If anybody had doubts about what the Northwestern lacrosse team could do, all they have to do is look at the Wildcats’ weekend scores.
The No. 3 Cats (3-0) outscored their opponents nearly four to one as they crushed two unranked opponents : Oregon 21-2 on Saturday and then Denver 20-9 on Sunday.
Fourteen different players found the back of the net for the Cats, and six additional players registered assists in the weekend blowouts.
The Cats’ attack, which last year ranked fifth nationally, outshot its opponents 74-29.
And the Cats did it all with last year’s leading scorer, sophomore Kristen Kjellman, sitting out most of the minutes to recover from a cold.
“Against both teams in general, our attack was really clicking and making connections with each other,” said attacker Courtney Flynn, who led the Cats with four goals on Saturday. “We’re really coming together right now.”
The Cats’ high-scoring games meant playing time for every player on the bench, allowing defenders Emily Lovett, a sophomore, and freshman Christy Finch to notch their first collegiate goals. Assists from freshmen Lindsay North and Quinn Cammarota earned them their first college points.
The Cats’ scoring frenzies came against two unranked teams, with Denver (1-3) going 8-6 last season, and Oregon (0-3) being a first-year team.
Playing against Oregon was a flashback for the Cats, who were a first-year team four years ago.
“They were awesome for a starting team,” said Flynn, a senior who played in the Cats’ first season. “I think you have to give them a lot of credit. We know exactly where they’re coming from and we also know the possibilities of where you could go.”
In Saturday’s game against Oregon, the Cats got on the board only 2:31 into the game with a goal by Laura Glassanos. NU scored twice in the next minute, and by the end of the half, the Cats held a 13-0 lead.
Making five saves, goalie Ashley Gersuk shut out an opponent for the second consecutive half after blanking North Carolina in the second half of a 6-5 NU victory on Feb. 20.
After halftime, NU again opened scoring with three goals before Oregon finally got on the board 12:17 into the half. Jana Bradley and Lindsay Pittard got the Ducks’ only two goals, beating backup goaltender Meredith Phillips before NU took over and added five more tallies.
NU also grabbed a quick lead against Denver when Finch scored 26 seconds into the game. Denver matched NU’s point before the Cats scored seven in a row and then finished the half up 12-4.
The Cats’ road trip was the only time this season they will play two consecutive days, and instead of tiring them out, the players said it got them more excited.
“It was great to have two back-to-back games,” Lovett said. “We got so excited and so pumped up for the games. It was double the pleasure, you know.”
Reach Courtney McCarty at [email protected].
