Northwestern Clinch a Share of the Big Ten: Bent-Cole and Tromp Strike Late to Beat Rutgers 2-1
Northwestern didn’t do it the easy way. They rarely do.
The Wildcats went to Rutgers on Sunday needing a result to wrap up at least a share of the Big Ten title, and for most of the afternoon it looked like they’d have to wait. Then, with the clock running down, they found the goal that mattered.
Midfielder Laura Loycke tripped Ilse Tromp’s run late on, and Northwestern had a penalty corner. Olivia Bent-Cole, taking her fourth corner of the game, slipped the ball to the top of the circle. Tromp trapped it, and her drag-flick was too much for Rutgers goalkeeper Emily Nicholls. 2-1. A share of the title sealed, with the outright championship still to play for at Penn State.
It’s been some week for this Northwestern side. On Thursday they came from 2-1 down in the fourth quarter to beat No. 1 Maryland 4-2, ending the Terrapins’ 14-game winning run, with Bent-Cole scoring a hat-trick. Then they backed it up by holding Rutgers to zero shots in the final 15 minutes on Sunday. That’s what champions look like: not just the big comeback, but the gritty follow-up three days later.
Head coach Tracey Fuchs, who has now led Northwestern to four Big Ten titles in four years with this senior group, couldn’t hide her pride. “I’m just so proud of what they have accomplished in four years, with winning four titles,” she said. “They really make me proud to coach them every single day.”
Bent-Cole’s week earned her Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, with Nicholls taking the defensive award despite ending up on the losing side on Sunday, and Maryland freshman Ella Beach named Freshman of the Week. Northwestern are 16-1 on the season and 7-0 in the Big Ten, and they close the regular season at No. 19 Penn State on Friday, 30 October, before the Big Ten Tournament.
Maryland, for their part, bounced back from the Northwestern defeat by beating No. 13 Indiana 1-0 on Sunday, Babs van Hest scoring in the 40th minute and Alyssa Klebasko making four saves. The Terrapins are 15-1. The rematch, if it comes in the conference tournament, is the game everyone in college hockey wants to see.
Related links:
https://sportscursor.com/big-ten-weekly-honours-bent-cole-nicholls-beach-26-october-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/ncaa-seed-eight-teams-division-i-field-hockey-championship-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/rankings/
