The long and winding road to the Big Ten field hockey championship continues.

This week's stop: the Windy City.

The No. 6 Penn State field hockey team (8-1, 1-1 Big Ten) hits the road and heads to Evanston, Ill., to play its third game of Big Ten conference play against the Wildcats of Northwestern (4-5, 0-1) tomorrow at 2 p.m.

Both teams are rebounding from disappointing starts and will try to move up the rankings in the Big Ten.

"We know they are a very defensive oriented team," Penn State field hockey coach Char Morett said. "Northwestern has always presented a challenge for us."

The Penn State coaching staff stressed both offense and defense this past week in practice, but made it clear to the team's forwards that they will be facing immediate and constant defensive pressure from the Northwestern backs.

"For us, we're just trying to play with a little more speed," Morett said. "We need to be in an attacking frame of mind when we have the ball, and a defensive frame of mind when we do not."

One recurring problem that has haunted the Nittany Lions this year has been brief but costly defensive breakdowns.

Despite not allowing many goals this season, the few that have gone in have been attributed to the mental lapses in the Penn State half.

"We've really picked up the intensity at practice this week," Kate Bender said.

"Northwestern is a very strong team and we have a very hard schedule coming up."

The Wildcats have had solid performances in goal by freshman Kelly Augustine, completing the Northwestern defensive scheme.

"Their goalkeeper, while she's young, is starting to get a little more experience," Morett said.

"I think you'll see her game has stepped up."

Augustine made a career high six saves in the Northwestern's Big Ten home opening loss to No. 12 Iowa.

Morett said that in order to keep the Wildcats' backs off balance, the Lions will try to establish a passing game.

Leading the Lions in this gameplan against Northwestern is this week's Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week, Heather Conroy.

"Getting individual awards is nice but I would give it up for a Big Ten Championship or a National Championship," Conroy said.

Conroy said that in preparation for Northwestern, the field hockey team assessed its progress thus far.

"We haven't been discouraged with our play so far," she said.

"Looking at the tapes from Michigan State and Indiana, we looked on what we need to improve upon for Northwestern."