2011 senior and captain Colleen Magarity shows off NU's NCAA Championship trophy to the Ryan Field crowd during the ring ceremony Saturday.2011 senior and captain Colleen Magarity shows off NU's NCAA Championship trophy to the Ryan Field crowd during the ring ceremony Saturday.

'Cats Receive Championship Rings In Front of Sold-Out Ryan Field Crowd

Oct. 9, 2011

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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Just over five months removed from capturing the 2011 NCAA Women's Lacrosse championship, head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and her title-winning Northwestern squad received their championship rings on Saturday. The Wildcats were recognized in front of a sold-out Ryan Field crowd of 47,330 during halftime of NU's football game against Michigan.

The ceremony celebrated Northwestern's sixth women's lacrosse national title in the last seven years, which came when the Wildcats finished off a 21-2 campaign with a pair of one-goal victories on championship weekend. NU advanced to the title game with an 11-10 win over North Carolina in the semifinals and wrapped up the national championship in a thrilling 8-7 victory against defending champs Maryland on the campus of Stony Brook University.

After the season, Northwestern's Shannon Smith was honored as the winner of Tewaaraton Trophy -- the lacrosse equivalent of the Heisman Trophy -- as well as the Honda Sports Award winner in women's lacrosse and the Suzy Favor Big Ten Female Athlete of the Year. Taylor Thornton was recognized as the IWLCA Division I Defender of the Year in women's lacrosse while four Wildcats -- Smith, Thornton, midfielder Alex Frank and defender Colleen Magarity -- received IWLCA All-American distinction for the 2011 season.

Northwestern is in the midst of its fall ball training season with the 2012 schedule expected to be announced in the coming weeks.

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