EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern started the Big Ten Tournament just the way it wanted to Thursday by dominating No. 6-seed Michigan at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium for the second time this season, 20-5.
The third-seeded Wildcats (9-8) advanced to the semifinals where they will take on No. 2-seed Penn State at approximately 8 p.m. Top-ranked Maryland and No. 4 seed Rutgers, which defeated No. 5 seed Ohio State in overtime, 11-10, will play in the first semifinal Friday evening at 5:30.
Sophomore Selena Lasota scored three goals and had a career-high three assists to lead the way with six points, senior Kaleigh Craig continued her stellar play with four points (3g/1a) and four more players scored two goals apiece as the #B1GCats hit the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time this season and second time against the Wolverines.
Unlike the Wildcats' first meeting with the Wolverines in which Chicago's Big Ten Team jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first 15 minutes, it took the home team a little bit to get rolling Thursday. Despite dominating in the draw control circle from the start, the 'Cats weren't able to capitalize due to impressive play by Michigan keeper Allison Silber.
NU led by just a goal, 2-1, about 10 minutes into the contest before the offense found its stride and went on a 6-0 run in just over three minutes.
Senior Kaleigh Craig opened up the run at the 16:43 mark with her first goal of the game and sophomore Selena Lasota scored just 10 seconds later after winning the ensuing draw control to extend the lead to three, 4-1.
Northwestern faithful have become accustomed to behind-the-back goals by Lasota, but it was her Canadian teammate Danita Stroup that brought the fans to their feet in the 15th minute with a #BTB goal of her own. Stroup came across the middle from the left side of the fan and received a pass from Craig before calmly planting and firing a shot behind the back to the top left corner of the goal past Silber.
Junior Christina Esposito tallied her second goal of the half just 25 seconds after Stroup found the back of the net and it took sophomore Shelby Fredericks just 46 seconds to net her first goal of the game. Fredericks found a cutting Lasota in the 17th minute to cap the 6-0 run and put the Wildcats in front, 9-1.
Fredericks picked up her second assist of the game on freshman Leighton Yenor's second goal of the game with 8:12 left in the first half and Lasota did the same just 12 seconds later when she found a leaping Lindsay Darrell for a quick-stick goal to cap another short 3-0 run.
Michigan's Kim Coughlan scored with 5:59 left in the first half, but Lasota and Craig each buried free-position opportunities to turn on a running clock and give the Wildcats a 13-3 lead at halftime.
The Wolverines tallied the first goal of the second half to briefly turn off the running clock, but less than a minute after they cut the 'Cats' lead to 13-4, Lasota picked up her career-best third assist when she found classmate Nicole Beardsley for a one-on-one opportunity that she calmy buried to start a 7-0 NU run.
After Craig scored her third and final goal of the game, redshirt junior Hadley Brooke scored for the first time this season and senior Carolina Lizzio scored her second goal against Michigan this year. Beardsley netted another with 11:45 left for her first career multi-goal game, sophomore Corinne Wessels notched her eighth of the season and Brooke picked up her first career multi-goal game to put an exclamation point on the day.
As impressive as the Wildcats' offense was all afternoon, the defense was just as spectacular behind 11 caused turnovers and five saves by freshman goalkeeper Mallory Weisse. Senior captain Spring Sanders had a team-high three caused turnovers.
Fredericks, Lasota and sophomore Shannon Nesselbush led the way with three ground balls apiece and Fredericks became just the fourth player in program history to surpass 100 draw controls in a season with a team-high eight.
The third-seeded Wildcats (9-8) advanced to the semifinals where they will take on No. 2-seed Penn State at approximately 8 p.m. Top-ranked Maryland and No. 4 seed Rutgers, which defeated No. 5 seed Ohio State in overtime, 11-10, will play in the first semifinal Friday evening at 5:30.
Sophomore Selena Lasota scored three goals and had a career-high three assists to lead the way with six points, senior Kaleigh Craig continued her stellar play with four points (3g/1a) and four more players scored two goals apiece as the #B1GCats hit the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time this season and second time against the Wolverines.
Unlike the Wildcats' first meeting with the Wolverines in which Chicago's Big Ten Team jumped out to a 9-0 lead in the first 15 minutes, it took the home team a little bit to get rolling Thursday. Despite dominating in the draw control circle from the start, the 'Cats weren't able to capitalize due to impressive play by Michigan keeper Allison Silber.
NU led by just a goal, 2-1, about 10 minutes into the contest before the offense found its stride and went on a 6-0 run in just over three minutes.
Senior Kaleigh Craig opened up the run at the 16:43 mark with her first goal of the game and sophomore Selena Lasota scored just 10 seconds later after winning the ensuing draw control to extend the lead to three, 4-1.
Northwestern faithful have become accustomed to behind-the-back goals by Lasota, but it was her Canadian teammate Danita Stroup that brought the fans to their feet in the 15th minute with a #BTB goal of her own. Stroup came across the middle from the left side of the fan and received a pass from Craig before calmly planting and firing a shot behind the back to the top left corner of the goal past Silber.
WATCH: Danita Stroup goes behind-the-back to increase the #B1GCats lead over Michigan! #BTNStandout #SCTop10 https://t.co/h7LFpC2ROi
— Northwestern Lax (@NULax) May 5, 2016
Junior Christina Esposito tallied her second goal of the half just 25 seconds after Stroup found the back of the net and it took sophomore Shelby Fredericks just 46 seconds to net her first goal of the game. Fredericks found a cutting Lasota in the 17th minute to cap the 6-0 run and put the Wildcats in front, 9-1.
Fredericks picked up her second assist of the game on freshman Leighton Yenor's second goal of the game with 8:12 left in the first half and Lasota did the same just 12 seconds later when she found a leaping Lindsay Darrell for a quick-stick goal to cap another short 3-0 run.
Michigan's Kim Coughlan scored with 5:59 left in the first half, but Lasota and Craig each buried free-position opportunities to turn on a running clock and give the Wildcats a 13-3 lead at halftime.
The Wolverines tallied the first goal of the second half to briefly turn off the running clock, but less than a minute after they cut the 'Cats' lead to 13-4, Lasota picked up her career-best third assist when she found classmate Nicole Beardsley for a one-on-one opportunity that she calmy buried to start a 7-0 NU run.
After Craig scored her third and final goal of the game, redshirt junior Hadley Brooke scored for the first time this season and senior Carolina Lizzio scored her second goal against Michigan this year. Beardsley netted another with 11:45 left for her first career multi-goal game, sophomore Corinne Wessels notched her eighth of the season and Brooke picked up her first career multi-goal game to put an exclamation point on the day.
As impressive as the Wildcats' offense was all afternoon, the defense was just as spectacular behind 11 caused turnovers and five saves by freshman goalkeeper Mallory Weisse. Senior captain Spring Sanders had a team-high three caused turnovers.
Fredericks, Lasota and sophomore Shannon Nesselbush led the way with three ground balls apiece and Fredericks became just the fourth player in program history to surpass 100 draw controls in a season with a team-high eight.