be a priority, especially after Sunday’s loss.
“We talked about starting on the front foot,” Wada said. is rolling to.”
NU was just after Sunday’s loss when the team learned about the fate of the tournament. The Cats, who are sitting on a plane back to Evanston, followed along as the bracket was announced.
Fuchs said the team was quiet after the loss, but the dynamics quickly changed once they learned about the second seed. An unhappy environment quickly turned into one of joy and excitement, Fuchs said.
Wadas, one of the last teams to hear his name called, said the Cats were nervous to watch but excited about the final result.
“(We) knew our names would be called, but (we) were like, ‘Are you going to host? ‘ What seed are we going to end up with?”
While Friday marks a fresh start to the postseason, the lessons learned at NU’s 2021 Nationals are key to this season’s philosophy. Wada said it’s important not to look too far into the future.
“We need to do it[like we did last year]. Don’t look first at your opponent, take one game at a time,” Wada said.
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