April 22, 2009
Northwestern Lacrosse Game Notes - April 22 
Opening Draw
The regular season American Lacrosse Conference title, as well as the top overall seed in next weekend's ALC Championship is on the line as Northwestern hosts 14th-ranked Ohio State Wednesday, April 22, at 5 p.m.
Wildcats On The Web
Fans unable to make it to Evanston Wednesday can still follow every Wildcat goal. Live streaming video of the game against Ohio State will be available at NUsports.com, along with live statistics.
Scouting the Buckeyes
14th-ranked Ohio State is 11-4 on the year and 2-1 in American Lacrosse Conference play, coming off a 13-9 loss to Penn State on Sunday. The Buckeyes have been one of the most explosive teams offensively, ranking fifth nationally in points (350) and sixth in goals per game (15.8). The game will pit the nation's top two point scorers head to head, as OSU's Kelly Haggerty is right behind Hannah Nielsen, ranking second nationally in points (86) and is fifth in assists (37), while leading the team in goals with 49. Freshman Alayna Markwordt has been impressive in her collegiate debut, ranking second on the squad in goals (42), assists (25) and points (67). Maghan Beaudrault has netted 31 goals, with Rachel Hawes and Jayme Beard each adding 29. Beard leads the Buckeyes in draw controls with 29, while Gabby Capuzzi has added 28 to go along with a team-best 27 ground balls. Defensively, the Gysin sisters have anchored the backfield, combining for 26 caused turnovers and 41 ground balls. Goalkeeper Kristen Gilwee has recorded 127 saves on the year with a .485 save percentage and a 10.49 goals against average. Sue Stimmel is 113-102 (.526) in her 13th season at the helm of the Buckeyes and is 189-120 (.617) in 19 years as a head coach.
Series Information
Wednesday marks the eighth meeting between Northwestern and Ohio State, with the Wildcats holding a 5-2 series advantage. NU has won five straight over the Buckeyes, including a 21-5 victory in Columbus last season, led by Hilary Bowen's five goals and three assists. The `Cats have also posted a 2-1 record against their Big Ten rivals in Evanston, winning 18-5 in 2005 and 21-5 in 2007.
Nielsen Closes In On 200th Career Assist
Hannah Nielsen sits on the verge of accomplishing a feat no one in the history of Division I women's lacrosse has accomplished. Nielsen, who recently became the NCAA's all-time assist leader, is just five helpers shy of reaching 200 for her career. Nielsen, who leads the nation with 54 assists this year, is averaging 3.6 helpers per game this season, meaning that if she continues that pace through the final two games, she should surpass the plateau before the end of the regular season. Nielsen is also the NCAA's single-game assist leader, dishing out 10 at Duquesne on Feb. 17, and is tied for the single-season record with 69 in 2007.
`Cats Continue American Lacrosse Conference Domination
Since joining the American Lacrosse Conference in 2002, Northwestern has posted a 35-9 (.795) record, and has won or shared each of the past five ALC crowns, winning the title outright each of the past four seasons. With the 16-7 victory over Johns Hopkins Friday, the Wildcats upped their conference winning streak to 26 games, dating back to the 2004 season. Northwestern has also dominated the ALC Championship, posting a 4-0 record since the tournament began in 2007.
Home Sweet Home
Northwestern has been one of the toughest teams to beat in recent years, but has been practically unbeatable in Evanston. The Wildcats extended their NCAA-record home winning streak to 50 games with the 17-6 victory over Penn State on April 12, and have not lost a home game since falling to Vanderbilt 10-9 in overtime on May 6, 2004. 31 of those victories have come against opponents ranked in the top-20, and NU is a perfect 9-0 at Lakeside Field in NCAA tournament games.
Upcoming Wildcat Promotions
Wednesday's game against Ohio State is Scout Day, as all boy and girl scouts will receive the official 2009 Scout Day patch, and the first 100 fans will receive a free t-shirt compliments of the N-Club. All fans are invited to stick around after the game for a postgame autograph session. Saturday's regular season finale against Penn is Senior Night, as all fans are invited to join the Pregame Tailgate starting at 6 p.m. Hamburgers, hot dogs and soda will be provided (while supplies last) and all fans are invited to bring a store-bought item to share (i.e. cookies, chips) in exchange for a free t-shirt. For more information, e-mail wildcatmarketing@northwestern.edu.
Looking Ahead
Northwestern closes out the regular season with perhaps the nation's most intriguing regular-season match up as the `Cats welcome third-ranked Penn to Lakeside Field on Saturday, April 25, in a rematch of last season's national championship game. The showdown with the Quakers also marks Senior Day, as the Wildcats will honor the 11 seniors on this year's roster. NU then prepares for the 2009 American Lacrosse Conference Championship in University Park, Pa., on May 1-2.
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