Alyssa Leonard and Northwestern will square off with ACC opponent Boston College in the first round of the NCAA Championship Saturday in Evanston.Alyssa Leonard and Northwestern will square off with ACC opponent Boston College in the first round of the NCAA Championship Saturday in Evanston.

No. 2 Seed Northwestern, Boston College to Meet Saturday in NCAA First Round

May 8, 2011

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2011 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship Interactive Bracket

EVANSTON, Ill. -- One day after winning its seventh consecutive American Lacrosse Conference championship, Northwestern was rewarded with the No. 2 seed in the upcoming NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship bracket, released Sunday. NU's quest for a sixth national title in the last seven years begins at 3 p.m. CT Saturday when it welcomes Boston College to Lakeside Field in Evanston for a first-round contest.

The Wildcats enter the NCAA Championship with a 17-2 record that includes 15 victories against top-20-ranked opponents. Seven of those wins were over teams ranked in the top 10, with the most recent coming on Saturday when NU clawed back from a three-goal deficit to overcome No. 4 Florida in the ALC Championship game, 10-9.

This is the eighth consecutive year that Northwestern will play its first-round NCAA Championship game on its home turf. Head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller has led NU to a remarkable 24-2 record in the national tournament during her tenure in Evanston.

Saturday's matchup marks the first time the 'Cats and Eagles will get together on the lacrosse field since Northwestern regained varsity status in 2002. Boston College posted a 12-6 record during the regular season and is led on the offensive end by senior midfielder Kristin Igoe, who scored 59 points on 42 goals and 17 assists. Former Northwestern assistant coach Acacia Walker, who helped NU to a trio of NCAA titles between 2006-08, is in her first season as an associate head coach in Chestnut Hill.

Northwestern's first-round contest will stream live on NUsports.com and re-air on tape delay on the Big Ten Network. A win over Boston College would send NU into a second-round game against either Dartmouth or seventh-seeded Albany, also on Northwestern's home field.

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