Wolverines Doomed by Third-Quarter Surge at No. 2 Northwestern

Friday, October 24

Evanston, Ill.

3:00 PM CT

Michigan

(8-5 (3-3Big Ten))

Northwestern

(14-1 (6-0Big Ten))

Michigan

Northwestern

Eva Bernardy (Michigan Photography)

Wolverines Doomed by Third-Quarter Surge at No. 2 Northwestern

10/24/2025 6:21:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» No. 13 Michigan dropped a 3-1 decision at No. 2 Northwestern after the Wildcats scored twice late in the third quarter.
» Eva Bernardy tied the game off a Michigan penalty corner at 30:44 early in the third.
» Hala Silverstein posted four saves in the first half and Caylie McMahon added another in the second.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The No. 13-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team evened the score early in the third quarter but could not capitalize as No. 2 Northwestern scored twice late in the same frame en route to a 3-1 win on Friday afternoon (Oct. 24) at Lakeside Field. With their win, the Wildcats claimed the 2025 Big Ten Conference regular-season title.

Northwestern converted on its first penalty corner of the game at the 20:46 mark to break through after a back-and-forth and scoreless first quarter -- and after U-M put one in the cage on a corner of its own, but the shot was deemed too high. NU scored on the direct shot from the arc; it was just the fourth corner goal allowed by the Wolverines this season.

Michigan knotted it up just 44 seconds into the second half, at 30:44, on its attack penalty corner. Sophomore Eva Bernardy nailed the direct shot with a sweep straight to the lower-right corner of the cage for her fourth goal this season. Fifth-year senior Emmy Tran and junior Abby Burnett earned assists on the insert and stop, respectively.

The Wolverines were doomed by a two-minute stretch late in the third when Northwestern retook the lead at 39:43 and added another goal just 1:14 later at the 40:57 mark. The Wildcats scored on a shot from the arc which deflected off a Michigan stick and into the far lower-left corner of the cage for the go-ahead goal then crashed the cage and took advantage of the swarm in front to knock in the other from the right post.

Michigan (8-5, 3-3 Big Ten) had its opportunities in the fourth quarter, including a shot from junior Esmée de Willigen early in the frame that hit the left post. The Wolverines drew three penalty corners in the final five minutes of the final quarter, putting one shot on goal, and played three players up for the last 25 seconds after a pair of Wildcat cards.

In all, Northwestern (14-1, 6-0 Big Ten) outshot the Wolverines 18-6 while corners were even at 5-5. Junior/sophomore goalkeeper Hala Silverstein earned four saves in the first half, and graduate student Caylie McMahon added another in the second. Wildcat goalkeeper Julianne Boon stopped one of two U-M shots on goal.

The Wolverines will wrap up their weekend road trip with a noon CT slate at No. 10 Iowa on Sunday (Oct. 26) at Grant Field in Iowa City.