Five minutes, 26 seconds.
That’s all Kristen Kjellman needed to score three unansweredgoals, giving Northwestern’s women’s lacrosse team a 12-11 victoryagainst Virginia Tech.
The freshman midfielder scored six goals Sunday, all unassistedexcept for the game-winner that broke an 11-11 tie with 1:12 leftin the second half. Kjellman became the game’s hero, scoring theWildcats’ final five goals in the close matchup. Kjellman, who wasnamed Rookie of the Week by womenslacrosse.com last week, now leadsthe team in goals (17) and points (24).
“She did an amazing job,” said coach Kelly Amonte Hiller ofKjellman. “She took it upon herself when we were down.
“She showed her potential. I knew that was a part of her, andI’m excited that she understands that potential.”
Close games are not unfamiliar to the No. 13 Cats (6-1, 2-0ALC), with their last three games being decided by two goals orfewer. NU took three overtime periods to beat Delaware 9-8 on March24, and squeaked by Colgate with a 7-5 tally on March 20.
“We have not been used to not being the underdog, and I thinkit’s been an adjustment for our girls,” Amonte Hiller said. “Whenyou’re ranked high, people really try to come after you.”
The unranked Hokies (3-4) brought their best game against theCats, taking an early 2-0 lead and holding a two-goal lead late inthe second half. The game was back-and-forth, with neither teamholding a lead of more than two goals.
The Cats’ Lindsey Munday, Laura Glassanos and LindsayFinocchiaro scored in the game’s first 10 minutes, responding tothe Hokies’ opening goals. Scoring then alternated between the twoteams before the first half ended in a 5-5 tie.
The Hokies snatched a 9-7 lead before Kjellman began hersecond-half tear with two goals in 43 seconds. Tech answered withanother pair of points before Kjellman decided the match with herlate-game, three-goal performance. Lindsay Finocchiaro finished thegame with three goals, and Munday and Glassanos had two pointsapiece.
Virginia Tech goaltender Jamie McGraw’s impressive 13-saveperformance kept her team in the game, and the Cats’ Ashley Gersukfinished the game with three.
NU has the week off, but will meet Connecticut on Sunday inStorrs, Conn. Amonte Hiller is optimistic about the matchup.
“The girls played very well under pressure,” Amonte Hiller said.”If we can improve upon (Sunday’s) performance, we’ll be successfulin the next few games.”
