Northwestern University Athletics
Coast to Coast: 'Cats Face No. 13 Syracuse and UConn
3/30/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
March 30, 2006
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EVANSTON, Ill. - No. 1 Northwestern seeks its 30th and 31st straight wins this weekend when they travel east to take on No. 13 Syracuse and UConn-one week after its west coast trip against California and No. 18 Stanford. The Wildcats will take on the 13th-ranked Orange (7-2) at 6 p.m. Friday, March 31 at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y. and the UConn Huskies (2-4) at Noon, Sunday April 2 in Storrs, Conn.
The Wildcats scored a season-high 22 goals against UConn last season in the 22-6 win in Evanston. The Huskies will play Notre Dame at home Friday before facing the Wildcats Sunday.
NU spouts six players with at least 15 goals this season in Kristen Kjellman (30 goals), Aly Jospehs (22), Laura Glassanos (23), Lindsey Munday (22) and Sarah Albrecht (16)-all of whom have accounted for more than 81 percent of NU's scoring this season. Freshman Morgan Lathrop has anchored a defense that has allowed just 7.0 goals per game this season. She is 7-0 on the year with 47 saves.
UNC Game Time Change
The Friday, April 21 home game with North Carolina which was originally scheduled for 4 p.m. has been changed to a 3:30 start. That game, along with the four remaining home games, will be played at the Lakeside Field at the Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex.
Road Warriors
Eleven of Northwestern's 17 regular-season games this year are away from Evanston, which includes a six-game road trip spanning from March 23 to its next home game on April 21. Over that six-game road swing, the Wildcats will travel over an estimated 10,000 miles. To put it in perspective, that is roughly equivalent to driving from New York City to Los Angeles and back-twice! At seasons end, the Wildcats will have traveled over an estimated 17,500 miles, which is more than THREE round trips from the Big Apple to California.
Munday Breaks Assists Record
With her four assists March 23 against California, senior Lindsey Munday broke NU's all-time record for assists. She passed Maureen Mullen (94; 1986-89) who held the record for more than 16 years. Munday also had another four assist effort in the win over No. 18 Stanford two days later, giving her 100 for her career. Munday is the 26th person in Division I history to record 100 career assists.
Munday Named ALC Player of the Week March 27
Senior Lindsey Munday was named this week's American Lacrosse Conference (ALC) Player of the Week after scoring 16 points in wins at California and No. 18 Stanford last week. Munday had two four-goal, four-assist efforts in leading the Wildcats to their 28th and 29th straight wins. The honor is the first for Munday this season and the third of her career. It marks the third time in 2006 a Wildcat has received the weekly laurel. In the win over California March 23, Munday became NU's all-time assist leader with four assists, passing Maureen Mullen who tallied 92 from 1986-89. She also became just the fourth Wildcat to record 200 career points. Then on Saturday, she tallied her 100th career assist in the 19-8 win over 18th-ranked Stanford with her second four-goal, four-assist effort in as many games. Munday is the 26th person in Division I history to record 100 career assists.
29 and Counting
The Wildcats have the nation's longest current win streak among Division I programs at 29 games dating to the start of the 2005 season. The record for consecutive wins is 50, held by Maryland (March 9, 1995 to April 20, 1997). NU also has won 14 straight home games dating to the end of the 2004 season. That record also is held by Maryland who won 22 home matches in a row.
Kjellman Moves Up the Charts
In only her junior season, Kristen Kjellman ranks in the top 5 in goals, assists and points on NU's all-time lists. She is in sole possession of third place with 142 goals, third with 65 assists and fourth with 213 total points. She leads the Wildcats this season with 30 goals to compliment 16 assists, including a six-goal, one-assist performance in the win at Penn March 7. Kjellman was second on the team last season with 59 goals and had 53 as a freshman in 2004.
Offensive Explosion
Through its eight wins this season, the Wildcats have outscored their opponents by a combined score of 139-56, an average of more than 10 goals per game (17.3 to 7.0). Northwestern's largest win was a 19-3 waxing of Ohio University in Evanston March 4. They have allowed 10 or more goals just once this year and have trailed only twice all season-falling behind 4-0 in the season opener at No. 9 Maryland before reeling off seven-consecutive goals en route to a 13-8 win. They then trailed by four early in the game against Notre Dame, only to go on a 13-1 run from that point on to secure the win. The Wildcats also scored the first 17 goals of the game in the 18-3 win over Rutgers in Piscataway, N.J. Feb. 26.
Scouting Syracuse
No. 13 Syracuse is 7-2 on the season, highlighted by wins over ranked teams like Dartmouth (then No. 3) and Towson (then No. 15). The Orange give up only 7.8 goals per game and are scoring over 12. They feature an offensive foursome that has 13 or more goals between them in Kathryn Rowan (27 G, 6 A), Gaddy Fortune (24 G, 2 A), Caitlyn Dragon (15 G, 5 A), and Megan Mosenson (13 G, 4 A). Keeper Jen Kasel has recorded all the decisions in goal with 72 saves compared to 62 goals allowed. In her ninth season as head coach, Lisa Miller has led SU to five NCAA Tournament appearances in her tenure.
Scouting UConn
UConn is coming off one of its most successful seasons in program history in 2005, claiming the program's first ECAC Championship and reaching a No. 15 national ranking. They are 2-4 on the season as of March 30 and play host to Notre Dame on March 31 before welcoming the Wildcats on April 2. UConn is led by Shannon Burke and Abbey VanDeusen who have 18 and 10 goals, respectively, on the year. The Huskies average just under 10 goals per game and are giving up just over 10. Kristen Haldeman has played every minute in goal with 75 saves. They are coached by Bonnie Rosen (Virginia, `93), the 2005 BIG EAST coach of the year, who is in her 10th season as head coach.
Wildcats Win Two On West Coast
The top-ranked Wildcats picked up two more wins this weekend in the Golden State, topping California and No. 18 Stanford. In the win at California on Thursday Senior Lindsey Munday became Northwestern's all-time assist leader as the top-ranked Wildcats made California its 28th straight victim in the 16-5 win in Berkeley, Calif. Munday came into the game needing three to break the record and topped that with a four-goal, four-assist effort. Munday passed Maureen Mullen who tallied 92 assists from 1986-89 and also became just the fourth Wildcat to record 200 career points. Kristen Kjellman also had four goals to go with two assists while Laura Glassanos added three. Morgan Lathrop had 12 saves in goal. Then on Saturday, Northwestern jumped out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back as the Wildcats defeated No. 18 Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif. 19-8, their 29th straight win. Sarah Albrecht scored a career-high six goals and recorded two assists for eight points. Munday had a repeat performance from Thursday with four goals and four assists for the second-consecutive game, giving her 100 assists for her career. Glassanos added three goals and one assist.
Wildcats Face Six NCAA Qualifiers
The road to defending its 2005 national title won't be an easy one as Northwestern is set to face six teams that qualified for last year's 16-team NCAA Lacrosse Championship. NU has already defeated No. 9 Maryland and are still set to face No. 13 Syracuse, No. 2 Duke, Penn State, No. 5 North Carolina and No. 3 Johns Hopkins. In addition, NU has or will face 12 teams currently ranked or receiving votes in the latest IWLCA and Insidelacrosse Top 20 polls.
Amonte Hiller Notches 50th Career Victory
The season-opening win at No. 9 Maryland was even sweeter for head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller as she recorded career-win No. 50 against her alma mater on Feb. 13.
Everyone's Choice
The Wildcats have been picked to win it all once again by the IWLCA, the Bounce Entertainment/Inside Lacrosse Poll and Lacrosse Magazine. Duke is No. 2 in each of those polls and will face the Wildcats in Durham, N.C. April 6.
Next Up
The Wildcats head to Durham, N.C. for the much anticipated matchup with No. 2 Duke at 6 p.m. Friday, April 7.
