Wildcats Dominate Michigan For First Big Ten Win, 17-8

Ann Arbor, Mich. -- The rain stopped, the skies opened and No. 6 Northwestern scored at will to defeat Michigan inside `The Big House' for its first Big Ten victory Thursday night, 17-8.

Of course, when you win 23 out of 27 draw controls, you're going to have plenty of opportunities.

While the `Cats have struggled at times this season in the draw circle, there were no problems on this night. Northwestern won 20-of-21 over the first 45 minutes of the contest, with freshman Shelby Fredericks doing the bulk of the work. Fredericks matched the sixth-best mark in program history with a season-high nine draw controls.

The domination in the circle led to plenty of opportunities for the Wildcats' offense led by freshman Selena Lasota, senior Kara Mupo and junior Kaleigh Craig. The trio combined to score 13 goals in the contest, helping the Wildcats build an 11-3 advantage at halftime and 15-4 lead halfway through the second half.

Lasota matched her season high with six goals, bringing her season total through 10 games to 40. She also dished out a pair of assists, setting a new season high with eight points. Mupo finished with four goals and Craig recorded her second hat trick of the season with three.

Mupo opened the scoring just over a minute into the contest and the `Cats took a 3-0 lead on back-to-back free-position shots by Lasota and Craig. Lasota went back hand for her second goal of the game at the 22:53 mark and senior Jess Carroll found sophomoreSheila Nesselbush in transition with 18:28 to play in the first half for a 5-1 advantage.

Craig split two defenders and went lefty for her second goal of the game to push the lead to 6-2, but Kim Coughlan converted an 8-meter goal with 11:34 remaining to cut tut the Wildcats' lead to three, 6-3.

It took the Wildcats just 34 seconds to score as Craig found Lasota in transition, starting a 5-0 run thatended the half andgave the `Cats an 11-3 lead.

The Wolverines struck first to start the second half, but Mupo scored her fourth goal just two minutes later and Lasota scored goals five and six to extend the lead to 10, 14-4.

Goals by junior Nancy Dunbar and freshman Hayley Ciklin, their firsts of the season, sandwiched a pair of goals by the Wolverines and freshman Iona Dryden scored her first career goal to push the lead to 17-6.

Freshman Emily Stein came off the bench to record a season-high five groundballs in addition to her first career assist. Lasota and Nesselbush led the Wildcats with two caused turnovers apiece.

Northwestern will be back in action on Sunday when it hosts Penn at Lakeside Field. Opening draw is scheduled for noon.