Northwestern University Athletics
Moment No. 4: Wildcats Advance To Sixth-Straight Final Four
8/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | General
Aug. 3, 2010
The 2009-10 athletic year at Northwestern University was one to remember. Filled with memorable wins, honors and championships, there was much to be celebrated this past year in Evanston. Be sure to follow along at NUsports.com through August 6 as we take a look back at some of the very best highlights the Wildcats experienced last season.
2010 Northwestern Lacrosse Season Recap
EVANSTON, Ill. -- In a post game press conference during the 2010 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship, Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller was asked if it was more difficult to reach the top of the sport or to remain on top. With little hesitation, Amonte Hiller responded that staying on top is the much more difficult task.
Despite coming up short in the 2010 national championship game, Amonte Hiller has continued to keep the Wildcat program among the best in the country. Northwestern posted a 20-2 record, setting an NCAA lacrosse record with its sixth-consecutive 20-win season, despite playing a maximum of 23 games in a year during that span.
The Wildcats also continued their domination of the American Lacrosse Conference, posting a 7-0 record (including the ALC tournament) to win its sixth-straight conference title and extend their ALC winning streak to 36 games. Northwestern also extended its NCAA-record home-winning streak to an amazing 58 games while setting a program record by winning 41-straight games, dating back to the 2008 season.
Arguably the top offensive team in the nation, Northwestern led the country in points (488), goals per game (16.59), scoring margin (7.77 goals per game) and draw controls (17.27). The Wildcats reached the NCAA title game for the sixth-straight year, the second-longest streak in NCAA history, while boasting a 14-2 record against opponents ranked in the IWLCA top-20 poll and an 8-2 mark against those in the top-10.
In the NCAA tournament, the Wildcats continued to make their marks on the NCAA record books. In 12 appearances in the postseason, Northwestern has an overall record of 25-7, as its .781 winning percentage is tops in NCAA history. Amonte Hiller upped her tournament record to 24-2, including an NCAA-record 23 game tournament winning streak from 2005-2010, and her .923 winning percentage is tops all-time.
The team's success during the year brought a handful of personal accolades to the Wildcats as well. Senior Katrina Dowd was named the ALC Player of the Year, IWLCA Attacker of the Year and was a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist in addition to being named an IWLCA first team All-American, where she was joined by teammates Shannon Smith and Danielle Spencer. Alexandra Frank (second) and Taylor Thornton (third) also were tabbed IWLCA All-Americans and Amonte Hiller was named the ALC's Coach of the Year for the sixth time.
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