May 13, 2009
Northwestern Lacrosse Weekly Release - May 13, 2009 
New York Times Article on the Wildcats and Jaclyn
ESPN.com Article on the Wildcats
Opening Draw
Top-seeded Northwestern returns to the NCAA quarterfinals for the sixth-straight season, facing a familiar opponent in seventh-ranked Princeton. The Tigers, who are the eight seed in the tournament, visit Lakeside Field for a 1 p.m. draw on Saturday, May 16.
Wildcats On The Web
Fans unable to make it to Evanston this weekend can still catch every Wildcat goal. Free live streaming video and live stats of the game against Princeton will be available at NUsports.com. WNUR will also broadcast the game live on 89.3 FM in the Evanston area and online at sports.wnur.org.
Scouting the Tigers
Eighth-seed Princeton is 14-3 on the year and advanced to the quarterfinals with a 15-9 victory over Georgetown. Kristin Schwab netted five goals in the win with Holly McGarvie adding four goals and an assist as they continue to pace the Tiger offensive charge. McGarvie, the Ivy League's Player of the Year, has been Princeton's top overall player this year, leading the team in points (55), assists (20), ground balls (50), draw controls (51) and caused turnovers (37). Schwab has notched a team-best 40 goals on the year, with Lizzy Drumm adding 33 goals and nine assists and Christine Casaceli and Kristin Morrison each recording 26 goals on the season. Marie McKenna has anchored the Tiger defense, ranking second on the squad in ground balls (38) and caused turnovers (29). Goalkeeper Erin Tochihara ranks third nationally in both save percentage (.531) and goals against average (7.91), tallying 138 saves on the year. Head coach Chris Sailer, who was inducted into the U.S. Lacrosse National Hall of Fame this past winter, is in her 23rd year at the helm of the Tigers with a 296-99 (.749) record.
Series Information
Northwestern and Princeton have become quite familiar with each over the past few years, as Saturday's game marks the third time in the past five years that the Wildcats and Tigers will have met in the NCAA quarterfinals. NU took the previous two meetings, defeating Princeton 8-6 in 2005 and notching an 18-11 victory in 2008, with both games played in Evanston. Overall, the `Cats are 2-1 all-time against the Tigers, dropping a 6-4 decision in 1990 in the only other meeting between the two schools.
Frank Joins Wildcat 200 Point Club
With her goal and pair of assists against Massachusetts this past weekend, Meredith Frank became the ninth member of the Northwestern 200-point club and the third active member. Frank moved into ninth-place on the all-time points list with 201, surpassing Sarah Albrecht's 199. She ranks seventh in program history in goals (144) and ninth in assists (57), and now sets her sights on eighth-place Aly Joseph's 208 career points.
Nielsen Continues To Stake Her Claim as the NCAA Assist Queen
It has been a season full of firsts for Hannah Nielsen. She became the first player in Division I history to record 10 assists in a game, the first player to record 200 career assists, and now sits on the verge of becoming the first player to hit 70 assists in a single season. Nielsen is currently tied with Syracuse's Katie Rowan for the single-season assist record with 69, but needs just one more helper to break that mark. When she does, she will complete the Division I assist hat trick - holding the single game, single season and career assist records.
2009 Wildcats Look To Break Handful of Team Records
Through the first 20 games of the season, the 2009 Wildcats sit poised to rewrite a handful of team records set by the 2007 squad. That team, which won the team's third-straight national championship, set program highs in points (529), goals (361) and assists (168), all of which rank second in NCAA history. Through the first 20 games of 2009, Northwestern has recorded 500 points on 357 goals and 143 helpers, and are within striking distance of surpassing the 2008 Syracuse team as the top offensive team in Division I history.
For the complete weekly release, click the PDF link above.