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Northwestern Wildcats women's lacrosse

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Northwestern Wildcats
women's lacrosse
Founded1982; 42 years ago (1982); relaunched in 2002
UniversityNorthwestern University
Head coachKelly Amonte Hiller (since 2001 season)
StadiumLanny & Sharon Martin Stadium [outdoor] and Ryan Fieldhouse [indoor]
(capacity: 2,000)
LocationEvanston, Illinois
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
(previously ALC)
NicknameWildcats
ColorsPurple and white[1]
   
NCAA Tournament championships
(8) - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2023
NCAA Tournament Runner-Up
(2) - 2010, 2024
NCAA Tournament Final Fours
(15) - 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals
(19) - 1984, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
NCAA Tournament appearances
(25) - 1983, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Conference Tournament championships
(10) - 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024
Conference regular season championships
(11) - 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2021, 2023, 2024

The Northwestern Wildcats women's lacrosse team is an NCAA Division I college lacrosse team representing Northwestern University as part of the Big Ten Conference. It was a member of the American Lacrosse Conference until the 2013-14 season, when the conference was dissolved as the Big Ten was sponsoring women's lacrosse from the 2014-15 season. The team began competition at the varsity level in 1982, operated as a club sport from 1993 to 2001, and resumed play at the varsity level in 2002. They play their home games at Lanny & Sharon Martin Stadium and Ryan Fieldhouse in Evanston, IL. From 2005 to 2009, the team won the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship five consecutive times and recorded two undefeated seasons.[2] After losing in the finals in 2010, the Wildcats added their sixth and seventh championships in 2011 and 2012. The Wildcats won their eighth championship in 2023. The Midwestern team's success is a rarity in a sport that enjoys most of its popularity on the East Coast - the Wildcats are the only team from outside the Eastern Time Zone to win the national title.[3]

History

[edit]
2005 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship between the Virginia Cavaliers and Northwestern Wildcats

The Wildcats began playing in 1982 and enjoyed success early, appearing in the NCAA tournament five times before budget cuts forced the team to disband in 1993. Northwestern hired former Maryland player Kelly Amonte Hiller to be the head coach when the university revived the team in 2002. Hiller had to think outside the box in forming her squad; she recruited two freshmen who had never played the game before after seeing them jog around campus[4] (they went on to be named All-Americans). Her methods proved successful, however, and the team improved its record every year from its inception until 2005, when the Wildcats went undefeated and won their first national title. Two years and two more championships later in 2007, they joined Maryland as the only teams to win three consecutive national titles. The Wildcats would take home championship trophies again in 2008 and after a second undefeated season in 2009. The streak ended in 2010 when the team lost to Maryland in a championship game that set the attendance record for a women's lacrosse match in the United States.[5] During their five-year championship run, the Wildcats had a record of 106-3 and were undefeated at home. The Wildcats started a new streak the following year when they won their sixth championship, and then a seventh in 2012. Their streak of finals appearances would end in 2013 following a Final Four loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels.

When the team visited the White House after winning their first championship, they created a minor fashion scandal when some members wore flip-flops. The publicity inspired the team to auction off their sandals with the proceeds going to the Friends of Jaclyn charity.[6] The team first met Jaclyn Murphy in 2005 when she was recovering from a brain tumor and their support prompted her father to start a charity that matches other college teams with pediatric brain tumor patients.[7]

Historical Statistics

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Overall
Years of Lacrosse 33
1st Season 1982
Head Coaches 4
All-Time Record 431-146
ALC Games
ALC W-L record 66-17
ALC Titles 8
Big Ten Games
Big Ten W-L record 103-25
Big Ten Titles 3
NCAA tournament
NCAA Appearances 24
NCAA W-L record 54-16
Final Fours 14
National Championships 8

*Statistics through 2023 season

Individual career records

[edit]

Reference:[8]

Record Number Player Years
Goals 376 Izzy Scane 2019-2024
Assists 224 Hannah Nielsen 2006-09
Points 483 Izzy Scane 2019-2024
Ground balls 183 Christy Finch 2005-08
Draw controls 496 Shelby Fredericks 2015-18
Saves 553 Morgan Lathrop 2006-09

Individual single-season records

[edit]
Record Number Player Year
Goals 99 Izzy Scane 2023
Assists 83 Hannah Nielsen 2009
Points 142 Hannah Nielsen 2009
Draw controls 183 Jill Girardi 2022
Saves 169 Mallory Weisse 2017

Seasons

[edit]
Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
NCAA Division I (Independent) (1982–1992)
1982 Cindy Timchal 8–3
1983 Cindy Timchal 11–3 NCAA First Round
1984 Cindy Timchal 10–4 NCAA Quarterfinal
1985 Cindy Timchal 7–4
1986 Cindy Timchal 10–4 NCAA First Round
1987 Cindy Timchal 10–4 NCAA First Round
1988 Cindy Timchal 10–5 NCAA First Round
1989 Cindy Timchal 6–5
1990 Cindy Timchal 4–8
1991 Robin Cummings 1–10
1992 Patti Bossio 2–8
No team (1993–2001)
NCAA Division I (American Lacrosse Conference) (2002–2014)
2002 Kelly Amonte Hiller 5–10 2–4
2003 Kelly Amonte Hiller 8–8 2–4
2004 Kelly Amonte Hiller 15–3 5–1 T–1st NCAA Quarterfinal
2005 Kelly Amonte Hiller 21–0 6–0 1st NCAA Champions
2006 Kelly Amonte Hiller 20–1 5–0 1st NCAA Champions
2007 Kelly Amonte Hiller 21–1 4–0 1st NCAA Champions
2008 Kelly Amonte Hiller 21–1 4–0 1st NCAA Champions
2009 Kelly Amonte Hiller 23–0 6–0 1st NCAA Champions
2010 Kelly Amonte Hiller 20–2 5–0 1st NCAA Runner–Up
2011 Kelly Amonte Hiller 21–2 3–2 T–2nd NCAA Champions
2012 Kelly Amonte Hiller 21–2 4–1 2nd NCAA Champions
2013 Kelly Amonte Hiller 19–3 4–1 T–1st NCAA Final Four
2014 Kelly Amonte Hiller 14–7 3–3 T–3rd NCAA Final Four
NCAA Division I (Big Ten Conference) (2015–Present)
2015 Kelly Amonte Hiller 14–7 3–2 3rd NCAA Quarterfinal
2016 Kelly Amonte Hiller 11–10 3–2 T–2nd NCAA Second Round
2017 Kelly Amonte Hiller 11–10 4–2 3rd NCAA Second Round
2018 Kelly Amonte Hiller 15–6 5–1 2nd NCAA Quarterfinal
2019 Kelly Amonte Hiller 16–5 5–1 2nd NCAA Final Four
2020 Kelly Amonte Hiller 4–3 0–0 † †
2021 Kelly Amonte Hiller 15–1 11–0 1st NCAA Final Four
2022 Kelly Amonte Hiller 16-5 5-1 2nd NCAA Final Four
2023 Kelly Amonte Hiller 21-1 6-0 1st NCAA Champions
2024 Kelly Amonte Hiller 18-3 5-1 1st NCAA Runner–Up
Total: 449–149 (.751)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

†NCAA canceled 2020 collegiate activities due to the COVID-19 virus.

Postseason Results

[edit]

The Wildcats have appeared in 24 NCAA tournaments. Their postseason record is 58-17.[9]

Year Seed Round Opponent Score
1983 -- First Round Harvard L, 4-9
1984 -- First Round
Quarterfinal		 New Hampshire
#3 Temple		 W, 6-2
L, 8-16
1986 -- Quarterfinal Maryland L, 7-11
1987 -- Quarterfinal New Hampshire L, 9-11
1988 -- Quarterfinal Penn State L, 6-12
2004 -- First Round
Quarterfinal		 Notre Dame
#2 Virginia		 W, 10-8
L, 11-15
2005 #1 First Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final		 Mount St. Mary's
#8 Princeton
#4 Dartmouth
#6 Virginia		 W, 16-3
W, 8-6
W, 8-4
W, 13-10
2006 #4 First Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final		 Stanford
#5 North Carolina
#1 Duke
#7 Dartmouth		 W, 17-9
W, 17-6
W, 11-10 (ot)
W, 7-4
2007 #1 First Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final		 Holy Cross
Syracuse
#4 Penn
#3 Virginia		 W, 19-7
W, 14-9
W, 12-2
W, 15-13
2008 #1 First Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final		 Notre Dame
#8 Princeton
#5 Syracuse
#2 Penn		 W, 15-7
W, 18-11
W, 16-8
W, 10-6
2009 #1 First Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final		 Massachusetts
#8 Princeton
#4 Penn
#3 North Carolina		 W, 23-6
W, 16-9
W, 13-12 (2ot)
W, 21-7
2010 #2 First Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final		 Notre Dame
#7 Duke
#3 North Carolina
#1 Maryland		 W, 19-7
W, 18-8
W, 15-10
L, 11-13
2011 #2 First Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final		 Boston College
#7 Albany
#3 North Carolina
#1 Maryland		 W, 11-8
W, 18-4
W, 11-10
W, 8-7
2012 #2 First Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final		 Notre Dame
#7 Duke
#3 Maryland
#4 Syracuse		 W, 12-7
W, 12-7
W, 9-7
W, 8-6
2013 #2 Second Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal		 Stanford
#7 Penn State
#3 North Carolina		 W, 15-8
W, 15-7
L, 4-11
2014 #5 Second Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal		 Louisville
#4 Florida
#1 Maryland		 W, 11-8
W, 12-11 (ot)
L, 6-9
2015 #8 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinal		 Louisville
Notre Dame
#1 Maryland		 W, 10-7
W, 16-11
L, 5-17
2016 -- First Round
Second Round		 Louisville
#6 Notre Dame		 W, 15-5
L, 3-15
2017 -- First Round
Second Round		 Albany
#8 Stony Brook		 W, 15-7
L, 9-13
2018 -- First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinal		 Richmond
#7 Towson
#2 North Carolina		 W, 24-18
W, 21-17
L, 14-19
2019 #4 Second Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal		 Notre Dame
#5 Syracuse
#1 Maryland		 W, 13-10
W, 18-14
L, 13-25
2021 #2 Second Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal		 Denver
#7 Duke
#3 Syracuse		 W, 19-4
W, 22-10
L, 13-21
2022 #4 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal		 Central Michigan
Michigan
#5 Syracuse
#1 North Carolina		 W, 22-7
W, 15-12
W, 15-4
L, 14-15
2023 #1 Second Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final		 Michigan
#8 Loyola (MD)
#5 Denver
#3 Boston College		 W, 8-7
W, 16-6
W, 15-7
W, 18-6
2024 #1 Second Round
Quarterfinal
Semifinal
Final		 Denver
#8 Penn
Florida
#2 Boston College		 W, 17-4
W, 20-7
W, 15-11
L, 13-14

Awards and records

[edit]
Kristen Kjellman – 2006, 2007
Hannah Nielsen – 2008, 2009
Shannon Smith – 2011
Izzy Scane – 2023, 2024
Kristen Kjellman – 2005, 2006, 2007
Hannah Nielsen – 2008, 2009
Shannon Smith – 2011
Taylor Thornton – 2012
Izzy Scane – 2023, 2024
Hannah Nielsen – 2008
Shannon Smith – 2011
  • Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Division I National Coach of the Year
Kelly Amonte Hiller – 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2023
Mallory Weisse – 2019
Izzy Scane – 2021, 2023, 2024

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Northwestern University's Guide to Using Marks, Colors, Trademarks, and Logos" (PDF). September 21, 2016. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  2. ^ Phillip Hersh. "Northwestern wins 5th straight women's lacrosse NCAA title". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on May 28, 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2009.
  3. ^ [1] Archived September 25, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Chicago - Chicago : News : Politics : Things To Do : Sports". Suntimes.com. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  5. ^ "Northwestern loses bid for 6th straight NCAA women's lacrosse championship". Tribunedigital-chicagotribune. 2010-05-30. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  6. ^ "USATODAY.com - NU's lacrosse team sparks flip-flop flap at White House". Usatoday.com. 2005-07-19. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  7. ^ Pete Thamel (2009-05-15). "Four-Time Champions, and All Jaclyn's Big Sisters". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  8. ^ "2017-18 Big Ten Records Book" (PDF). Big Ten. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
  9. ^ "Division I Women's Lacrosse Championships Records Book" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved October 19, 2017.
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