April 28, 2009
EVANSTON, Ill. -- It was a purple sweep of the American Lacrosse Conference weekly honors, as senior Hannah Nielsen (Adelaide, Australia/Brighton Secondary) was named the Offensive Player of the Week, freshman Lacey Vigmostad (Northport, N.Y./Northport) earned Defensive Player of the Week honors, and freshman Alexandra Frank (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) was tabbed as the Rookie of the Week. The three played key roles in helping Northwestern to a pair of victories last week, including an 18-10 win over Ohio State to clinch the regular season ALC crown.
Nielsen picks up her fifth ALC Offensive Player of the Week honor of the year after tallying three assists against Ohio State on April 22, while also winning five draw controls in helping the 'Cats outscore the Buckeyes 11-3 in the second half. Held out of the goal column against OSU, Nielsen responded in a big way, netting four goals and adding three assists in the 11-9 victory over third-ranked Penn Saturday. She leads the nation in both points (112) and assists (60) and became the first player in Division I history to surpass 200 career assists.
Vigmostad, who has started every game as a freshman for the Wildcats, stepped up big against the Buckeyes, scooping up four ground balls and causing four Ohio State turnovers. She was part of a defensive group that held the Buckeyes to just seven shots in the second half. Vigmostad ranks fourth on the team in caused turnovers (12) and has tallied 19 ground balls and 11 draw controls in her freshman campaign.
Frank has emerged as the top draw control threat for Northwestern this season, as she won a season-best eight against Ohio State. Frank added a pair of goals (a career-best), scooped up three ground balls and caused three Buckeye turnovers in arguably the best game of her Wildcat career. She would go on to win four crucial draws against the Quakers, including three in the second half, while adding another goal. Frank leads the team in draw controls with 53 and ranks 19th nationally averaging 3.12 per game.
Northwestern seeks its sixth-straight American Lacrosse Conference title this weekend, traveling to Penn State for the 2009 ALC Championship. The Wildcats will face the winner of Vanderbilt and Johns Hopkins in the semifinals Friday, May 1, at 2 p.m. Central. The host Nittany Lions and Ohio State square off in the second semifinal, with the championship game slated for 1 p.m. Central on Saturday, May 2.