Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Draw Quakers in NCAA Semifinal Showdown
5/20/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
May 20, 2009
Northwestern Lacrosse Weekly Release - May 20, 2009 
Opening Draw
Top-seeded Northwestern makes its fifth-straight appearance in the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Final Four, returning to Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md. The Wildcats face a familiar opponent in the semifinals, meeting up with fourth-ranked Penn at 5 p.m. Central on Friday, May 22.
The Wildcats' drive for a fifth-straight national championship will play out in front of a national television audience. Both of the semifinal matches and the championship game will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network. Live stats will also be available at NUsports.com, and WNUR will be traveling with the `Cats to Towson, broadcasting the games live on 89.3 FM and online at sports.wnur.org.
Scouting the Quakers
Ivy League champion and fourth-seeded Penn is 15-2 on the year, advancing to its third-straight Final Four by squeaking past Duke 10-9 in overtime, notching the game-winning goal with five seconds left. Known for its stout defense, the Quakers rank first in the nation in scoring defense (5.82 goals per game). Goalkeeper Emily Szelest leads the country in goals against average (5.72), recording 87 saves on the year with a .492 save percentage. Defenders Hilary Renna and Kaileigh Wright have anchored the backfield for Penn, combining for 36 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers. Offensively, the Quakers have made their mark as well, averaging just under 11 goals a game, led by Ali DeLuca's team-high 50 points and 36 goals. Emma Spiro has notched 31 goals for Penn, while the trio of Erin Brennan, Courtney Lubbe and Becca Edwards have each added 26 goals on the year. DeLuca has paced the team in caused turnovers (18), with Sprio leading the squad in both ground balls (31) and draw controls (49). Karin Brower is in her 10th year at the helm of the Quakers, compiling a 102-61 (.626) during her time in Philadelphia, and is 115-78 (.596) in her 12 seasons as a head coach.
Northwestern and Penn have become quite familiar with each over the past few years, as Friday's semifinal marks the sixth meeting between the two schools in the past three seasons and the third showdown in the Final Four. The Wildcats are 6-2 all-time against the Quakers and have won the last two meetings, including an 11-9 victory in Evanston on April 25 behind four goals and three assists from Hannah Nielsen. The game will be a rematch of the 2008 national championship game, won by Northwestern 10-6 on the same Johnny Unitas turf. Nielsen tallied three goals and added three assists, while Hilary Bowen added three goals and an assist en route to being named the tournament MVP for the second-straight year. NU has won six of the last seven against Penn, although the Quakers are the last team to defeat the Wildcats, taking an 11-7 decision in Philadelphia in the 2008 regular season finale.
Wildcats Continue Postseason Success
Since Kelly Amonte Hiller took over the reins of the program in 2002, May has been the month the Wildcats have felt the most comfortable. Northwestern has posted a 19-1 record in the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship under Amonte Hiller, including 18 consecutive tournament victories, and her .950 winning percentage is tops in the sport's history. As a program, Northwestern is 20-6 all-time in the NCAA tournament, boasting a .769 winning percentage - the second-best in postseason history.
2009 Wildcats Look To Break Handful of Team Records
Through the first 20 games of the season, the 2009 Wildcats sit poised to rewrite a handful of team records set by the 2007 squad. That team, which won the team's third-straight national championship, set program highs in points (529), goals (361) and assists (168). This year's squad has already set a new team-best in goals with 373, and isn't far behind in both points (523) and assists (150), and remain within striking distance of surpassing the 2008 Syracuse team as the top offensive team in Division I history.
For the complete weekly release, click the PDF link above.
