They are not thinking about Ohio’s record (6-3, 0-2 American Lacrosse Conference). They are not concerned with Ohio’s 10-9 win over Duquesne (3-6) on Sunday. For now, all of that is in the back of their minds.
Today, every player on the Northwestern lacrosse team (2-7, 0-2) will be focusing on one thing: the game.
Wildcats coach Kelly Amonte Hiller has been preaching this philosophy to her young team all season.
“We take things as they come and prepare for the moment, because that prevents us from losing focus on now,” goalie Ashley Gersuk said.
NU has had a bumpy road so far this season, struggling to bring together two halves of quality play. The Cats have strong periods of play in each match, but NU has yet to play well throughout a contest. The Cats dropped their last game to Brown 13-6 on Monday in a less-than-stellar performance.
But none of that matters to the Cats right now. It’s a new day, a new opponent and a new opportunity to play to their potential.
“We’ve been focusing on being more intense in practice,” attack Angela McMahon said, “and that will reflect on how we play in games.”
The Cats have been diligent in their pregame preparations, including watching film of opposing teams and studying specific players. But the key for NU is to play well from the opening whistle.
“We had a great game at New Hampshire,” Hiller said of the Cats’ 7-6 loss Saturday. “Now the focus is to bring a full game of play. Consistency is a constant issue for us.”
NU hopes to practice what it preaches when it challenges Ohio at 4 p.m. on Lakeside Field. It will be the Cats’ first home game of Spring Quarter.
The Bobcats’ biggest scoring threat is Alyssa Trocher, an honorable mention All-American who ranked fifth nationally in points per game and eighth in goals per game last year.
The Cats will have an additional hurdle to overcome Sunday at 10 a.m.
Visitors from Pennsylvania will invade Lakeside Field as the Cats face Duquesne. The Dukes fell to Ohio on Friday, despite five goals from star attack Lauren Dutch, who will bring her quick shot to Evanston in hope of knocking off the Cats.
“When we come out aggressive and we do the little things we need to do, it’ll fall into place,” Hiller said.
