Taylor Thornton is the only player on Northwestern’s roster from Texas-or even from west of the Mississippi River. And she couldn’t be prouder.
The freshman from Texas has made an immediate impact with the No. 1 Wildcats, ranking tops on the team in caused turnovers and ground balls recovered. Her play on defense earned her ALC Defensive Player of the Week honors following a win against No. 14 Notre Dame on March 30.
Thornton is quick-it’s not uncommon to see her pressure an opponent into a turnover on defense, then outrun the opposing team to the other end of the field, starting the NU attack. The Daily’s Brian Chappatta caught up with Thornton to talk about why she chose lacrosse, what it’s like to start as a freshman and whether she’s the fastest player on NU.
Daily: What made you decide to come to NU?
Thornton: I really believed in (coach Kelly Amonte Hiller’s) program and what she had to offer and what she was saying. I believed in her as a coach. The program and the girls were also a major part of it. It was something I definitely wanted to be a part of.
Daily: You played field hockey and basketball in high school. How did those sports help your lacrosse game?
Thornton: Definitely basketball helped lacrosse. Setting picks, coming off the picks, boxing out-it’s basically just basketball on a field. It translated over really easily, coming off picks, talking about layups and then getting easy goals. They’re really similar.
Daily: What made you choose lacrosse over those other sports?
Thornton: I chose lacrosse because I enjoyed it the most. I can use my speed really well, it’s a game of speed, finesse, strength. Everything that’s fun about sports is in lacrosse.
Daily: If you had to describe Kelly Amonte Hiller in one word, what would it be and why?
Thronton: Fearless. Because she’s not afraid to take risks, and she will do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Daily: What is it like starting as a freshman?
Thornton: Every day is different. I never expect to start any game. I just work hard in practice and hopefully that will show in the game and I can help my team out.
Daily: What was it like earning ALC Defensive Player of the Week (for the week of Mar. 23-29) honors as a freshman?
Thornton: It’s definitely an honor and I’m proud of myself and the work I put in both in and outside of practice. But I only get better because of my teammates, so I owe it to them.
Daily: Most of the players on the roster are from the East Coast. What’s it like being the only one from Texas?
Thornton: I like it. I like repping my state and the South and showing that we can compete just as well if not better than the East Coast kids can. (Texas lacrosse) can become a powerhouse, there are so many athletic kids who are doing baseball or track, but if we could get that speed into lacrosse and start showing kids at a younger age the sport, it could be huge. And you’re starting to see a lot more kids out of Texas go play D-I lacrosse, both boys and girls.
Daily: Rumor has it you are the fastest player on the team. Have you proved that?
Thornton: Brooke Matthews and I, we’re pretty close. We’ll have to race. But we’re two of the fastest, that’s for sure.
Daily: What is the pressure like on this team to win a sixth national championship?
Thornton: I don’t think it’s pressure. We really don’t think about it. We have to take each game one game at a time, it’s such a process. The other five, that was a completely different team. This year our theme is nameless and we have to make a name for ourselves and take it one game at a time.
Daily: What do you hope to accomplish by the time your four years are up at NU?
Thornton: I hope I’ve given the program all I can and hopefully win some championships down the road. But just have a strong and successful program while I’m here. That’s really what I’d like to see in my four years. Just to keep it a strong and successful program.[email protected]
