Coming off a huge win against North Carolina Mar. 31, the lacrosse team was back at it, notching its third straight victory against No. 10 Penn State, 5-4.
With this win, the ‘Cats are now 7-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play. The ‘Cats jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first half, but the Nittany Lions kept it close in just about every facet of the game. Ultimately, head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller’s squad was able to hold off Penn State and will be looking to make it a fourth consecutive win when they take on Penn Sunday.
Inside the box score:
- Youth movement: Sophomore Kaleigh Craig continued her big season today, notching one goal. She now has 20 goals and three assists on the year, giving her a team-high 23 points. The Wantagh, N.Y., native was named the American Lacrosse Conference Player of the Week in February. Another sophomore, Lauren Murray, had one of her more productive games of the season, tallying her second goal of the year and an assist.
- Stonewall Bianco: Junior goalie Bridget Bianco was named the American Lacrosse Conference Defensive Player of the Week after the game against North Carolina, where she made six saves. Against Penn State, she again showed why she earned that distinction, recording six saves in the first half and eight for the game.
- Few fouls: The ‘Cats were able to avoid getting fouls called, finishing with only 10. Penn State, however, wasn’t so lucky. In the first half alone, they were called for 14 fouls and ended the game with a total of 23. Those fouls helped set the tone for the game and gave Northwestern the extra momentum they needed to push through the Nittany Lions’s attack.
- Kat trick: Senior Kat DeRonda scored a team-high 3 goals today, bringing her season total to 16. The veteran midfielder was named to the ALC All-Tournament Team as a junior last season. She also scored a goal against North Carolina last game. She has scored in every game since the team lost to Notre Dame Mar. 5.