Returning to their home pitch on Thursday, the Lady Kats battled through a physical, hard-fought battle against the Northwestern Lady Tigers, ultimately falling 5-2. Despite the final score, the evening featured notable bright spots, including sharp offensive connections and steady growth in team possession. Transitioning back to a grass field slowed the pace early as both squads fought to establish a rhythm. Northwestern struck first 10 minutes into the match, but the Lady Kats answered with relentless pressure. Isla Duncan earned a crucial opportunity after drawing a foul inside the box, setting up Anna De Fazio to calmly bury the resulting penalty kick to draw level at 1-1. A brief late-half miscommunication allowed Northwestern to strike twice in quick succession, but the Lady Kats settled their backline and fended off the Tigers' attack for the remaining ten minutes to head into the break trailing 3-1. The physical battle between blue and purple intensified in the second half. While Northwestern managed to add two more goals to widen the margin, the Lady Kats refused to fold, showing sharp improvements in ball movement and team possession as the match progressed. That determination paid off in the final minutes. With just three minutes remaining on the clock, Mattie Rayl delivered a pinpoint pass to De Fazio, who finished strong for her second goal of the night—and her fourth goal across the last two games—putting a stamp on the Lady Kats' relentless work ethic. While the result wasn't the win they were chasing, the match highlighted the squad's continued development, particularly in controlling possession and making clean passes under pressure.