Michigan State (14-5-0, 7-4-0) will take on Iowa (13-4-2, 5-4-2) in the opening game of the 2011 Big Ten Tournament. The Hawkeyes are coming off their best season in program history in which they matched their program’s highest victory total at 13, while setting a new best winning percentage of .737. The Hawkeyes were able to hold Michigan State’s talented offensive duo of Laura Heyboer and Olivia Stander, who have combined tallied 29 goals this season, scoreless in a 1-0 victory at home earlier this season.

Illinois (14-4-1, 8-2-1) will look to avenge an early-season loss to Ohio State (10-8-1, 5-5-1), which ended in a 2-1 score on the road. The Illini are entering tournament play with eight straight wins, the longest streak in program history. Both squads are looking to leave their marks in program record books. The Buckeyes’ 2011 senior class is three wins away from becoming the winningest four-year group in program history.

Northwestern (2-15-1, 1-9-1 Big Ten) will look to play spoiler against the top seed Penn State (17-3-0, 10-1-0). Despite a last-place finish in the regular season, Northwestern continues to play as the host team of the tournament. The Nittany Lions defeated the Wildcats 4-0 earlier in the season and will look to continue their 11-game winning streak. Penn State will look to add another Big Ten Tournament title; they have won two of the last three tournaments (2006, 2008).

Wisconsin (10-6-3, 5-3-3) will face rival Minnesota (8-9-2, 5-4-2) for the 23rd time in the final game of the first round. The Badgers cling to a slight advantage in the overall series with a record of 11-10-1. The sole tie came earlier this season in a back and forth 2-2 draw at Wisconsin. The Badgers rallied to score two second half goals to even the score. Wisconsin looks to bounce back from a 2-0 loss to Iowa in the final regular season game. The loss dropped them to the fourth seed.