Northwestern University Athletics
They're Back: Dwyer, Gilbert, Girardi, Palermo Return for 2022
10/7/2021 3:39:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
EVANSTON, Ill. — They're back.
Combe Family Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller has announced that veterans Brennan Dwyer, Lauren Gilbert, Jill Girardi and Ally Palermo will use their extra year of eligibility and return for the 2022 Northwestern women's lacrosse season.
The core four were essential members of Northwestern's 2021 season that saw the Wildcats post a 15-1 overall record and a berth in the national semifinals. The Wildcats went a perfect 11-0 during the regular season en route to capturing the program's first-ever Big Ten regular season title and conference tournament championship, which earned the program the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.
Northwestern posted historic offensive numbers in 2021 as the Wildcats led the country in scoring (20.12), points per game (28.75), draw controls per game (19.19), shots per game (39.81) and shots on goal per game (30.06), while NU's 9.25 scoring margin was the second-best nationally. The 20.12 goals per game is an NCAA record.
#33 BRENNAN DWYER | MIDFIELD | WINNETKA, ILL.
2021 second team All-Big Ten midfielder … 2021 Big Ten Women's Lacrosse All-Tournament Team … Earned IWLCA Academic Honors in 2021 … First-team Academic All-Big Ten honoree … Has 375 career draw controls … Set the program single-season record with 181 draw controls in 2019 … Set the program single-game record with nine ground balls against Notre Dame on Feb. 14, 2020 and 21 draw controls on Feb. 16, 2020 … Led the team with 89 draw controls in 2021 … Recorded Northwestern's first goal of the NCAA tournament against Denver (5/16) … Named to Inside Lacrosse's All American third team in 2020 … Led all Wildcats with 69 draw controls in 2020 … All Big Ten Team member in 2019 … Led the team with 181 draw controls, ranking 5th in the NCAA in 2019.
#1 LAUREN GILBERT | ATTACK | LAKE OSWEGO, ORE.
First team IWLCA 2021 Division I All-American … IWLCA All-Region …. Unanimous 2021 first team All-Big Ten attacker … Second Team Inside Lacrosse All-American … Nominated for the 2021 Tewaaraton Award … Earned IWLCA Academic Honors in 2021… First-team Academic All-Big Ten honoree … Second on the team with 146 goals and 178 points all time … Led the team with 23 free position goals … Second on the team with 66 goals, 75 points, 129 shots, 100 shots on goal, three game-winning goals, and 34 free position shots ... Netted five goals in Big Ten Tournament semi-final win over Rutgers (4/30) … Posted a grand total of nine goals in a weekend slate against Rutgers (3/19, 3/21) … Earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the week after her performance against Penn State (3/16) ... Tied her career high with six goals and added three draw controls against Ohio State (2/14).
#15 JILL GIRARDI | MIDFIELD | WATERTOWN, N.Y.
2021 Big Ten Women's Lacrosse All-Tournament Team … First-team Academic All-Big Ten honoree … Finished second on the team with 69 draw controls in 2021 … Posted a career-high 12 draw controls in addition to causing a career-high five turnovers against Denver (5/16) … Posted a team high 11 draw controls in Big Ten Tournament Championship win over Maryland (5/2) … Second on the team with 22 caused turnovers in 2018 ... Led all first years in assists (4) and tied for the lead in goals (11) in 2018 … Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after scoring her first career hat trick and recording two draw controls against Penn State in 2018.
#11 ALLY PALERMO | DEFENSE | SEAFORD, N.Y.
2021 first team All-Big Ten defender … Second Team Inside Lacrosse All-American … Third team IWLCA 2021 Division I All-American … First-team Academic All-Big Ten honoree … Has 109 ground balls as a Wildcat, the second highest total in the modern era of Northwestern Lacrosse (since 2002) ... Led the team with 12 caused turnovers in the 2021 regular season … Finished second on the team with 30 ground balls in 2021 … Named to Inside Lacrosse's All American First Team in 2020 … Led Northwestern with 17 ground balls and eight caused turnovers in 2020 … All-Big Ten Team member in 2019.
Combe Family Head Women's Lacrosse Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller has announced that veterans Brennan Dwyer, Lauren Gilbert, Jill Girardi and Ally Palermo will use their extra year of eligibility and return for the 2022 Northwestern women's lacrosse season.
The core four were essential members of Northwestern's 2021 season that saw the Wildcats post a 15-1 overall record and a berth in the national semifinals. The Wildcats went a perfect 11-0 during the regular season en route to capturing the program's first-ever Big Ten regular season title and conference tournament championship, which earned the program the No. 2 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.
Northwestern posted historic offensive numbers in 2021 as the Wildcats led the country in scoring (20.12), points per game (28.75), draw controls per game (19.19), shots per game (39.81) and shots on goal per game (30.06), while NU's 9.25 scoring margin was the second-best nationally. The 20.12 goals per game is an NCAA record.
#33 BRENNAN DWYER | MIDFIELD | WINNETKA, ILL.
2021 second team All-Big Ten midfielder … 2021 Big Ten Women's Lacrosse All-Tournament Team … Earned IWLCA Academic Honors in 2021 … First-team Academic All-Big Ten honoree … Has 375 career draw controls … Set the program single-season record with 181 draw controls in 2019 … Set the program single-game record with nine ground balls against Notre Dame on Feb. 14, 2020 and 21 draw controls on Feb. 16, 2020 … Led the team with 89 draw controls in 2021 … Recorded Northwestern's first goal of the NCAA tournament against Denver (5/16) … Named to Inside Lacrosse's All American third team in 2020 … Led all Wildcats with 69 draw controls in 2020 … All Big Ten Team member in 2019 … Led the team with 181 draw controls, ranking 5th in the NCAA in 2019.
#1 LAUREN GILBERT | ATTACK | LAKE OSWEGO, ORE.
First team IWLCA 2021 Division I All-American … IWLCA All-Region …. Unanimous 2021 first team All-Big Ten attacker … Second Team Inside Lacrosse All-American … Nominated for the 2021 Tewaaraton Award … Earned IWLCA Academic Honors in 2021… First-team Academic All-Big Ten honoree … Second on the team with 146 goals and 178 points all time … Led the team with 23 free position goals … Second on the team with 66 goals, 75 points, 129 shots, 100 shots on goal, three game-winning goals, and 34 free position shots ... Netted five goals in Big Ten Tournament semi-final win over Rutgers (4/30) … Posted a grand total of nine goals in a weekend slate against Rutgers (3/19, 3/21) … Earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the week after her performance against Penn State (3/16) ... Tied her career high with six goals and added three draw controls against Ohio State (2/14).
#15 JILL GIRARDI | MIDFIELD | WATERTOWN, N.Y.
2021 Big Ten Women's Lacrosse All-Tournament Team … First-team Academic All-Big Ten honoree … Finished second on the team with 69 draw controls in 2021 … Posted a career-high 12 draw controls in addition to causing a career-high five turnovers against Denver (5/16) … Posted a team high 11 draw controls in Big Ten Tournament Championship win over Maryland (5/2) … Second on the team with 22 caused turnovers in 2018 ... Led all first years in assists (4) and tied for the lead in goals (11) in 2018 … Named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after scoring her first career hat trick and recording two draw controls against Penn State in 2018.
#11 ALLY PALERMO | DEFENSE | SEAFORD, N.Y.
2021 first team All-Big Ten defender … Second Team Inside Lacrosse All-American … Third team IWLCA 2021 Division I All-American … First-team Academic All-Big Ten honoree … Has 109 ground balls as a Wildcat, the second highest total in the modern era of Northwestern Lacrosse (since 2002) ... Led the team with 12 caused turnovers in the 2021 regular season … Finished second on the team with 30 ground balls in 2021 … Named to Inside Lacrosse's All American First Team in 2020 … Led Northwestern with 17 ground balls and eight caused turnovers in 2020 … All-Big Ten Team member in 2019.
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