Westlund's Late Penalty Rescues Minnesota in 2-2 Draw With Northwestern

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Ava Westlund spent her Sunday afternoon at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium doing nearly everything right. Eight shots, four on target, a goal and an assist. And when Northwestern had the Gophers beaten, 2-1, with the clock inching toward the finish, she got one more chance from 12 yards and made it count. Minnesota and Northwestern finished 2-2, a Big Ten draw that felt like a win to the home side and a missed opportunity to the visitors.

The numbers are lopsided. Minnesota outshot Northwestern 20-9 and had an 8-6 edge on target, according to the official box score. But the Wildcats came in with a plan, got a goal in each half, and forced the Gophers to rescue the day in the 87th minute. Attendance was 957.

An Early Gopher Jolt

Minnesota scored first, and it did it with pressure rather than polish. In the 19th minute, freshman Ellen Neuharth forced a takeaway, traded passes with Westlund, got the ball back and slotted it home. It was Neuharth's third goal of the season and a statement from a young midfielder who looks entirely comfortable at this level.

For a while, it looked like the start of a long afternoon for Northwestern. Minnesota piled up an 11-5 shot advantage in the first half. But the Wildcats had one thing the shot chart did not show: they were better at hitting the target. At the break, they held a 4-2 edge in shots on goal.

Norkett Cashes In

Northwestern's equalizer came in the 30th minute, 11 minutes after Neuharth's goal, and it came off the woodwork. Senior forward Sarah O'Donnell split two Minnesota defenders and curled a shot that clipped the crossbar. The rebound fell to Megan Norkett, who did not need an invitation. She buried it. It was Norkett's first goal of the season and the 10th of her career, and O'Donnell's helper was her second assist of the year.

Minnesota goalkeeper Sarah Martin, who finished with four saves, had no real chance on the rebound. That is the nature of a ball that bangs off the bar: it belongs to whoever is paying attention.

The Wildcats Go Ahead

Northwestern came out of the break with purpose. In the 51st minute, Norkett, already a goal to the good on the day, played a dangerous cross into the box. Junior Ava Goodin redirected it, and Olivia Elliott finished it for the first goal of her career. The Wildcats led 2-1, and Minnesota, which had been the better side for long stretches, was suddenly chasing.

That is what made the next half hour interesting. The Gophers were not outplayed. They were out-finished, at least for a spell. Nyamma Nelson, the Northwestern sophomore in goal, made six saves, a season high for her.

Westlund Takes the Ball

The turning point came in the 87th minute, and it came from video review. Minnesota challenged a no-call near the edge of the 18-yard box, the call was overturned, and the Gophers were awarded a penalty kick. Westlund stepped up and, per the Minnesota athletics recap, sent it into the bottom corner to level the game at 2-2.

It was the capper to a day when Westlund was involved in nearly everything good the Gophers did. She had a match-high eight shots, four of them on goal, and she set up Neuharth's opener. If there was a single player who deserved a draw out of this, it was her.

The Numbers Behind It

A few more figures from the box score help frame the afternoon. Minnesota had five corners to Northwestern's four. The fouls were 12 for the Gophers and nine for the Wildcats. Neither team was flagged for offside. Martin made four saves for Minnesota; Nelson made six for Northwestern. The goals came at 18:13, 29:16, 50:08 and 86:42 by the official clock.

The Gophers' defense deserves a line, too. The Minnesota recap singled out full 90-minute efforts from Kate Childers, Matigann Vixayvong, Taylor Heimerl and Neuharth, who helped keep the Wildcats at bay down the stretch after Elliott's goal.

What It Means

The standings paint a tidy picture. Minnesota is now 5-2-2 overall and 1-1-1 in the Big Ten. Northwestern is 3-4-3 and also 1-1-1 in conference play. Neither team can claim a statement result, but both can claim a useful one.

For Northwestern, the draw extended an unbeaten run against Minnesota to four games, a stretch that dates back to September 25, 2022, and includes two wins and two draws. It also gave the Wildcats a road point in a league where road points matter.

For Minnesota, it stopped a small slide. The Gophers had opened conference play with a big win over a ranked Iowa team, then lost to Penn State in a close one. Head coach Erin Chastain started the same eleven that opened against Penn State, and the continuity showed: Minnesota controlled the shot count, controlled the tempo and never stopped pushing.

The Close

Soccer is a game in which the better team sometimes gets the same number of points as the other one. That was the Gophers' Sunday. They kept pressing, they kept shooting, and they got the call when they needed it. Westlund got the ball. Minnesota got its point.

Both teams are back in action Thursday, September 24. Minnesota travels to Indiana for a 6:30 p.m. CT kickoff. Northwestern hosts Oregon in Evanston at the same time. The Gophers will take the draw. The Wildcats will wonder what a few more inches might have meant.

Photo Credit: Ariana Golemis/Undrafted