Feb. 17, 2007
Box Score
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Top-ranked Northwestern (0-1) suffered a heartbreaking 9-8 loss in double overtime at No. 4 North Carolina (1-0) Saturday afternoon. Sophomore Hannah Nielsen led the Wildcats with four points on two goals and two assists. Classmate Morgan Lathrop made 10 saves in goal.
After both teams went scoreless through the first overtime, UNC notched the game-winner when Christina Juras scored on an unassisted goal with 2:52 left in the period.
Northwestern jumped out to a 3-0 lead with two goals from Meredith Frank and one from Hilary Bowen. UNC finally got on the board with 9:59 left when Meg Freshwater scored on a free position shot. As was the case all afternoon, the 'Cats came right back when Aly Josephs quickly scored unassisted less than a minute later. UNC's Jenn Russell then made it 4-2 at halftime with an unassisted goal of her own with 1:49 left in the half.
In the second half, UNC cut the margin to one on a free position goal by Chelsea Parks three and half minutes into the period. But the Wildcats would answer quickly once again when Nielsen scored unassisted 26 seconds later and then again less than a minute after that to make it 6-3 in favor of Northwestern.
After that, UNC scored three unanswered goals to tie the game. After the third goal, Northwestern again scored in the blink of an eye when Bowen grabbed the draw control and scored 17 seconds later to give NU the one-point lead right back, 7-6.
Both teams struggled to find the back of the net in the final 13 minutes of regulation. UNC tied the game back up at 7-7 on a Jess Allen goal before Nielsen found Tewaaraton Trophy winner Kristen Kjellman who scored with 10:49 left and put NU out in front once again.
But right when it looked like Northwestern would come away with the narrow victory, UNC's Erica LaGrow tied the game on an unassisted goal with 1:02 left on the clock.
The loss marked the first time since returning to varsity status in 2002 that the Wildcats lost their season opener.
Nielsen led NU with seven shots, followed by Bowen and Kjellman who had six and five, respectively. Northwestern took 25 shots in the first two periods, but did not attempt a shot in either overtime period. They committed a total of four turnovers in both overtime periods to zero for UNC.
Northwestern seeks to rebound next Sunday when it travels to No. 19 Vanderbilt.