April 20, 2008

Box Score

Box Score (PDF)

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Sunday was Senior Day at Lakeside Field, and top-ranked Northwestern made sure the graduating Wildcats went out in style, blowing past 11th-ranked North Carolina 16-3 to improve to 15-0 on the year. The `Cats extend their overall winning streak to 36 games, while the home victory was the 40th-straight for NU, which ties an NCAA record.

After falling behind early in the last few games, Northwestern controlled this one from the opening draw, as junior Hannah Nielsen (Adelaide, Australia/Brighton Secondary) put the 'Cats on top 1-0 just 35 seconds in. That was quickly answered by a free position goal by sophomore Danielle Spencer (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) less than a minute later. After the first six minutes, Nielsen and Spencer had each scored twice, and the Wildcats found themselves with a 4-0 lead.

NU continued to dominate the first half, as goals by juniors Hilary Bowen (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) and Casey Donohoe (Jarrettsville, Md./Notre Dame Prep) and sophomore Katrina Dowd (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) gave the `Cats a 7-0 lead at intermission. It marked the third time this season Northwestern held a team scoreless through the first 30 minutes, leading 14-0 at Hofstra on Feb. 26 and 11-0 against Notre Dame April 9.

The second half started similarly to how the first half ended, as Dowd and Donohoe pushed the Wildcat lead to 9-0 just five minutes into the second stanza. North Carolina (11-5) was finally able to get on the board at the 22:24 mark thanks to a goal from freshman Corey Donohoe. Junior Meredith Frank's (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) goal gave NU the 10-1 lead, which was answered by a Tar Heel goal three minutes later.

But that was as close as UNC would get, as Northwestern reeled off the next six goals to put this one away. Even the Wildcat reserves got into the mix, as freshman Colleen Magarity (Oreland, Pa./Germantown Academy) tallied her first career goal and senior Lindsay North (McLean, Va./McLean) closed out her home career in style netting her first goal of the year with 1:06 remaining. Freshman Rachel Fox (Andover, Mass./Andover) recorded her second goal of the season to cap off the day for Northwestern.

Northwestern avenged its only loss from last season by out-shooting North Carolina 15-5 in the first half and 31-15 for the game, and dominated in draw controls by a 15-5 margin.

Nielsen again led the 'Cats with five points (three goals, two assists) while Spencer and Donohoe each recorded hat-tricks in the victory. Dowd contributed with a pair of goals while Bowen added a goal and an assist to extend her goal-scoring streak to 33-straight games. Both Bowen and Nielsen extended their point-scoring streak to 36-consecutive games as well. Junior Morgan Lathrop (Briarcliff, N.Y./The Hackley School) once again added to her legacy as a big-game goalkeeper, recording eight saves on the afternoon and improving her goals against average to 6.53.

Five Northwestern seniors were honored before the game, including Christy Finch (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson), Hilary Alley (Lake Forest, Ill./Lake Forest), Fallon McGraw (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary's), Quinn Cammarota (Northport, N.Y./Northport) and North. They symbolize a unique class, as the Wildcats are a combined 77-2 in the four years since they arrived in Evanston, including four-straight American Lacrosse Conference championships and three-straight NCAA national championships. The graduating Wildcats also hold a unique distinction in that they never lost a game on their home turf.

NU closes out the regular season Sunday, April 27, on the road at sixth-ranked Penn. Opening draw is scheduled for 1 p.m. The Wildcats then return home to host the 2008 ALC Championship presented by adidas Lacrosse May 2-4 at Lakeside Field.