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Northwestern Wildcats field hockey

Athletic team of Northwestern University From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Northwestern Wildcats field hockey team is the intercollegiate field hockey program representing Northwestern University. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The Northwestern field hockey team plays its home games at Lakeside Field on the university campus in Evanston, Illinois. The Wildcats have won nine regular-season conference titles, three conference tournament championships, and have appeared in the NCAA tournament 19 times, advancing to the Final Four on nine occasions. In 2021, the Wildcats won their first NCAA tournament. After a pair of losses in the national championship in 2022 and 2023, the Wildcats won back-to-back NCAA tournaments in 2024 and 2025. The team is currently coached by Tracey Fuchs.

Founded1975; 51 years ago (1975)
(varsity since 1980)[1]
Head coachTracey Fuchs[2] (16th season season)
Quick facts Founded, University ...
Northwestern Wildcats field hockey
Founded1975; 51 years ago (1975)
(varsity since 1980)[1]
UniversityNorthwestern University
Head coachTracey Fuchs[2] (16th season season)
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
LocationEvanston, Illinois
StadiumLakeside Field[3]
(capacity: 300)
NicknameWildcats
ColorsPurple and white[4]
   
NCAA tournament championships
2021, 2024, 2025
NCAA tournament runner-up
2022, 2023
NCAA tournament Semifinals
1983, 1985, 1989, 1994, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
NCAA tournament appearances
1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 2014, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Conference tournament championships
2014, 2023, 2025
Conference regular season championships
1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1994, 2013, 2023, 2024, 2025
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History

Field hockey has been a varsity sport at Northwestern University since 1980, although the school has fielded intercollegiate teams since 1974. From 1981 to 1988 and again since 1992, the Wildcats have played in the Big Ten Conference. Between 1989 and 1991, Northwestern was a member of the Midwestern Collegiate Field Hockey Conference (MCFHC). The university also considers its 1977 and 1978 teams to have competed in the Big Ten, although field hockey was not a varsity sport at Northwestern for either of these seasons.[1] As a Big Ten member, the Wildcats have won six regular-season conference titles as well as one conference tournament championship.[1][5][6] Four of these Big Ten regular-season titles were won under the guidance of head coach Nancy Stevens, who lead the team from 1981 to 1989. Northwestern qualified for the NCAA tournament every year between 1983 and 1994 except for 1992, and it has reached the Final Four on four occasions.[1] The Wildcats are currently coached by Tracey Fuchs.[2] Prior to her tenure, Northwestern has been coached by Mary Ann Kelling (1975), Mary DiStanislao (1976–78), Sharon Drysdale (1979–80), Stevens (1981–89), Marisa Didio (1990–94 and 2000–03), Debra Brickey (1995–97), Diane Loosbrock (1998–99), and Kelly McCollum (2004–08).[1]

Season-by-season results

The 2011 Northwestern field hockey team in action at Penn State during the Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament
More information Year, Head coach ...
Year Head coach Overall Pct. Conf. Pct. Conf.
Place
Conf.
Tourn.
Postseason
1975 Mary Ann Kelling 5–3–1 .611 – – – – –
1976 Mary DiStanislao 6–2–3 .682 – – – – –
1977 8–7–2 .529 1–4 .200 – – –
1978 13–5–1 .711 1–2 .333 – – –
1979 Sharon Drysdale 8–10–1 .447 – – – – –
1980 18–6–3 .722 – – – – –
1981 Nancy Stevens 14–5–4 .696 7–2 .778 – 3rd –
1982 17–5 .773 4–1 .800 2nd – –
1983 20–5 .800 9–1 .900 T1st – NCAA Final Four
1984 17–2–1 .875 9–0–1 .950 1st – NCAA 1st Round
1985 20–2 .909 9–1 .900 T1st – NCAA Final Four
1986 15–4–2 .762 6–2–2 .700 2nd – NCAA 2nd Round
1987 14–6–3 .674 6–2–2 .700 2nd – NCAA 2nd Round
1988 17–2–1 .875 8–0 1.000 1st – NCAA 1st Round
1989 18–4–1 .804 8–1–1 .850 – – NCAA Final Four
1990 Marisa Didio 15–3–1 .816 7–1 .875 – – NCAA 1st Round
1991 12–7–1 .625 5–3 .625 – – NCAA 1st Round
1992 6–11 .353 3–7 .300 T4th – –
1993 12–6–1 .658 6–4 .600 3rd – NCAA 2nd Round
1994 15–4–2 .762 8–1–1 .850 1st 2nd NCAA Final Four
1995 Debra Brickey 13–6 .684 6–4 .600 T2nd T3rd –
1996 9–12 .429 3–7 .300 T4th T3rd –
1997 7–13 .350 3–7 .300 T5th T5th –
1998 Diane Loosbrock 7–13 .350 2–8 .200 6th T5th –
1999 4–14 .222 0–10 .000 6th T5th –
2000 Marisa Didio 6–13 .316 2–4 .333 T5th T5th –
2001 2–13 .133 1–5 .167 6th T5th –
2002 6–13 .316 1–5 .167 6th T5th –
2003 9–9 .500 1–5 .167 6th T5th –
2004 Kelly McCollum 7–13 .350 1–5 .167 T5th T5th –
2005 7–11 .389 0–6 .000 6th T5th –
2006 7–12 .368 1–5 .167 6th T5th –
2007 4–14 .222 0–6 .000 7th T5th –
2008 7–13 .350 1–5 .167 6th T5th –
2009 Tracey Fuchs 12–8 .600 1–5 .167 6th T5th –
2010 11–9 .550 3–3 .500 T4th T5th –
2011 12–9 .571 1–5 .167 T6th T5th –
2012 16–4 .800 4–2 .667 T2nd T5th –
2013 15–5 .750 5–1 .833 T1st T5th –
2014 16–7 .696 6–2 .750 T2nd 1st NCAA 1st Round
2015 13–8 .619 4–4 .500 T4th T3rd –
2016 13–8 .619 5–3 .625 T3rd T3rd –
2017 15–7 .682 6–2 .750 T2nd T3rd NCAA 2nd Round
2018 9–10 .474 3–5 .375 7th T5th –
2019 14–7 .667 5–3 .625 4th T5th NCAA 1st Round
2020 12-6 .667 5-3 .625 T3rd T4th NCAA 2nd Round
2021 18-5 .783 5-3 .625 5th T5th NCAA Champions
2022 20-5 .800 5-3 .625 3rd 2nd NCAA Runner-Up
2023 21-2 .913 8-0 1.000 1st 1st NCAA Runner-Up
2024 23-1 .958 8-0 1.000 1st 2nd NCAA Champions
2025 22-1 .957 8-0 1.000 1st 1st NCAA Champions
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Season-by-season results through the end of the 2025 season[1][5][7][6][8][9]

Awards and accolades

Conference championships

Northwestern has won nine conference titles, all in the Big Ten Conference. Four of their championships were won during the tenure of head coach Nancy Stevens in the 1980s.[1]

YearCoachConference RecordOverall RecordConferenceNCAA Result
1983Nancy Stevens9–120–5Big TenNCAA Final Four
19849–0–117–2–1NCAA 1st Round
19859–120–2NCAA Final Four
19888–017–2–1NCAA 1st Round
1994Marisa Didio8–1–115–4–2NCAA Final Four
2013Tracey Fuchs5–115–5–
20238-021–2NCAA Runner-Up
20248-023–1NCAA Champions
20258-022–1NCAA Champions
9 Conference Championships
9 Big Ten Championships

Honda Sports Award winners

More information Year, Player ...
Year Player
1986 Jennifer Averill
1994 Gretchen Scheuermann
2024 Maddie Zimmer
2025
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All-Americans

More information Key ...
Key

   First-team selection 

   Second-team selection 

   Third-team selection 

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More information Season, Player ...
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Olympians

More information Olympics, Player ...
Olympics Player Country
1996 Antoinette Lucas  United States
2024 Ashley Sessa  United States
2024 Maddie Zimmer  United States
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Awards and accolades through the end of the 2024 season[10][11]

Stadium

Northwestern has played its home games at Lakeside Field since its construction in 1997. Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, the field is part of the university's $3.5-million Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex on the north end of its main campus in Evanston. Lakeside Field features an AstroTurf playing field that was installed in 2015 and a seating capacity of 300, as well as a permanent scoreboard, a sound system, and lighting that allows for the playing of night games. The venue has hosted the Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament three times, in 2002, 2004, 2018.[3] Lakeside Field is located adjacent to Lenny and Sharon Martin Stadium, previously also known as Lakeside Field, which is home to Northwestern's women's lacrosse, men's soccer, and women's soccer teams.[12]

See also

References

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