Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
4-1
UMass
4-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern | 10 | 8 | 18 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Second-Ranked Wildcats Roll Over UMass 18-4
3/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
March 23, 2007
Box Score
YORKTOWN, N.Y -- Second-ranked Northwestern defeated UMass 18-4 Friday night in the inaugural "Friends of Jaclyn" Brain Tumor Awareness College Lacrosse Challenge in front of a UMass record crowd of 3,075 people at Yorktown High School in upstate New York.
Meredith Frank, Aly Josephs and Hilary Bowen all recorded three goals to pace the Wildcats who scored 15 unanswered goals and improved their record to 4-1 on the season. UMass dips to 4-4.
But despite the score and all the other storylines that came along with tonight's game, the real winner was 12-year-old Jaclyn Murphy and her family. In a joint effort with both schools and the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation, an estimated $38,500 was raised to help support the foundation and Brain Tumor Awareness. Murphy, Northwestern's biggest and most inspirational fan, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a childhood brain cancer, at the age of 10.
UMass jumped out to a 1-0 lead when Kathleen Typadis netted an unassisted goal less than three minutes into the game.
It was all Wildcats from that point on.
Bowen tied the game less then a minute later as her goal sparked a 15-0 Wildcat run that extended nine minutes into the second half. Northwestern dominated in all areas, winning 15-of-24 draw controls while outshooting UMass 35-10 and 19-5 in the first period as the 'Cats opened a 10-1 lead at the break.
Bowen and Frank also tallied three assists each (one of which Bowen tossed to Hannah Nielsen from her knees in the second half) to lead NU with six points apiece. Nielsen finished with five points on two goals and three dishes. Kristen Kjellman, Ali Jacobs and hometown hero and Yorktown-native Katrina Dowd all scored two goals. Casey Donohoe had one goal and an assist to round out the scoring for NU.
Morgan Lathrop (4-1) had a relatively easy night between the pipes. Courtesy of a stingy Wildcat defense anchored by Lindsay Finocchiaro, Annie Elliott and Christy Finch, UMass managed just five first-half shots. Abby Bangser recorded two second-half saves.
It also was a special game for the coaches of both teams as Kelly Amonte Hiller went up against her pupil, Alexis Venechanos, for the first time. Venechanos, a Yorktown High School alum, was an assistant under Amonte Hiller the past three seasons before taking the UMass post last August. Venechanos is assisted by former NU players Sarah Albrecht and Angela McMahon--both of whom played under Amonte Hiller.
Northwestern is back in action at noon CT Sunday afternoon when it takes on Boston University at BU's Nickerson Field--the very place Northwestern won its second national title last May.
Game Notes: Kjellman recorded the 200th and 201st goals of her career ... NU is averaging 17.2 goals while giving up just 5.0 over the last four games ... NU is 45-2 over the past two-plus seasons and 59-4 in its last 63 games.
