Hey guys, and welcome to the coverage of top-ranked Northwestern Lacrosse’s last home game of the season! They are hosting the North Carolina Tar Heels, ranked #11. North Carolina beat Northwestern last spring in the first game of the season. Ever since, the Wildcats have run off 35 straight wins and won a national title. The ‘Cats remember their last defeat well, and will be looking to win at home for their seniors who were honored before the game for Senior Day.
The key for the ‘Cats today will be staying focused — they are only two games away from being undefeated for the second time in four years. They will need to make sure they are able to penetrate inside against a stingy UNC defense. Last game, the ‘Cats got outmuscled for the first half, but were able to step their games up and rebound for a big home win against Johns Hopkins. Today, the ‘Cats will have to get started early so they don’t have to come from behind once again.
If the ‘Cats win today, it will tie the NCAA record for most consecutive regular season home wins with 40.
Stay tuned!
1st half
28:45
Talk about getting out to a quick start! The ‘Cats are up 2-0 within 90 seconds. They are shooting 2-2, and have controlled the ball the entire time. Goals by NU points leader junior Hannah Nielsen and sophomore Danielle Spencer Great start here on Senior Day.
2-0, Your Northwestern Wildcats
24:03
This is looking like the Notre Dame rout from 2 weeks ago, as the ‘Cats have jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Danielle Spencer just netted her second goal after Nielsen got her second as well. Christy Finch is a woman on a mission — she made an unbelievable check on the ball and got a steal that eventually led to a Northwestern goal a few minutes later. The ‘Cats could be up 5-0, because Hilary Bowen hit a shot but was fouled, therefore discounting it. Let’s see if the Tar Heels can rally before this game gets out of reach in a hurry — the ‘Cats have scored four times in six minutes!
4-0 NU
13:00
More goals here in Evanston for our Wildcats. Hilary Bowen punched in her first goal of this game, continuing her streak of 32 straight games with at least one goal. Assists leader Nielsen got an assist to Casey Donahoe, who is half of the game’s most interesting plotline — Donahoe’s little sister Corey Donahoe leads the Tar Heels in scoring as a freshman. We haven’t heard from her yet as the ‘Cats are already in the driver’s seat. At least they were able to stop the bleeding for a little.
6-0 NU
6:21
Morgan Lathrop just made a fantastic save on an open shot on her knees. The best goalie in the country now has several saves — three official ones but a lot of smart plays. She is playing extremely well already, still pitching a shutout. Lathrop is too much for this offense. Also, Christy Finch has been dominant, shutting down whomever she has been facing. The ‘Cats defense is underrated because of their potent offense, but to overlook the play of Lathrop and Finch is criminal.
Katrina Dowd just ended a 7 minute scoring drought, putting the ‘Cats up a touchdown. They make it look so easy. A lot of penetration and great moves have given the ‘Cats a lot of good looks. They have shot 14 times; North Carolina only four times.
7-0 NU
Halftime:
NU still leads 7-0, and the standout player for the ‘Cats has been Lathrop. Although, Tewaarton Trophy finalists Nielsen and Bowen have been outstanding as well. The ‘Cats are in control, but it’s tough to imagine that UNC won’t rally in the 2nd half. They are a solid team, with wins over Duke, Denver, and a recent domination against Old Dominion.
North Carolina has only five shots and, obviously, have not converted any. This game is in the ‘Cats hands — if Morgan Lathrop continues her Gianluigi Buffon imitation, the Heels stand no chance of coming back — a tall order already. More in a few minutes.
2nd half
27:00
Katrina Dowd and Casey Donahoe each get another goal, and the Wildcats lead 9-0 here at the Lakefill. Nielsen gets an assist on Donahoe’s goal. Neilsen is the point guard — the offense is flowing through her. The defense for the Wildcats remains flawless, as Christy Finch has had a superior showing here on her senior day.
9-0 NU
20:30
It’s a good day for the Donahoe family. Casey has 2 for the ‘Cats, and now sister Corey has 1 for UNC. Northwestern answers with a goal from Meredith Frank, assist by Bowen.
10-1 NU
11:08
The ‘Cats are still holding strong, despite another goal from the Tar Heels. This game hasn’t been close all game. The ‘Cats have 24 shots to UNC’s 12, and each goalie has 6 saves. However, Lathrop has very clearly outplayed Amanda Barnes, her counterpart for the Heels. The ‘Cats are moving the ball well… and now get another goal. Donahoe’s third, Dowd on the assist. I guess we know who will have bragging rights in the Donahoe household.
11-2 NU
1:00
The ‘Cats have opened up a 14 goal lead. Spencer gets a hat trick. Colleen Magartiy and Rachel Fox, two freshmen, scored their first and second career goals respectively. Senior Lindsay North scores a goal on senior day.
Kristin Taylor nets one for Carolina, closing the gap to 16-3, with 36 seconds left.
There it is, the final is 16-3. NU holds on to a 36-game win streak. They have tied the NCAA record with 40 straight regular season wins. They play next at home May 3rd in the American Lacrosse Conference tournament. They play one more regular season game against #6 Penn, arguably their toughest test of the season, next Sunday.
Thanks for reading!
Post-game
Players of the Game:
Hannah Nielsen, Morgan Lathrop, Casey Donahoe, Christy Finch
Nielsen played a terrific game, racking up 3 goals and 2 assists. She’s quietly the key to this team, playing poised and smart offense. She’s Steve Nash — a scorer, keen passer, and tough competitor.
Lathrop nearly posted a clean sheet today, and has proved why she’s the most dominant goalie in the nation. She had 6 saves, anchoring the solid defensive effort.
Donahoe scored three goals in front of her sister, tying with Nielsen as the ‘Cats leading scorer. She’s an underrated stalwart on offense.
Christy Finch also earned top marks today. In her last regular season home game for Northwestern, she played stifling defense. She is an incredible presence on the field.
Stat of the game: Northwestern shot the ball 31 times, converting nearly 50% of them (15 goals), and Carolina shot the ball 15 times, converting 3.
Hat Trick of the Game: Psyche! Danielle Spencer, Hannah Nielsen, and Casey Donahoe all had hat tricks.
Bragging rights of the game: Donahoe’s hat trick, against her little sister, Corey’s, Tar Heels. Corey at least got one goal out of her effort and still leads UNC in scoring.
Thanks for reading. One more in and the ‘Cats will be undefeated once again. Penn road trip???