Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Set to Face Notre Dame
5/12/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
May 12, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - When Northwestern women's lacrosse coach Kelly Amonte Hiller was asked recently if she was concerned her team might get caught up in the heady moment of an NCAA Tournament game Thursday, she responded by saying "we went 14-2 this year and won 13 games in a row. We won our conference title. We beat several teams who were ranked ahead of us at the time. Our players have had plenty of heady stuff happen to them already this season."
NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST-ROUND GAME
Northwestern (14-2) vs. Notre Dame (12-4)
Thursday, May 13 * 3 p.m.
Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex (Evanston, Ill.)
Ticket Prices: $5 for adults, $3 for children and students w/ID
Click Here for driving directions to the Thomas Athletic Complex
However, Amonte Hiller is also quick to caution that what is past is just that -- past.
"Right now you draw a line in the sand and cross over it -- it is a new season," she said. "Nothing we did during the regular season matters anymore. There are 16 teams around the country that enter Thursday with a 0-0 record, and all of them are looking to go 4-0 in the next 10 days. We are one of them, and so is Notre Dame."
One of the things Northwestern DID do during the regular season was beat its first-round opponent. On April 20, the Wildcats were able to slip and slide past the Irish in rainy conditions at the Thomas Athletic Complex, knocking out a 9-5 victory behind four goals from ALC Rookie of the Year Kristen Kjellman, a three-goal effort by Jenny Bush (2g, 1a), and two goals from Sarah Albrecht.
What really stood out on that day was Northwestern's defense. The Wildcats held ND's All-America candidate Meredith Simon to just two points (1g, 1a) and effectively shut down a potent Irish team that at the time was 10-1 and ranked sixth in the country -- two of Notre Dame's five goals came in the final minute, after the game had been decided.
"We have been impressing upon our players that Notre Dame will come out blasting Thursday," said Amonte Hiller. "I know they felt like they were still the better team when they walked off the field that day, and so they see this as a chance to prove that. This is a great regional matchup to start the tournament -- we know what they have, and they know what we have."
What Northwestern has is a group of women who, although technically still young (the only departing senior is Angela McMahon), made a giant leap forward this season. The 'Cats won more American Lacrosse Conference games this season (5) than in the previous two years combined (4) en route to a share of the conference title. That share came because of a 10-9 overtime loss to Vanderbilt last Thursday that snapped a 13-game winning streak for the 'Cats and had all the feel of an NCAA Tournament game -- something that was not lost on Amonte Hiller.
"Practices have been great so far this week," she said. "Our players are focused, and I think they learned a lot in that Vanderbilt game. We are at a time in the season when you cannot get caught up in the moment, you have to go out and perform and play a full 60-minute game.
"I think some of our players got wrapped up in the larger picture of last week's game and lost focus of what we are trying to do," she continued. "I am counting on that not happening this week. Our players are confident; they believe in themselves."
Amonte Hiller also points to her staff's experience as an advantage. She played on two NCAA Tournament-winning teams at Maryland, while assistant coach Alexis Venechanos also won national titles with the Terps. The other assistant, Danielle Shearer, not only has NCAA experience but is just a year removed from playing at Notre Dame and has close knowledge of the Irish program.
"No one can take away the experiences that our staff has had," said Amonte Hiller. "We know that, in a game like this, the winner of this game is going to be the team that brings the most fire but is able to channel it properly. The players trust us because of our experience with this time of year.
"Our approach with the players is to acknowledge that YES, this is a big game," said Amonte Hiller. "However, we see this as a great opportunity -- but we know that Notre Dame sees it the same way. It will all come down to which team is the most in sync on that day. However, this is a great chance for our program to make that next step up in level, and I am excited about that."
Notes Entering the NCAA Tournament
* NU is making its first appearance in the NCAAs since returning to varsity status in 2002; during the previous era of varsity lacrosse at the school (1982-92), the 'Cats made the NCAA Tournament five times (1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988) compiling a 1-5 record.
* NU is hosting an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since May 6, 1987 (an 11-9 loss to New Hampshire); the 'Cats also hosted an NCAA Tournament game on May 9, 1984 (a 6-2 win, also against New Hampshire). Both of those games were played at Dyche Stadium (now Ryan Field).
* NU is 1-2 all-time vs. Notre Dame, which did not start playing varsity lacrosse until 1997.
* NU has already established school records for wins (14) and goals (217) in a season; the Wildcats' 13-game winning streak also set a new standard.
* NU finished the regular season fifth nationally in both scoring offense (13.38 gpg) and scoring defense (7.52 gapg); the 'Cats led the ALC in both categories.
* Ashley Gersuk finished the regular-season fifth nationally in goals-against average (7.56) and 20th in save percentage (.529).
* Kristen Kjellman's 45 goals this season tie her for 10th on NU's single-season list (including the previous era of lacrosse), while her 58 points ranks her ninth.
* Sarah Albrecht's 21 assists this season is fourth on NU's single-season list; Lindsey Munday 's 16 assists is tied for seventh.
* Last year, Munday led NU with 20 goals; this season, she again scored 20 but finished fifth among the Wildcat players in that category.
* The American Lacrosse Conference -- of which NU is a part -- was one of just two conference to receive three NCAA bids (Johns Hopkins and Vanderbilt join the 'Cats). The other conference was the Atlantic Coast Conference, or ACC (Duke, Maryland, Virginia).
* A total of eight first-round games are being played Thursday at campus sites; quarterfinal games are Sunday at campus sites; semifinals and final are May 21-23 in Princeton, N.J.
* Notre Dame is making its second NCAA appearance (also 2002); the Irish are 1-1 in the postseason.
