April 15, 2010
No. 1 Northwestern (11-0, 2-0 ALC) vs. Johns Hopkins (8-5, 1-1 ALC)
Friday, April 16
Lakeside Field
Evanston, Ill. 7 p.m.
Streaming Video: BigTenNetwork.com
TV: Big Ten Network (3 p.m. CT Saturday, April 17 and 10 a.m. Sunday, April 18)
Audio:WNUR 89.3 FM
Gametracker:
Complete Northwestern Game Notes (PDF)
Opening Draw
Northwestern begins a five-game homestand to close out the 2010 regular season with a pair of contests at Lakeside Field this weekend. The Wildcats welcome American Lacrosse Conference opponent Johns Hopkins to Evanston for a 7 p.m. opening draw on Friday, April 16.
Wildcats on the Web
Fans unable to make it to Evanston for this weekend's games will still be able to catch every Wildcat goal. Friday's ALC tilt against Johns Hopkins will be streamed live at BigTenNetwork.com and will then be re-broadcast on the Big Ten Network at 3 p.m. CT Saturday, April 17 and at 10 a.m. CT Sunday, April 18 before the North Carolina live broadcast. WNUR will call the game live online at Sports.WNUR.org and live stats also will be available.
Scouting the Blue Jays
Johns Hopkins, 8-5 on the year, is coming off an 11-6 victory over Mount St. Mary's Tuesday night and is 1-1 in the American Lacrosse Conference. Hopkins defeated Florida and fell to Vanderbilt. Sophomore Candace Rossi has paced the Blue Jay attack in 2010, leading the team in points (42), goals (30) and assists (12) and is third on the squad with 11 draw controls. Senior Paige Ibello has notched 24 goals on the year with three assists while sophomore Colleen McCaffrey has added 20 goals and eight assists for Hopkins, while serving as the Blue Jays' top draw control threat with 34. Senior Angela Hughes also has had a solid season for JHU with 15 goals, 13 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers. Defensively, sophomore Alyssa Kildare has led the Blue Jays with 35 ground balls and 25 caused turnovers on the year. Freshman goalkeeper Cosette Larash has posted a 7-5 record in net with 78 saves, a .431 save percentage and a 9.48 goals against average. Head coach Janine Tucker is in her 17th year with Johns Hopkins, posting a career record of 190-95 (.667).
Series Information
Northwestern and Johns Hopkins meet for the 11th time Friday night with the Wildcats holding an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series. The 'Cats have taken the last seven meetings against the Blue Jays, including a 16-7 victory at Homewood Field in 2009. Northwestern is 3-0 against Johns Hopkins in Evanston after holding off the Jays for a thrilling 14-12 victory in 2008.
Amonte Hiller Inks Five-Year Contract Extension Through 2015
Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller has helped make the Wildcats into a dynasty in the world of women's lacrosse, and that success has earned her a five-year contract extension which will keep her on the Northwestern sideline through 2015. Director of Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips announced the extension April 15 as the Wildcats begin the stretch run of their 2010 campaign. Amonte Hiller, the three-time IWLCA National Coach of the Year, has compiled a 145-24 record through the first 11 games of the season, including a 117-3 mark since the beginning of the 2005 season. She has coached a pair of two-time Tewaaraton Trophy winners in Kristen Kjellman and Hannah Nielsen and has guided 14 Wildcats to 28 IWLCA All-American honors while leading NU to five consecutive ALC and national titles.
Dowd, Thornton Garner American Lacrosse Conference Weekly Honors
Katrina Dowd and Taylor Thornton were named the American Lacrosse Conference Offensive and Rookie Players of the Week for their roles in helping the Wildcats to a pair of road victories over ranked opponents. Dowd tallied four goals each in the games against sixth-ranked Penn and 18th-ranked Penn State and added three assists against the Nittany Lions to go along with seven draw controls. Dowd also became the 11th member of the Northwestern 200-point club in the victory over the Quakers Friday. Thornton was part of a tough defensive unit which held both the Quakers and Nittany Lions to long scoring droughts over the weekend, which proved critical to the Northwestern victories. She also tallied the first goal of the game against Penn State, her second career collegiate goal.
Three Wildcats Named 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy Nominees
The Greater Washington Sports Alliance has announced the nominees for the 2010 Tewaaraton Trophy, with three Wildcats among the 25 women vying for the sport's most prestigious award. Seniors Katrina Dowd and Danielle Spencer and sophomore Shannon Smith all represent Northwestern among the Tewaaraton nominees, which will be awarded June 3 in Washington, D.C. The trio have helped lead top-ranked Northwestern to an 11-0 mark thus far in 2010, including seven victories against nationally-ranked opponents. Dowd and Smith are tied for the team lead in points (52), with Dowd leading the Wildcats with 38 goals and Smith holding the top spot in assists with 18. Spencer is right behind with 42 points of her own as the trio have each surpassed the 30-goal mark, combining for 104 goals and 146 points on the year.
Looking Ahead
Following the American Lacrosse Conference clash with Johns Hopkins Friday, Northwestern turns its sights to second-ranked North Carolina, who will visit Lakeside Field Sunday afternoon. The game against the Tar Heels not only will be a rematch of the 2009 NCAA championship game but also will mark the first live lacrosse broadcast in the history of the Big Ten Network. Opening draw between the nation's top two teams is set for 12:05 p.m. Sunday, April 18.
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