PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania field hockey team hops a flight to Evanston, Illinois this weekend, playing a pair of Big Ten matchups at Northwestern.
 
GAME #5:
Penn (2-2) vs. Indiana (2-3)
Saturday, Sept. 16 | 1PM ET
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GAME #6:
Penn (2-2) at #3 Northwestern (5-1)
Sunday, Sept. 17 | 1PM ET
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SERIES AGAINST THE HOOSIERS
The two squads are meeting for the first time in program history.
 
A LOOK AT INDIANA
The Hoosiers opened the season with back-to-back one-goal losses to nationally ranked opponents (3-2 at No. 20 Duke, 2-1 OT at No. 14 Liberty) before bouncing back with a pair of victories against Saint Francis (Pa.) and Miami (Ohio). The long road trip to open the season continued last weekend when they slipped to Ohio in overtime, 3-2. Indiana starts its season with eight straight road games.
 
SERIES AGAINST THE WILDCATS
The Quakers are meeting Northwestern for the third time in program history after playing the Wildcats for the first time last season since 1989. Northwestern has won the past two matchups, but only by one goal. Both games were on Penn's home turn, so Sunday will be the first time the Quakers have ever played in Evanston.
 
A LOOK AT NORTHWESTERN
The Wildcats had a tough opening to the year with a 1-0 loss to then-No. 9 Louisville, a team the Quakers fell to over Labor Day weekend, 2-1. Since then, Northwestern has rattled off five straight wins including three victories over nationally ranked opponents: No. 17 Boston College (1-0 OT), No. 20 Duke (3-2), and No. 20 UMass (3-0). The two goals given up to the Blue Devils are the only two goals the Wildcat backline has surrendered over the five-game stretch.  
 
LAST TIME WE MET
Penn hosted then-No. 1 Northwestern, at that point the reigning national champions, at Ellen Vagelos Field last year on September 16. It was a battle until the final whistle with the Quakers carrying a 2-1 lead at the half over the offensive powerhouse, but Northwestern took the final decision, 4-3. The Wildcats were a perfect 6-0 entering the game, all against nationally ranked opponents, with no other team finding the back of the cage three times. Graduates Elita Van Staden and Gracyn Banks, along with now-junior Courtney Kenah all scored for Penn. In just her second collegiate start in goal, Frederique Wollaert posted a career-high 10 saves.
 
PENN'S LAST TIME OUT
The Quakers enjoyed a weekend at Ellen Vagelos Field, earning their first two wins of the season after throttling past Georgetown, 8-1, and topping Drexel in overtime, 2-1. On Friday, Penn put up the most goals in a single game since the 2014 season with eight goals against the Hoyas. Sophomore Livia Loozen led the offensive surge with seven points on three goals and an assist. Six different Quakers scored in the game, including collegiate firsts for Meghan McGInley, Julia Ryan and Lily Kumar. On Sunday for their annual Believe in Brynn game, the Quakers found themselves trailing through the first half, 1-0. McGinley drew the game even in the second half to push the game to overtime where junior Courtney Kenah sealed it up with the game-winner.
 
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