Aug. 10, 2009
The 2008-09 athletic year at Northwestern University was one to be remembered. Filled with a plethora of memorable wins, honors and championships, there was much to be celebrated this past year in Evanston. Today we look at the final installment of the year's Top 15 moments, the fifth straight national championship for the women's lacrosse team. Be sure to check the archives for any of the moments you may have missed.
Northwestern vs. North Carolina NCAA Championship Highlights
NCAA Championship Recap/Photo Gallery
EVANSTON, Ill. -- We close out our recap of the top 15 moments during the 2008-09 Northwestern athletic season with not only the most dominant team in Evanston, but arguably the nation. The Wildcat lacrosse team closed out the 2009 year with a record-setting 21-7 victory over North Carolina in the NCAA championship game on May 24. It capped a perfect 23-0 season for head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and her squad, joining the 2005 team as the second undefeated team in program history.
Starting with a 24-6 rout of Denver in San Diego on Jan. 23, the 2009 campaign was filled with a number of memorable games, plays and performances. Hannah Nielsen dished out 10 assists against Duquesne on Feb. 17, setting a new NCAA single-game record. With Amonte Hiller absent following the passing of her father, the Wildcats hammered 11th-ranked Notre Dame 21-5 in South Bend on Feb. 20 after dedicating the season to Lewis Amonte. Tied at 10 late in the game at 10th-ranked Virginia, Nielsen netted the game-winning goal with 1:31 remaining to keep the undefeated season intact. And Northwestern held off both third-ranked Penn and severe weather conditions to take an 11-9 victory in the regular season finale at Lakeside Field on April 25.
But the Wildcats saved the best moments for last. Trailing Penn 12-11 with time running out in the first overtime period in the NCAA semifinals, Katrina Dowd flipped a miracle shot over her shoulder while falling to the turf, which somehow slipped between the pipes with 0.2 seconds remaining, knotting the game at 12. Meredith Frank then finished off the Quakers, netting the game winner with 1:31 left in the second overtime to give the 'Cats the 13-12 victory. Then in the national championship game, Hilary Bowen, who only six weeks earier had torn her ACL, returned to net a game-high five goals against the Tar Heels.
As a team, the Wildcats set NCAA single-season records for points (570) and goals (407), while also leading the nation in draw controls (16.9 per game). Individually, Nielsen became the NCAA's single-game (10), single-season (83) and career assist leader (224) while surpassing Kristen Kjellman as the program's all-time point leader. 16 of the 'Cats 23 wins came against ranked opponents, and NU was a perfect 10-0 at home, extending their home winning streak to 54, an NCAA record.
It was a perfect ending to the careers of the 10 Wildcat seniors, who leave Evanston with an overall record of 85-3, four American Lacrosse Conference titles and four NCAA national titles. Nielsen, Bowen and Frank all finish their careers ranked among the all-time Wildcat point leaders, while Morgan Lathrop finishes as the top goalkeeper in program history.