DURHAM, N. C. The Cardiac ’Cats are champions again. Junior defender Ilse Tromp scored from a penalty corner just 19 seconds into the second sudden-death overtime period, and No. 2 Northwestern defended its title the hard way, taking down No. 3 Princeton 2-1 in a nail-biting odyssey. Tromp was mobbed by her teammates at the tail-end of a grueling battle, having saved the day for the second time over Final Four weekend after her equalizer at the death in NU’s semifinal victory over North Carolina staved off elimination. When the Wildcats (22-1, 8-0 Big Ten) dropped their lone contest of the regular season to the team that would soon stand between them and back-to-back national titles, coach Tracey Fuchs wasn’t concerned. Calling the loss “a good thing,” the veteran coach seemed to foresee her group’s future, subtly predicting the moment it would take its ultimate revenge. Her prophecy proved true on a picturesque Sunday afternoon in Durham. The early stages of championship tilt could scarcely have taken on a more different complexion than NU’s thrilling 4-3 overtime victory in its semifinal clash with No. 1 North Carolina. While that one seesawed with each momentum-shifting blow, Sunday’s game hung agonizingly in the balance with neither team able to move the scoring needle for the bulk of the contest. But late in the third quarter, the game burst into life. Princeton midfielder Beth Yeager gave the Tigers (18-4, 6-1 Ivy League) a precious lead with a deflected drag flick off a penalty corner, only for sophomore midfielder Kate Janssen to provide the finishing touch on a corner of NU’s own early in the fourth period. Following Janssen’s equalizer, it would take one overtime period and change for NU to pull ahead for the final time of yet another historic season. The ’Cats claimed their second consecutive national championship and their third in five years, cementing themselves as the predominant force in the college field hockey landscape. NU had the lion’s share of possession in the opening five minutes, but failed to convert its territorial superiority into a meaningful goal threat. Princeton notched the game’s first shot, which was comfortably saved by freshman goalkeeper Juliana Boon. Late in the first quarter, the ’Cats pieced together a handful of scoring opportunities, but came away with nothing to show for them. With just about five minutes left to play in the opening period, graduate student forward Grace Schulze found junior forward Ashley Sessa all alone downfield following a defensive takeaway, but she was ruled offside. Shortly thereafter, NU drew two corner opportunities, but was unable to convert. If the first quarter was a cagey affair, the second was an outright slog. Neither side attempted a shot until 11 and a half minutes in, and no corners were awarded. At halftime, the ’Cats had out-shot Princeton 3-1, with two of those attempts coming from the same corner. Immediately after intermission, coach Tracey Fuchs’ squad was clear it had enough of the game’s stagnant start and returned to the field ready to inflict a change of pace. Graduate student forward Maddie Zimmer had the ball in the back of the net from the final of those, but the ball rose just above the backboard and was ruled out. As the clock ticked down in the third quarter, Tiger midfielder Beth Yeager fashioned Princeton’s best chance of the game to that point, missing wide from a tight angle close in. The Tigers finally won their first penalty corner of the game with under four minutes remaining in the third quarter. On its final of three corners in quick succession, Princeton midfielder Beth Yeager’s drag flick deflected off Schulze and Zimmer’s sticks, but ultimately found the back of the net, ending a stalemate that had persisted for more than 43 minutes of play. In the ultimate moments of the quarter, Schulze missed just wide and NU had its backs against the wall entering the final period. While the ’Cats waited until the final moments of Friday’s semifinal to save their season, they wasted no time doing so on this occasion. After winning a penalty corner early in the fourth quarter, junior defender Ilse Tromp sent a drag flick arrowing towards goal, just as she did in the dying embers against North Carolina. Only this time, Janssen was conveniently positioned right in front of the goal to apply the decisive touch and level the game. The remainder of the period produced fewer moments of jeopardy, but NU found itself with the chance to walk it off in stunning fashion with a penalty corner to insert seven seconds from the end of regulation. Tromp’s effort was blocked, and despite a lengthy video referral investigating whether a second corner should have been awarded, the contest headed to overtime. With a sudden-death format, either side could etch their names in glory with a single flick of the stick. Through the first 10 minutes of free field hockey, that season-defining moment never came, with Princeton failing to fire off a single shot and NU recording just one. Neither team drew a corner in the first iteration of overtime. But it didn’t take long into the second overtime period for the ’Cats to seal the deal on its most reliable play in the book: an Ilse Tromp drag flick. Now, For the second time in a calendar year, NU will return to Evanston with a national championship title in tow. Email: [email protected] X: @AudreyPachuta Email: [email protected] X: @EliKronenberg Related Stories: Field Hockey: No. 2 Northwestern faces final hurdle in national title defense against No. 3 Princeton Field Hockey: Echoing high-stakes matchups of years past, Northwestern takes revenge on North Carolina.
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