8. Snieder’s slam sends NU into Big Ten Tournament
After knocking the Wolverines out of Big Ten Tournament contention with a walk-off home run to cap off his freshman year, Paul Snieder put the Wildcats in the 2010 Big Ten Tournament with another walk-off, this time a three-run shot to vault Northwestern past Michigan State.
7. Cats stun Wolverines in epic Big Ten Tournament finale
The result itself wasn’t surprising. The Cats had won 12-straight Big Ten Tournament titles. But trailing 3-0 against Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament final, Northwestern women’s tennis team’s run appeared to have reached its end. Instead, the Cats launched a comeback, capped off by Belinda Niu’s three-set victory over Big Ten Freshman of the Year Brooke Bolender.
6. Cats light it up in Lansing, stun seventh-ranked MSU
This game lives long in my memory, even if a late-night journalism class kept me from actually witnessing it. The Cats launched themselves into national relevance with a stunning win over the seventh-ranked Spartans. Kevin Coble scored 31 of NU’s 70 points, including several absurd bank shots to secure the upset. NU would go on to its first postseason appearance in 10 years.
5. Back on top, Cats regain championship in Stony Brook
Northwestern lacrosse endured its fair share of humiliation. First, there was the NCAA Championship loss to Maryland on May 30, 2010. The next season brought stunning losses to Florida and unranked Johns Hopkins. In Stony Brook, N.Y., however, the Wildcats downed North Carolina in the 2011 semifinals on a Shannon Smith goal with 18 seconds remaining and then overcame a 4-1 first-half deficit to defeat Maryland in the final. It was a magical night in Long Island, as all eight Cats goals were scored by natives of the island.
4. Cats pounce on Ricky Stanzi, upset Hawkeyes at Kinnick
No. 4 Iowa entered Kinnick Stadium with a 9-0 record. NU was scuffling through a rough Big Ten campaign. But on that afternoon, the Cats turned their season around on a single play. With NU trailing 10-0, defensive end Corey Wootton hammered Ricky Stanzi in the end zone and Marshall Thomas leapt on the fumble to draw the Cats within three. NU ultimately won 17-10 and would go on to play in the Outback Bowl.
3. NU logs key victory in Lincoln, downs Nebraska
After suffering the indignity of a five-game losing streak earlier in the 2012 season, Pat Fitzgerald’s men pulled off a little bit of regular-season magic in Lincoln, upsetting No. 9 Nebraska, 28-25. The Wildcats overcame their two greatest difficulties in one fell swoop. Long plagued by a rush defense that loosely resembled Swiss cheese, NU held Nebraska’s potent rushing attack to just 122 rushing yards. Meanwhile, the Cats, usually reliant on the friendly skies, scored the game-winning touchdown on a drive comprising 13 consecutive rushing plays.
2. After ambiguous start, Cats excel when it matters most
The NU men’s soccer team’s 2-1 loss to Eastern Illinois in its 2011 season opener was ominous. Its 4-0 loss to DePaul on Sept. 28 was downright embarrassing. But the Cats’ finish was nothing short of spectacular, as they went nearly two months without a loss, including a stunning win in penalty kicks over Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals. They followed that with a comeback win over Penn State to win their first-ever conference title.
1. Who needs an Achilles? Persa sets NCAA completion record
Shannon Smith won a Tewaaraton Award as the nation’s top women’s lacrosse player. John Shurna became Northwestern’s leading scorer in dramatic style. But only Dan Persa stands alone in the NCAA record books. The Wildcats’ signal-caller set a Division I record by completing 72.7 percent of the passes he attempted in his career. One of the finest athletes this university has ever seen, Persa, and his legacy, are almost indelible.
