Arvid Swan
One year after replacing Hall of Fame men’s tennis coach Paul Torricelli, Arvid Swan led Northwestern to its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2005.
The Wildcats rebounded nicely in 2009 after a winless Big Ten slate in 2008. NU posted a 6-4 conference record, good enough for the fifth seed in the Big Ten tournament. Despite having just two players with more than two years of experience, the squad lost only seven times on the year. Of those seven defeats, six were by a margin of 4-3.
Swan has been called the program’s “sculptor,” as he looks to craft and shape its future. The soon-to-be third-year coach was the team’s associate coach from 2003-2006, giving him a chance to build the program from the bottom up.
Kelly Amonte Hiller
Many thought it would be hard for Kelly Amonte Hiller and the Wildcats to improve upon their four consecutive national championships. Somehow, they found a way.
The Cats were perfect in 2009, winning every game and finishing their season with a 21-7 drubbing of North Carolina in the National Championship game. NU led the nation in scoring offense and scoring margin-its 570 points and 407 goals were the most ever by a Division I team.
Senior Hannah Nielsen was awarded the Tewaaraton Trophy and the Honda Sports award as the top player in the nation.
This year, Amonte Hiller and the crew are at it again, going for their seventh consecutive American Lacrosse Conference title and their sixth consecutive national title.
But what more is there for Amonte Hiller to accomplish? During her eight seasons in Evanston, NU has established itself as the premier women’s lacrosse team in the country. Everyone wants to play for, or beat, the Cats. She has coached the last four Tewaaraton winners.
Now, the sky is the limit for the 36-year-old. And she’s likely not going to stop until she surpasses her alma mater’s streak, Maryland’s run of seven straight titles.
