Ashley Sessa’s highlight goal in Northwestern’s win over Iowa was a ‘SportsCenter’ top 10 play

Sessa, who's from Schwenksville and graduated from Episcopal Academy, scored twice in the No. 1 Wildcats' win over No. 4 Iowa, but it was her second goal that went viral.

Ashley Sessa (right) played for Team USA in the Olympics over the summer and now is a sophomore at Northwestern.Read morePhilippe.D Photography

by Isabella DiAmore

Published Sept. 21, 2024, 3:33 p.m. ET

Ashley Sessa was the youngest field hockey player to compete on the U.S. national team at the Paris Games.

The highlights kept rolling for the Schwenksville native and Northwestern sophomore, whose goal against Iowa on Friday made it on that night’s SportsCenter “Top 10.”

The midfielder/forward broke free of a double team at the top of circle then veered left, where she lifted the ball on top of her stick, bounced it twice, and hoisted it into the net. It was her second goal of the afternoon in a 5-0 win for the top-ranked Wildcats over the No. 4 Hawkeyes (4-2).

“I just got it in the air and kept going with it,” Sessa told the Big Ten. “Nobody was coming toward me, and I just saw it and I was like, ‘This could be fun.’ I don’t think I’ve ever scored like that before, so that was pretty cool, but having everyone’s reaction after was the best part, having each other’s back. I love these girls.”

Sessa, a graduate of Episcopal Academy, transferred into Northwestern from North Carolina, where she played one season and won an NCAA championship.

Last year, she took an Olympic redshirt to train with the national team and was named to the Olympic roster in June. Team USA (1-3-1) finished ninth overall and didn’t make it out of pool play at the Olympics. Sessa tallied a goal against Argentina.

Northwestern is undefeated (7-0) so far this season, and Sessa leads the team in goals and assists with five of each.