First Touch #7: Michigan Faces Road Test at No. 17 Northwestern

» Michigan is 6-5-0 overall and 2-2-0 in Big Ten play after knocking off No. 17 Wisconsin in its first Big Ten home match and falling to Minnesota 1-0 in double overtime.
» The Wolverines lead the all-time series 14-6-6 over Northwestern, having won four of the last six meetings and tying one in double overtime.
» U-M has traveled to Evanston, Illinois, on 14 occasions and carries a 7-4-3 record at Martin Field heading into the Friday night match.
» Reilly Martin netted the game-winning goal against No. 17 Wisconsin to notch the fourth game-winner of her career and the first of the 2018 season.
» Despite not scoring this past weekend, Nicki Hernandez continues to lead the Michigan offensive charge with six goals and five assists for 17 points, which ranks second in the Big Ten.

THIS WEEK
Friday, Sept. 28 -- at No. 17 Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 7 p.m. CDT
TV: BTN Plus | Live Stats | Live Video

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• Complete Match Notes (PDF)

The University of Michigan women's soccer team (6-5-0, 2-2-0 Big Ten) will take to the road for its fifth away match of the 2018 season when it takes on 17th-ranked Northwestern Friday (Sept. 28) at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. First touch is set for 7 p.m. CDT with the match to be featured on BTN Plus (with a paid subscription).

WOLVERINES IN EVANSTON
Michigan holds a sizable 14-6-6 all-time record over the Wildcats, including a 4-1-1 record in the last six contests. Most recently, the Wolverines dropped a road contest, 2-1, on Oct. 9, 2016, when Reilly Martin was the lone U-M goal scorer. This matchup marks the third straight game on the road against the Wildcats with U-M owning a 2-1-0 record in the last three meetings. Overall, Michigan is 7-4-3 when playing on the turf field in Evanston, Illinois. Of the 26 meetings between the teams, 16 have ended in a shutout, with 10 of those going the Wolverines' way.

SCOUTING THE NO. 17 WILDCATS
Northwestern comes into the Friday night contest with a 7-2-2 overall record and a 1-2-1 Big Ten Conference record and ranks No. 17 nationally. The Wildcats have played three ranked teams this season, tying then-No. 25 West Virginia and then-No. 22 Wisconsin while defeating then-No. 20 Penn State for its lone Big Ten win. The Northwestern defense has proven to be one of the toughest in the conference in front of goalkeeper Mackenzie Wood. The Wildcats' backline has given up just five goals on the season, and Wood sits at the top of the conference in shutouts (7), shutouts per game (0.64), save percentage (.891) and goals-against average (0.43) while ranking fourth in saves (41) and fifth in saves per game (3.70). The Northwestern offense has scored just 11 goals on the season, scoring two goals on three occasions while four of its wins were 1-0 matches. Brenna Lovera leads the Wildcat offense with 10 points (4 goals, 2 assists), and Kayla Sharples is the only other offensive player with multiple goals, scoring two on the season. In all, Northwestern averages 9.7 shots per game and has put 47 of its 107 shot attempts on net.

MARTIN STEPS UP IN SENIOR SEASON
Senior Reilly Martin has been finding ways to help Michigan win in her final season on the pitch as a Wolverine. Martin ranks second on the U-M roster with 13 points (5 goals, 3 assists) and is tied for eighth in the Big Ten Conference with her five goals. Most recently, Martin netted the game-winning goal against No. 17 Wisconsin to mark her first game-winner of the season and fourth of her career. Martin has scored four goals and notched two assists in the last five games for U-M.

BEALL MAKES HER RETURN TO THE PITCH
Sophomore Hillary Beall made her return to the field against No. 17 Wisconsin after sitting out the first nine matches of the season due to injury. Beall was named to the U.S. U-20 Women's National Team roster in early August but suffered an injury that prevented her from traveling with the team. Since her return, Beall started against both Wisconsin and Minnesota, giving up one goal in 194:13 of play. Beall made five saves in the Wolverines' 2-0 win against the No. 17 Badgers, while she made one save and allowed one goal in a 1-0 double-overtime loss to Minnesota.

MICHIGAN TAKES B1G WIN AGAINST NO. 17 WISCONSIN
Michigan topped No. 17 Wisconsin, 2-0, on Sept. 20 in a Big Ten match at U-M Soccer Stadium. The Wolverines were paced by goals from their senior leaders, Reilly Martin and Ashley Calcagno. The win over the No. 17-ranked Badgers marks the second straight time that Michigan has defeated a ranked Wisconsin team, as it took down the No. 9 Badgers in double overtime Sept. 24, 2017.

TICKET INFORMATION
Individual and group tickets on are sale for all 2018 home matches. For group experiences such as high five tunnel, halftime mini games and more, please call (734) 647-1268 or email gobluegroupsales@umich.edu. For more information on purchasing tickets, please visit the women's soccer ticket page.

NEXT TIME OUT
Michigan will returns to U-M Soccer Stadium for two Big Ten contests against Ohio State (Friday, Oct. 5) and Penn State (Sunday, Oct. 7). The Wolverines and the Buckeyes will take the pitch at 7 p.m., while Michigan and the Nittany Lions will play at noon on Sunday.