Northwestern beats Liberty 2-0 to win 2021 NCAA DI field hockey championship, first in program history
Northwestern beats Liberty 2-0 to win 2021 NCAA DI field hockey championship, first in program history
The Northwestern Wildcats wrote their names into the history books on Sunday afternoon, winning their first field hockey championship in school history.
Northwestern took down Liberty 2-0 in the title match, riding a pair of goals in the third quarter and a fortified defense to shut out the Flames and earn the trophy.
𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟. 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦.🏆#GoCats | #nufh | #NCAAFH pic.twitter.com/H0Zpe4jT9L
— Northwestern FH (@NUFHCats) November 21, 2021
After no goals in the first 35 minutes of the match, Northwestern struck twice in the final 10 minutes of the third quarter to take a strong lead into the fourth.
Alia Marshall scored her 4th goal of the season to break the tie, then Maddie Zimmer recorded her ninth with just six seconds left in the quarter.
Liberty managed just 3 shots on goal against the Wildcats defense, including none in the second half, while Northwestern put 9 shots on target.
Both teams played overtime matches in the semifinals on Saturday, with Liberty needing a second overtime period to upset Maryland. And into the third quarter it looked like this match may have been heading that way too before Marshall and Zimmer scored. The Wildcats appeared to have just a little more gas in the tank, and the two-goal deficit became too much for Liberty to overcome. Then the celebration was on for Northwestern.
Here's the All-Tournament Team:
- Maryland No. 8 Brooke Deberdine
- Maryland No. 12 Bibi Donraadt
- Harvard No. 3 Hannah Pearce
- Harvard No. 10 Emily Guckian
- Liberty No. 9 Charlotte Vaanhold
- Liberty No. 25 Jill Bolton
- Liberty No. 91 Azul Iritxity Irigoyen - goalkeeper
- Northwestern No. 8 Maddie Zimmer - Most Outstanding Player
- Northwestern No. 11 Kayla Blas
- Northwestern No. 17 Alia Marshall
- Northwestern No. 30 Annabel Skubisz - goalkeeper
View the full completed bracket for the 2021 DI field hockey championship here.
Northwestern beats Liberty for first national championship in team history
Northwestern is the champion of the 2021 DI field hockey season.
The Wildcats used a pair of third-quarter goals and strong defense to shut out Liberty 2-0 and claim the trophy.
Both teams had played in overtime in their semifinal matches, and Northwestern appeared to have a little more gas left in the tank in the second half of the final.
Stay tuned to this page for more updates. View complete match stats here.
Northwestern scores twice in third quarter, edges toward title
After no goals in the first 35 minutes of the match, Northwestern struck a pair in the final 10 minutes of the third quarter to take a strong lead into the fourth.
Alia Marshall scored her 4th goal of the season to break the tie, then Maddie Zimmer recorded her ninth with just six seconds. left in the quarter.
Each team is playing for its first field hockey title in school history. Click or tap here to view the score and live stats from the match.
You can watch the national championship match on WatchESPN. Stay tuned here for more updates throughout the afternoon.
Northwestern and Liberty scoreless entering second half in title match
The score remains deadlocked in the DI field hockey final. Neither Northwestern nor Liberty could find the back of the net in the first half.
The Wildcats are doubling the Flames in shots on goal, 6-3, as the match enters the third quarter.
Both teams are playing for their field hockey title in school history. Click or tap here to view the score and live stats from the match.
You can watch the national championship match on WatchESPN. Stay tuned here for more updates throughout the afternoon.
DI field hockey final match is underway between Northwestern and Liberty
The final field hockey match of the DI season has begun. Northwestern and Liberty are facing off for the national championship on Sunday.
One of these teams will win its first field hockey title in school history. Click or tap here to view the score and live stats from the match.
You can watch the national championship match on WatchESPN. Stay tuned here for more updates throughout the afternoon.
Northwestern, Liberty to face off in national championship Sunday
A first-time DI field hockey national champion will be named on Sunday, when Liberty and Northwestern square off at 2 p.m. ET. Click or tap here to view the score and live stats from the match.
You can watch the national championship on WatchESPN.
The Flames took down Maryland 3-2 in the semifinals, while the Wildcats needed overtime to beat Harvard 2-1.
Click or tap here to view the 2021 NCAA DI Field Hockey Championship bracket.
Northwestern beats Harvard in overtime, sets up final showdown with Liberty
A thrilling semifinal day in the DI field hockey tournament has come to a close, and the finalists are set. After Liberty shocked Maryland in overtime to win the first semifinal of the day, Northwestern and Harvard needed the extra period too, with the Wildcats coming out on top.
Northwestern opened the scoring in the first quarter, only for Harvard to tie it up 52 seconds later. Then the teams were deadlocked for the remainder of regulation, nearly 50 minutes of play.
But once the match went into overtime, Northwestern only needed two minutes to score the winner. Bente Baekers was the Wildcats hero, scoring to send them to the title match, final score 2-1. Check out her winning goal:
CHAMPIONSHIP. BOUND.
— Northwestern FH (@NUFHCats) November 19, 2021
BENTE BAEKERS FOR THE WIN!#GoCats | #nufh | #NCAAFH pic.twitter.com/KHwnRyekKr
Northwestern will face Liberty in the final. Neither program has ever won this national championship, meaning history will be made regardless of the outcome. The final is Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.
Click or tap here to view the complete 2021 DI field hockey bracket.
Harvard and Northwestern tied entering 3rd after trading early goals
Harvard and Northwestern are even at 1 in the third quarter of their semifinal in the 2021 DI field hockey tournament.
The teams quickly traded first-quarter goals, with the Wildcats' Maren Seidel striking first and the Crimson's Hannah Pearce equalizing less than one minute later.
The winner of this match will play Liberty in the title match on Sunday afternoon. Stay tuned here for game and score updates.
Liberty prevails over Maryland 3-2 in 2OT thriller, advances to final
After a dramatic, back-and-forth, double-overtime match, Liberty has advanced to the final of the 2021 DI field hockey championship.
The Flames beat Maryland 3-2, scoring the winning goal in the second overtime period, mere minutes before the match would have headed to a shootout. Liberty's Charlotte Vaanhold netted the winning goal, and check out the scenes from the pitch after she won the game:
No Words pic.twitter.com/nCD9GdIsmF
— Liberty Field Hockey (@LibertyFH) November 19, 2021
Neither team scored in the first half, but it didn't take long in the second for Liberty to get on the board. Jill Bolton scored less than four minutes into the third quarter, then Vaanhold bookended the quarter with another goal in the 45th minute.
But Maryland got on the board just 40 seconds later through Bibi Donraadt's goal, setting up a tense fourth quarter. Hope Rose's penalty stroke goal with less than five minutes left in regulation tied the match and eventually sent it to overtime.
The teams went 18 more minutes without a goal in overtime before Vaanhold's sudden-death winner. Liberty will face the winner of Harvard and Northwestern in the final. That semifinal begins at 4:15 p.m. ET today. The final is Sunday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. ET.
Click or tap here to view the complete 2021 DI field hockey tournament bracket.
Liberty and Maryland heading to OT tied at 2
The first semifinal of the DI field hockey tournament is going to overtime.
After a scoreless first half, Liberty and Maryland are tied 2-2 heading into the extra period.
Liberty scored minutes into the third quarter and added another late in the quarter. But the Terrapins rallied and scored their first goal just 40 seconds later to pull within one. Maryland tied the game with five minutes left in the fourth quarter on a penalty stroke.
If neither team scores in overtime, the match will go to a penalty shootout.
Friday's DI field hockey semifinals schedule
We're in the semifinals of the DI field hockey tournament, which has lost the top four seeds. Friday's games were delayed an hour due to field conditions in Ann Arbor.
Here are today's semifinal matchups with updated times. Click for live stats:
- Liberty 3, Maryland 2 | Final (2OT)
- Harvard vs. Northwestern | 4:15 p.m. ET
Here are some quick stats to get ready for today's semifinal matchups:
| TEAM | RECORD | TOURNAMENT WINS | TOP SCORER | TITLES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty | 19-2 | St. Joseph's (2-0), No. 1 Rutgers (3-2, OT) | Jill Bolton (18) | None |
| Maryland | 15-6 | Virginia (2-1), Syracuse (2-1) | Bibi Donraadt (12) | 7 (1987, '93, '99, 2005, '06. '08, '10 '11) |
| Harvard | 17-1 | Louisville (1-0, OT), No. 2 Michigan (1-0, SO) | Hannah Pearce (13) | None |
| Northwestern | 16-5 | North Carolina (2-0), No. 3 Iowa (1-0) | Bente Baekers (17) | None |
Check out the complete bracket for the 2021 DI field hockey tournament.
Final four teams set after upset-filled Sunday in DI field hockey championship
The three top-seeded teams in the 2021 DI field hockey championship entered play on Sunday, Nov. 14 for the second round. None will be playing any further.
That's right, No. 1 Rutgers, No. 2 Iowa, and No. 3 Michigan all lost this afternoon, breaking the tournament wide open. The upsets were bookended by matches that went all the way to shootouts.
To start the day, Liberty shocked Rutgers by scoring the tying goal with just a little more than three minutes left in the game and eventually prevailed in the shootout. Then, after hours of weather delays and 80 minutes of scoreless action, Harvard beat Michigan in a shootout to end the night.
Here are the final scores:
- Liberty 3, No. 1 Rutgers 2
- Northwestern 1, No. 2 Iowa 0
- Maryland 2, Syracuse 1
- Harvard 1, No. 3 Michigan 0
It's a double whammy for the Wolverines, which could have been playing in the semifinals and potential final at home. The semifinals are on Friday, Nov. 19 and, along with the final, will be played on Michigan's campus in Ann Arbor.
Here are the semifinal matchups (both times Eastern):
- Liberty vs. Maryland | 12 p.m.
- Harvard vs. Northwestern | 3 p.m.
Click or tap here for the full 2021 DI field hockey championship bracket.
No. 1 Rutgers pushed into overtime by Liberty
The top-seeded team in the DI field hockey tournament is in overtime. No. 1 Rutgers and Liberty are tied at 2 going into the extra period.
The Scarlet Knights fell behind early but rallied with a pair of goals in the third quarter to take the lead. But Liberty didn't go away, scoring with less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter to force overtime.