Northwestern University Athletics
Fall Season Recap
10/29/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Oct. 29, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - Last spring, the Northwestern women's lacrosse team stunned the nation with a 15-3 record, a No. 6 ranking, and a journey that ended in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinal round with a loss to eventual national champion Virginia.
During the fall season, the Wildcats picked up where they left off.
NU faced some stiff competition during its three fall playdays -- including games against three of last spring's Final Four teams in Virginia, Princeton and Georgetown -- as head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller set the table for what she hopes will be another strong season in 2005.
"We took the approach that we wanted to get in there and compete," said last year's American Lacrosse Conference Coach of the Year. "We played some great competition and tried to build a little bit on what we accomplished last year. We still have a way to go, but we are happy with where we stand as the fall season ends. We wanted to see if we could improve in some areas, and I think we did."
In addition to the three aforementioned opponents, the `Cats also hosted a playday against ALC foe Ohio State, and hit the road to play Syracuse and Rutgers.
"My philosophy has always been that if you want to be the best, you have to play the best," said Amonte Hiller. "It was great to play the teams we played, but it is tough to gauge things from fall ball -- people are experimenting with new faces and developing their teams."
One thing that Amonte Hiller was impressed with by her team was their enthusiasm throughout the fall season.
"There was a willingness to compete, an excitement to learn and get better," she said. "Even when we set up competitions among our own players, they really laid it out there. We have women on this team who want to win, no matter who or what the competition is."
Of course, since fall is not the official season for lacrosse, Amonte Hiller and her staff did their best to keep things lively and interesting. One day they held the "Cat Cup," and the women were allowed to dress up in all types of costumes and outfits (of particular note was the team dressed up like bumblebees). Another day, the team forsook lacrosse sticks and balls to play basketball and dodgeball.
"We like to keep it loose, and we do that a little bit during the preseason, too," said Amonte Hiller. "Our women enjoy the offseason; it is a chance for them to be free and have fun. So we try to make it as fun as we can, but also keep the players excited and fresh. They have always responded to that really well."
