IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!! Welcome to the NCAA championship finals, Northwestern's stomping grounds for the last three years. The top-seeded Wildcats go for a fourth straight national title tonight against No. 2 Penn.
NU comes into the games as unquestionably the nation's best women's lacrosse program. The Cats are 82-3 in the last four seasons and have won 41 of their last 42 games. The one loss? An 11-7 defeat on April 27 to these very Quakers. So you can bet Kelly Amonte Hiller's squad will be fired up, especially with a championship just 60 minutes away.
The crucial matchup of the game may be NU's offense vs. Penn's defense. The Cats have averaged a tournament-best 16.33 goals per game, including 18 against Princeton in the quarterfinals and 16 against Syracuse in the semis. Penn boasts the nation's best scoring defense, allowing only 6.08 goals per game. NU has attacker Hilary Bowen (78 goals, including a tournament-best 14); Penn has goalie Sarah Waxman (national leader in goals against average at 6.08). NU has scored at least 10 goals in all but two games; Penn has kept opponents under 10 goals in all but two games.
The bottom line is the pace of the game. Fast favors NU, slow favors Penn.
PREGAME:
A few thoughts before the action gets underway:
- The Cats have the support of perhaps the most successful coach in sports. Bill Belichick, head coach of the New England Patriots, spoke with Amonte Hiller by phone after NU's semifinal win over Syraucse, according to the Chicago Tribune. Belichick praised the NU program and called Amonte Hiller "a legend." Talk about high praise.
- Despite shutting out Syracuse offensive leader Katie Rowan in Friday's semifinals, NU defender Maggie Bremer will not be starting tonight. Instead, junior Kristin McCandlish will start for the Cats. The move may signal a change in defensive strategy by Amonte Hiller; we will see if the team gets away from its normal aggressive, faceguarding style.
- STARTING LINEUPS
- Penn: 2 Kocis, 4 Mazer, 5 Farmer, 10 DeLuca, 13 Giordano, 14 Kiman, 17 Ambrozy, 20 Spiro, 21 Lehman, 25 Renna, 27 Manson, 99 Waxman
- NU: 1 Bowen, 2 Spencer, 4 Dowd, 7 Nielsen, 8 Jacobs, 11 Frank, 12 Finch, 17 McCandlish, 24 Cammarota, 31 Donohoe, 33 Harrington, 66 Lathrop
FIRST HALF
25:00: NU 1, Penn 1
After an early Cats' rush was stopped by Waxman, Ali DeLuca took the ball the length of the field and beat Lathrop low to give the Quakers a 1-0 lead. Penn is 11-0 when they score first (an ominous sign for NU). But Penn has started out sloppy, with two turnovers in the first three minutes. The second miscue led to another highlight-reel goal from Nielsen, who faked out the defense with a fake flip for the second time this postseason. She buried the ensuing shot to even the score at one. The more Penn coughs it up, the more the Cats will make them pay.
20:00 NU 2, Penn 1
As usual, NU is dominating the time of possession, with Nielsen doing most of the playmaking. She is buzzing around behind the net, harrying the Penn defense. Right now, it looks like the Cats are willing to slow it down... and just like that, they explode!! Bowen hits Towson native Meghan Plunkett in front of the goal, who nails the shot to give NU its first lead.
15:00 NU 3, Penn 1
Waxman is keeping this game close right now. She saves a point-blank bounce shot by Bowen as the game become more physical. But the Cats keep on plugging, and finally the dynamic duo connects: Nielsen to Bowen for the goal. Just like in the second half against Syracuse, NU is keeping possession -- and keeping the ball out of the its own end.
10:00 NU 4, Penn 1
Lathrop with her biggest save yet! She gets her stick on a Quakers' free position opportunity to keep the lead at 3-1. That has to help her confidence. Meanwhile, another Penn turnover in its own territory keeps the momentum on NU's side (and the ball on Penn's). Once again, the Cats capitalize, as Nielsen finds a cutting Dowd this time for an easy score. On defense, NU continues to attack, forcing the Quakers into low-percentage shots.
A quick aside: Only two teams have current NCAA championship streaks longer than NU's lacrosse team. Both UCLA in women's water polo and Georgia in women's gymnastics have won four straight. The Cats are trying to join them tonight.
5:00 NU 4, Penn 2
Lathrop has come to play today. Another save, and then a fist pump after NU gets the ball back. Nonetheless, the Quakers get one back after consecutive fouls by the Cats deep in their zone (Christy Finch has picked up a yellow card; one more and she'll be done for the game). Penn just can't get anything going on offense, though, even on the fast break, as NU breaks up a centering pass to thwart a Quaker rush.
0:00 NU 5, Penn 2
ANOTHER save by Lathrop on a point-blank shot. This is the player we've been waiting to see all postseason. On offense, though, the Cats have stalled, unable to squeeze through Penn's defense to get a good shot. And when they do, Waxman is there to make the save. Lathrop makes one more save in the final minute of the half, and BANG!! Finch brings her talents to the offensive zone, dishing to Frank for a critical score with 29 seconds left. With literally one second left, Penn's Rachel Manson gets a free-position opportunity, but Lathrop turns her aside, a fantastic stick save to finish off a fantastic first half. How do you spell a 5-2 halftime lead? M-O-R-G-A-N L-A-T-H-R-O-P.
HALFTIME
I may be beating us into the ground, but too bad: Morgan Lathrop's goaltending so far has been as sweet as the crabcake sandwiches they have here in the press box. She has been the definitive star for the Cats -- the offense has been more of a balanced attack, with five goals from five different players. But they can't let up. The Cats held a similar three-goal advantage at halftime in their regular-season matchup with Penn, then went scoreless the rest of the way. Stay tuned...
SECOND HALF
25:00 NU 5, Penn 3
It's getting physical. Bowen gets mauled on a free-position opportunity, only to be inexplicably called for a charge. Then, a Donohoe goal is negated because she was in the crease. Penn furiously attacks on the other end, but Lathrop makes another big save and the Quakers misfire on a shot. But after another tough foul call on the Cats, Emma Spiro puts a shot in goal. Tough calls, going against NU.
20:00 NU 8, Penn 4
FINALLY, NU scores a second-half goal against this team. Including the regular season, it had been almost 36 scoreless minutes before Bowen got free and bounced one past Waxman. AND.....it's the Nielsen-Bowen show -- again!!! That goal (Bowen from Nielsen, if you're confused) gives the Cats their largest lead of the game at 7-3.
OH, BUT IT GETS BETTER!!! Just 23 seconds later, FINCH, of all people, leads the fast break and scores!!!! It's just the senior captain's second goal of the season and 10th of her entire four-year career. You gotta love that.
(And by the way, Bowen's goal tied the NCAA record for most goals in a single tournament with 17).
15:00 NU 8, Penn 5
Guess Penn didn't get the memo about rolling over and playing dead. An Ali DeLuca goal off a surprise rush cuts the lead to 8-5. The Cats had settled into their "four corners" offense, but they may not be able to be that complacent -- and they've gotten sloppy... but they get the ball back anyway. And yes, Penn was able to rally from three goals down against Duke in the semis. But NU isn't Duke.
Lathrop saves a free-position opportunity shot to halt the momentum ... but NU turns it over again. All of the sudden, the Cats look a liiiitle shaky.
10:00 NU 9, Penn 6
The wheels are not quite off the wagon, but they're wobbling. Lathrop picks the ball up, then loses it, leading to an easy Quaker goal. Now the Penn crowd has gotten into it. And NU is no longer winning the all-important draw controls.
But two Dowd steals later, the Cats strike back, as Nielsen is the finisher as opposed to the passer for once. Frank sets up the junior from Australia to end a three-goal run by Penn.
Another fist pump from Lathrop after she saves a free position opportunity.
5:00
Tick. Tick. Tick. That clock can't move fast enough for the Cats, as Lathrop corrals the ball and sends it the other way. Penn is playing super-aggressive at this point, and NU might look to capitalize.
Right now, though, the grind-it-out offense is in full flow. The Cats seem content to let the clock run down and let Penn come to them as they try to capture the title in front of the 6,125 fans here at Johnny Unitas Stadium (a record total for a women's lacrosse final).
Lathrop has 11 saves at this point, already a season high.
Donohoe falls down with the ball but maintains possession as Amonte Hiller calls the team's final timeout. Keep away, keep away. Tick, tick, tick.
0:00 NU 10, Penn 6
Nielsen and Bowen combine to pick up a loose ball as the clock hits 4:00. Seizing an opportunity, Nielsen darts out from behind the net, shrugs off a stick to the head, and bounces a shot past Waxman for a 10-6 lead.
Dowd continues to be a sparkplug, picking up another ground ball to retain possession. Try as they might, the Quakers simply can't get the ball back. And the Cats can smell the four-peat now... 2:00 left!!!
Penn finally gets possession with 1:00 left, only to see Finch steal it right back. :36 seconds....
That bench is ready to explode!!!
30....20.....15.........10........5........
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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