Wildcats Fall in Big Ten Semis to Penn State, 21-16

Friday, May 4

Ann Arbor, Mich.

6:30 p.m.

Northwestern

13-5

Penn State

10-8

Team	1	2	Final F
Penn State	13	8	21
Northwestern	8	8	16

Wildcats Fall in Big Ten Semis to Penn State, 21-16

5/4/2018 9:37:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse

Box Score

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Sometimes it's just not your night.

Northwestern just couldn't keep up with a desperate Penn State squad in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament Saturday night, falling at the U-M Lacrosse Stadium, 21-16.

The Wildcats fell to 13-5 overall with the loss and will await an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament during the selection show Sunday evening at 8:30 CT on NCAA.com.

Shelby Fredericks finished the contest with six draw controls, becoming Northwestern's all-time leader in the process. Fredericks broke Alyssa Leonard's program record of 469 and now has 474 in her career.

Senior Selena Lasota scored a season-high six goals and matched her season high with seven points, senior Sheila Nesselbush extended her career long point streak to 13 games with four points and Fredericks recorded her eighth-straight multi-assist game with four.

The 'Cats and Nittany Lions (10-8) were in a track meet from the word go, scoring a combined 10 goals in the first nine minutes of the contests. Senior Sheila Nesselbush scored on an assist from Fredericks just 13 seconds into the contest, but PSU responded with three unanswered to take a 3-1 lead.

Junior Selena Lasota sandwiched a pair of goals around a tally from junior Holly Korn as the 'Cats scored three of the next four to cut it a one-goal game, 4-3, and senior Nicole Beardsley eventually tied the game with 20:11 left in the first half, 5-5.

Unfortunately, the Wildcats' offense stalled and went nearly 15 minutes without a goal while the Nittany Lions reeled off five in a row to take a lead they never relinquished.

Beardsley tried to swing things back towards the 'Cats with her second of the game at the 5:53 mark to end the drought, but Penn State once again responded with three more unanswered to push its lead to eight, 13-5.

Northwestern was able to score a pair of goals just before the half to cut the deficit to five, 13-8, but every time the 'Cats looked to gain any momentum the Nittany Lions would respond.

After NU scored the first two goals of the second half, Penn State responded with three of its own. The Wildcats got three straight goals from Korn, Nesselbush and Lasota in a span of 1:07 just over 10 minutes into the second half and the Nittany Lions punched back with three more of their own.

Chicago's Big Ten Team didn't go down without a fight, twice cutting it to four with under 10 minutes to play. Lasota set a season high with her sixth of the game with 3:27 on the clock and Nesselbush found sophomore Lindsay McKone just 14 seconds later to make it a 20-16 contest.

Northwestern won the ensuing draw control and had a chance to cut it to three, but a illegal stick check was negated by a charge call and alternating possession gave the ball to the Nittany Lions, who ended any chance of a comeback with a goal from Katie O'Donnell.