What can’t the women’s lacrosse team do?
This team does whatever it takes to score. Take when Danielle Spencer rammed her way through two Notre Dame players en route to a goal late in the first half.
This team picks apart defenses. Take when Hannah Nielsen and Hilary Bowen fired passes through the Notre Dame defense from behind the net, finding teammates for goals.
This team runs the fast break like the Phoenix Suns. Take when Meredith Frank was like Steve Nash, finding Bowen quickly off a midfield draw for a five-goal lead in the first half.
The one thing this team apparently can’t do is lose.
The top-ranked Wildcats led the Fighting Irish 3-0 with 21 minutes to play in the opening half. But NU kept it coming, scoring eight more goals by halftime. The game was a 16-2 demolition of No. 8 Notre Dame, extending the team’s winning streak to 33 games.
“I definitely did not expect that score to come out,” Spencer said. “We honestly would be happy with a one-goal win. I was pretty surprised by it, but I am not going to complain.”For a team that is just happy to win, they should really enjoy this one.
The box score does not accurately describe how the Cats dominated this game – or the speed with which their goals came.
NU scored off of fouls in its defensive zone, racing down the field for a quick goal. The Cats scored on the fast break after draws. They scored off of passes from behind the net. They scored by making juke moves to fool Fighting Irish goalkeeper Erin Goodman.
Spencer even scored on a bullet of a free position shot.The Cats had a 10-goal lead with 4:47 to play in the first half, resulting in a running clock for the remainder of the game.It took the Irish 42 minutes to score their first goal. And they trailed 15-0 by the time they did.
NU’s defense stifled the Notre Dame offense, giving up few chances and taking advantage of possession when the ball changed hands.
The Cats suffocated one of the nation’s top scorers in Jillian Byers, who already has 52 goals this season. She failed to score a point for the first time in 51 games.
Bowen and Spencer looked like the offensive wizards, scoring nine goals combined.
With the Cats’ strong offensive and defensive showing Wednesday, it looks like there is one thing they certainly can do.Win the national championship for the fourth straight year.
Assistant sports editor Philip Rossman-Reich is a Medill sophomore. He can be reached at [email protected].
