“I don’t think it really hits you until, well, when you’re done,” Henn said. “It stinks knowing it’s your last home game and knowing it’s the last time on your home field.”

Cassidy said the feeling was surreal, and that despite losing the game, it didn’t change what the day meant for her and her family.

“Just walking one last time on the field with girls you’ve been playing with for four or five years. Just amazing,” Cassidy said.

“You don’t look at a career based on whether or not you win the senior game. Yeah, I’m bummed we didn’t win, but not because it’s senior day, but because it was a Big Ten win we really wanted.”

The loss effectively ends MSU’s chances of a Big Ten title. The 3-0 start to conference play has turned into a 3-2 record today, thanks to a few unlucky breaks against Penn State last weekend and an inability to convert on shot attempts against Northwestern.

MSU had 15 shot attempts compared to 10 for the Wildcats.

“I told them it was really a matter of details today,” said head coach Helen Knull. “Inches. We’ve proven to ourselves we can play with anyone in the Big Ten. Three of the games, we were on top. And then there were two where we either been ahead and didn’t end up on the winning end of, or this game, outshooting but not closing out on it.”

Northwestern scored the first goal 15:18 into the game. Northwestern’s Kelsey Thompson had an attempted saved by Cassidy, but Lisa McCarthy followed with an unassisted goal off a rebound, her second of the season.

Lever got the Spartans on the board in the second half on a corner play assisted by junior back Jenni Smith.

Northwestern took the lead with just over six minutes left in the game. when Isabel Flens scored an unassisted goal on a fast break off a rebound. MSU failed to score in the remaining minutes, sealing the win for the Wildcats.

With dreams of a Big Ten title unfulfilled, the focus is now on postseason for the Spartans. To qualify, they will have to pull to .500 on the road against Iowa next Saturday.

“We’ve all said all year you want to leave without the feeling of leaving any regrets,” Henn said. “That goes for the seniors and down for the freshman to the end of season. We have a big game coming up against Iowa, they’re a great team and we have a good week of practice to get there and look towards it”