Northwestern was the victim of bad luck this weekend, but you would never know it. The way the Wildcats trounced the Irish, you would think they had it all planned.
After finishing the season as the second best team in the country, NU deserved an easier opponent than Notre Dame. Yes, the Irish had six losses. But other than its 15-5 defeat at NU earlier in the season, Notre Dame lost its other five contests by a combined nine goals. The Irish lost three games by a single score, including a quadruple-overtime loss to Syracuse in the semi finals of the Big East Tournament. Notre Dame was better than its record suggested, and it finished the season ranked 14th in the IWLCA poll.
But as Lacrosse Magazine reported, “economic concerns forced the (NCAA selection) committee to try to keep first-round matchups within 400 miles of each other to limit the number of flights that teams take.”
So while No. 3 North Carolina drew unranked Navy and No. 8 Pennsylvania played No. 19 Boston University, NU was stuck with a top-15 opponent. Even Notre Dame coach Tracy Coyne was skeptical of the selection committee’s decision.
“In general, this particular year the committee made some pretty interesting pairings,” she said. “To be quite frank, I think a team of our caliber shouldn’t be here.”
But NU didn’t complain. Instead it took care of business, destroying the Irish for the second time this season.
“It is a tough first match, but I like that,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “I like having that tough first game because it prepares us for the second game. … Having that difficult matchup is a good thing in the long run.”
People wonder how a Midwestern school could do so well in one of the nation’s most polarized sports, and that quote provides a telling answer. Not only did Amonte Hiller and the Cats not complain, they embraced the challenge.
It’s something NU has learned to do as a Chicago school dominating in an East Coast sport. Not only are the Cats at a disadvatage when it comes to recruiting, they are also forced to travel up and down the eastern seaboard. But you’ll never hear a single complaint.
After the Cleveland Cavaliers lost Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semi Finals, coach Mike Brown shook up the lineup and drew much criticism. After all, his team finished with the best record in the league, and he was making major changes at a particularly vulnerable moment. The Cavs looked lost in their next game, what would be the worst home playoff loss in Cleveland history.
After the Cats lost 18-16 to North Carolina, Amonte Hiller made several changes to NU’s starters. In NU’s next game against Vanderbilt, the second-best team in the ALC, Amonte Hiller started three freshmen. But unlike the Cavs, the Cats countered with their biggest win of the season, a 27-9 dismantling of the Commodores. Then against Virginia, NU pulled out a come-from-behind overtime victory.
Still, the Cats’ biggest reward may be yet to come. After settling in for the last five games, NU’s newest starters are beginning to find their groove. Against Notre Dame, freshman Erin Fitzgerald recorded three goals and one assist while classmate Amanda Macaluso notched an assist and a ground ball.
The Cavs were rattled after their Game 4 loss, and their inability to move on might have cost them the series. Meanwhile the Cats were spurred by their lone defeat. Amonte Hiller re-opened several position battles and NU responded by winning its last six games by an average of 10 goals.
That’s what separates the Cats. Whether it’s a loss or an unfavorable draw, they love the challenge.
Sports Editor Robbie Levin is a Medill sophomore. He can be reached at [email protected].
