No. 7 Northwestern scored two third quarter goals on the way to a 2-0 victory over No. 9 Liberty in the NCAA Field Hockey Championship title game Sunday at Phyllis Ocker Field Hockey Field.
Northwestern’s title is its first in program history. The Wildcats finish the year at 17-5. Liberty’s appearance in the championship game was its first in school history. Liberty finishes the historic season with a 20-3 mark and sees a 17-game winning streak snapped. Sunday’s NCAA Field Hockey Championship title game was the first time since 1987 that two teams met in a title match who hadn’t previously played in it before.
Northwestern’s Alia Marshall and Maddie Zimmer scored goals in the third quarter. Marshall’s goal on a penalty corner in the 36th minute followed by a Zimmer goal in the 45th minute to the two-goal cushion. Liberty entered the game as the nation’s top offense but was shut out for the first time since Oct. 28, 2019 at No. 6 Virginia.
Liberty’s Charlotte Vaanhold, Jill Bolton and Azul Iritxity Irigoyen earned NCAA Field Hockey Championship All-Tournament team recognition for their efforts this weekend. Vaanhold scored two goals, including the game winner, against No. 5 Maryland in the national semifinals on Friday. Bolton scored a goal in the win over the Terrapins as well, while Iritxity Irigoyen made 16 saves in the two Final Four games.
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Chris Graham
