The 2002 Northwestern lacrosse team has already accomplished more than a first-year program might expect, so the Wildcats are taking positives from nearly every game.
This weekend, for example, the Cats (5-8, 2-3 American Lacrosse Conference) traveled to University Park, Pa., for two conference games against Davidson (5-10, 0-4) and No. 15 Penn State (7-7, 4-1). NU returned to Evanston with a win, a loss – but more importantly, two respectable endeavors.
“We came off of (two wins) last weekend really excited and confident,” NU sophomore Courtney Koester said. “We learned what consistency really meant.”
At the outset of the Cats’ game against Davidson on Saturday, neither team seemed up to the challenge – until 14 minutes into the game, the scoreboard was blank. Finally, Davidson’s Christin Raimondo threw the ball past NU goalie Ashley Gersuk to get Davidson on the board.
This goal awoke the Cats, as they answered with four consecutive goals to end the first half up 4-1.
“We wanted to get the lead early and put it to them,” NU freshman Donna McCann said.
NU’s Marit Spekman netted a goal early in the second period, and almost immediately after, Sarah Albrecht found the net, bringing the score to 6-1.
But a second goal from Raimondo set forth a four-goal spree for Davidson, which attempted a game-winning thrust with a goal and another shot in the final seconds. But the clock ran out and left the Cats victorious, 7-6.
“In any given game, there will be ups and downs, but we pulled it together,” NU midfielder Erin Flynn said. “One team gains momentum and the other team has to play catch-up.”
The Cats returned to Jeffrey Field on Sunday to take on No. 15 Penn State in what would be an excellent game for NU.
“Overall, they played the best game they have had all season,” NU coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said.
The Lady Lions came out ferociously, scoring three goals within the first four minutes of play.
Undaunted, the freshman-laden NU squad returned the favor and scored three to tie the senior-dominated Penn State team. Just before the half, Albrecht notched her first goal of the game to tie the score, 6-6.
“By this time (in the season), we realize that it doesn’t matter if a team is ranked or not because we know we can play with them,” Albrecht said.
The ball went back and forth for nine minutes in the second half before Gersuk yielded a goal.
Courtney Flynn added another score, but Penn State fired off two to pull ahead again.
“The difference from the beginning of the season is that (now) if we get a couple of goals down, we know we can get them,” Koester said.
The Cats had one last spurt from Albrecht and Erin Flynn, but the Penn State attack was insurmountable, as the Lady Lions notched four more to win 13-10 and break the Cats’ three-game winning streak.
Gersuk finished with six saves, and Albrecht, the ALC Player of the Week, had a standout game with three assists and three goals for the Cats.
Despite the loss and the end of their winning streak, the Cats were far from disappointed.
“Anything that we do (after this) will be a bonus,” Hiller said. “Our girls know that they can compete with the top-ranked teams.”
