Nielsen's Six Points Helps Top-Ranked Wildcats Rally Past Johns Hopkins 14-12
April 18, 2008
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior Hannah Nielsen (Adelaide, Australia/Brighton Secondary) netted three goals and added three assists while junior Hilary Bowen (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) contributed four goals of her own as top-ranked Northwestern staged a furious second-half rally to defeat 17th-ranked Johns Hopkins 14-12 at Lakeside Field. The victory extends the Wildcats winning streak to 35 games and clinches the regular season American League Conference championship as well as the top seed in the upcoming ALC tournament. Under the lights of a live CBS College Sports Network broadcast, it was the Blue Jays (6-8, 0-2 ALC) who got off to the fast start, scoring three of the first four goals of the contest to take a 3-1 lead after the first ten minutes. But goals by Bowen and Nielsen would knot the game at three with 12:32 remaining in the half. After Hopkins took a 4-3 lead, a free position goal by sophomore Danielle Spencer (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) once again evened things up. But the Blue Jays took control in the waning minutes of the opening stanza, scoring three unanswered goals, including Kadie Stamper's third of the half with just eight seconds remaining to take a 7-4 lead. It appeared Hopkins would take a three-goal lead into the break, but Spencer won the draw control for the 'Cats, fired a long outlet pass to Nielsen who fed it to junior Casey Donohoe (Jarrettsville, Md./Notre Dame Prep), firing a shot into the back of the net just before the horn sounded to trim the Blue Jays lead to 7-5 at intermission. Northwestern looked to gain control of the second half early, as Nielsen scored just 30 seconds in to cut the Hopkins lead to 7-6. The Blue Jays would answer with a pair of goals of their own to extend the lead to three with just over 23 minutes to play, and looked as if they were about ready to take control of the contest. But then the Wildcats offense kicked into gear as NU rattled off six goals in a five minute span and just like that had its first lead of the game at 12-9. Six different 'Cats tallied goals in the outburst with Nielsen assisting on a pair of them. Hopkins tried to mount the late rally, but every goal was answered by a Northwestern score as the Wildcats held on to preserve the 14-12 victory. Bowen's goal at the 27:46 mark of the first half was her 50th of the season, as she has now recorded back-to-back 50 goal seasons. She now sits at 53 on the year and extended her consecutive goal-scoring streak to 32 games. Bowen and Nielsen also extended their consecutive point-scoring streak to 36 games, while Nielsen's three assists brings her season total to 38, which is the fourth-best single season assist total in the program's history. Spencer and Donohoe each netted a pair of goals in the win, while junior Meredith Frank (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) and sophomore Katrina Dowd (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) each recorded a goal on the evening. Junior goalkeeper Morgan Lathrop (Briarcliff, N.Y./The Hackley School) registered six saves on the night as well. It was the 39th consecutive win for the Wildcats on its home turf as they improved to 7-2 all-time against the Blue Jays. NU clinches the top seed in the ALC tournament on May 2-4 at Lakeside Field, while Vanderbilt clinches the number two seed. Hopkins, Ohio State and Penn State are all 0-2 in conference play and will face each other in the closing week.
Northwestern plays its regular season home finale Sunday, April 20, when it welcomes 11th-ranked North Carolina (11-4) to Lakeside Field. It will be Senior Day as the Wildcats will honor the five graduating players before the game. Sunday will also be Scout Day with the 'Cats as all boy and girl scouts will receive $2 admission and will have a chance to be on the field for the starting lineups. Opening draw against the Tar Heels is set for 1 p.m.
|
|
