Northwestern Begins Title Defense Against Massachusetts Sunday

5/6/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse

May 6, 2009

Northwestern Lacrosse Weekly Release - May 6

Opening Draw
Northwestern begins the quest for its fifth-straight national championship this weekend, hosting Massachusetts Sunday, May 10, at 1 p.m. in the opening round of the 2009 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship.

Wildcats On The Web
Fans unable to make it to Evanston for the opening round can still catch every Wildcat goal online. Live streaming video and live stats of the game against UMass will be available at NUsports.com.

Scouting the Minutewomen
The 2009 Atlantic-10 champions, Massachusetts is 11-7 on the year and is making its first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 1984. Jackie Lyons has spearheaded the Minutewomen's offensive attack this season, leading the team in both goals (44) and assists (26). Lyons has netted seven of UMass' 11 game-winning goals and ranks third on the squad in draw controls (30). Three other Minutewomen have eclipsed the 30-goal plateau, including Meghan Reddy (33), Haley Smith (32) and Holly Drown (30). Reddy leads the team and ranks third nationally with 77 draw controls, while Drown has added 43 draws as well. Freshman goalkeeper Katie Florence has made an immediate impact for the Minutewomen, notching 171 saves on the year, boasting a .468 save percentage and a 10.79 goals against average. She also leads the team in both ground balls (34) and caused turnovers (12). Head coach Alexis Venechanos is in her third season in Amherst with a 26-27 (.491) overall record.

Series Information
Northwestern and Massachusetts get together for the ninth time Sunday with the Wildcats holding a 7-1 advantage in the series. NU has won the last seven meetings between the two schools, including a 22-5 victory in Amherst on March 25. Hannah Nielsen had a huge game, netting four goals and adding four assists in the game in which she tied Jen Adams as the NCAA's all-time assist leader. Hilary Bowen, Danielle Spencer, Brooke Matthews and Shannon Smith each added a hat trick for the Wildcats. Northwestern is 1-0 against the Massachusetts in Evanston, taking an 18-2 victory in 2008.

Nielsen Named A Finalist For 2009 Tewaaraton Trophy
Hannah Nielsen, the reigning Tewaaraton Trophy winner, has been named a finalist for the 2009 award. Nielsen's selection marks the fourth-straight year that Wildcat has been a finalist for the sport's most prestigious award. Nielsen leads the nation in both points (122) and assists (67), and earlier this season became the Division I all-time career assist leader. Nielsen looks to become just the second player to win two Tewaaraton awards, joining former teammate Kristen Kjellman. The 2009 Tewaaraton Trophy will be awarded on May 28th in Washington, D.C.

Wildcats Look To 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 17-1 record in the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship under Amonte Hiller, including 16 consecutive tournament victories, and her .944 winning percentage is tops in the sport's history. As a program, Northwestern is 18-6 all-time in the NCAA tournament, boasting a .750 winning percentage - the second-best in postseason history.

Lathrop Sits Alone As All-Time Wildcat Save Leader
Morgan Lathrop has established her reputation as one of the top goalkeepers in the nation, and has also made her mark on the Wildcat record book. With her five saves against Penn State in the American Lacrosse Conference championship game, Lathrop upped her career total to 529, surpassing Ashley Gersuk's 526 as the program's all-time save leader. She has recorded over 100 assists in each of her four seasons in Evanston, and ranks second in the nation in goals against average (6.02). Lathrop is also closing in on another impressive mark, looking to top Gersuk's career .492 save percentage. She began the year at .506, and ranks fifth nationally with a .514 save percentage on the year.

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