In an 11-10 overtime victory over Duke in the 2006 national semifinals, then-freshman Hilary Bowen made a pair of clutch plays to propel Northwestern to the championship game. She scored in the first half and then was credited with an assist on the game-tying goal at the end of regulation.
It was a prelude to her two future playoff MVP awards.
The following season, then-freshman Katrina Dowd recorded a hat trick, including the final goal of the contest with 2:29 left, to help the Wildcats secure a 15-13 win against Virginia for the title.
Even though Bowen and Dowd were dealing with the stress of Division I postseason lacrosse for the first time and competing on a team that expected to win it all, they managed to rise to the occasion.
“Certain players have big personalities and play well under pressure,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “You see that every time that your team is challenged.”
Amonte Hiller’s squad now faces the challenge of winning six more games to wrap up an undefeated season and capture a fifth consecutive national championship. And as the coach likes to remind her team, every player needs to step up to make that happen – now more than ever, with Bowen’s status still uncertain. The senior attacker has been out for four weeks recovering from a torn left ACL.
The Cats have strong veteran leaders like four-year starters Hannah Nielsen, Meredith Frank and Morgan Lathrop, who have proven they possess the “big personality” their coach covets.
This year’s determining factor might be the ability of the freshmen to match the clutch contributions of past first-year players.
“These freshmen are starting to come on, and we hope they’ll react really well (to their first collegiate playoff experience),” Amonte Hiller said. “But time will tell. That’s the biggest question mark right now.”
Four freshmen have had an impact. Shannon Smith and Lacey Vigmostad have both started all 17 games. Smith ranks fifth on the squad with 25 goals and Vigmostad established herself as a defensive force. Alexandra Frank leads the team with 53 draw controls, while Jessica Russo has racked up six goals coming off the bench.
From the first day of practice, the returning players have advised the newcomers about how to handle the postseason. Frank has had even greater exposure, watching her older sister Meredith win three titles for NU.
Still, truly understanding the magnitude of the postseason is hard until it actually starts.
“You can watch and be in the stands and nervous, but it’s definitely different when you’re out on the field,” Alexandra Frank said.
This weekend, the Cats compete in their conference tournament. They play Vanderbilt on Friday and, if they win that game, will take on the victor of Ohio State and tourney host Penn State for the ALC championship. After that, it’s win or go home.
Sophomore Brooke Matthews said she remembers how intense the environment was compared to the rest of the season.
“It’s a way different atmosphere, so much more hyped,” said Matthews, who scored three goals in the opening two rounds as a freshman. “I definitely felt the butterflies.”
While the butterflies might take time to get used to, the level of competition will be familiar. No. 1 NU has squared off against 10 of the next 16 teams in the latest RPI rankings.
“We’ve seen a lot of great teams,” Vigmostad said. “Being able to have experienced playing against them has been helpful for me and is going to be really helpful for our team.”
