Northwestern lacrosse opened up its 2017 season with a victory over Canisius. The ninth-ranked ‘Cats have the talent to make some serious noise on a national stage. With a long season ahead and some familiar faces gone, we previewed a few individual players who we think can help get Kelly Amonte Hiller and company back to their championship ways.
Claire Quinn – Tim Hackett
Claire Quinn hardly played in Northwestern’s first 15 games last season – she appeared in seven of them and recorded a grand total of one ground ball and one caused turnover in limited action. But after Northwestern’s 20-9 pounding of Rutgers on April 17, something changed: 12 days later in a matchup against No. 13 Ohio State, Quinn was in the starting lineup. She started each of the team’s final six games, and picked up seven ground balls, caused nine turnovers and controlled five draws.
Kelly Amonte Hiller mentioned that she was impressed by the then-freshman’s development as the season progressed. Listed as a midfielder on last year’s roster, her impact definitely came on the defensive end, a fact reflected by her official change to defense for this season. Northwestern’s defensive unit went through significant roster turnover this offseason, and Quinn’s continued impact and clear skill should do quite a bit to mitigate the losses.
Shelby Fredericks – Will Fischer
With the departure of attacker Kaleigh Craig, the Wildcats will look for someone to step up on offense. While contributions will come from all around, junior attacker Shelby Fredericks can take a big leap this season. Fredericks is coming off a phenomenal sophomore season in which she was tied for first on the team with 22 assists and fourth on the team with 23 goals. Fredericks also improved as a draw specialist, totaling 122 draw controls, the third-best single-season mark in program history.
Fredericks’ draw and offensive ability will be vital to NU’s success this season, and her talents could quickly become indispensable for the Wildcats. With their sights set on a strong bounce-back season, the performance of Fredericks will largely determine how the ‘Cats fare in 2017.
Christina Esposito – Meg Pisarczyk
Christina Esposito is on the up-and-up. The redshirt senior set career highs last year in goals (34), assists (22), points (56), ground balls (19), forced turnovers (20) and draw controls (16) She was dominant all over the field and named a co-captain this year, likely because of those improvements coupled with the experience seniority brings.
During last season’s run in the NCAA Tournament, Esposito had clutch goals to secure wins over Louisville and Notre Dame, and in this year’s season opener against Canisius, she scored on all four of her shots on goal. Injuries have put Esposito on the bench in the past, but now it’s her last season as a Wildcat, and her performance in the first game indicates that she’ll be aggressive on the attack and a player to watch all season long.
Selena Lasota – Trevor Lystad
Last year’s seventh top scorer in the Big Ten, junior attack Selena Lasota looks poised for a huge year for the no. 9 ranked Wildcats. As a sophomore last year, Lasota lead the Big Ten in goals during conference play and was tied for the team lead in points with 67.
Lasota has already started putting points on the board this season; she had a goal and an assist in the Wildcats’ opener, a 9-7 win over Canisius. While this is obviously a solid start for Lasota, expect bigger things to come soon: She had nine hat tricks last season and scored eight goals in one game against Ohio State.
Northwestern’s high-powered offense is a big reason for their impressive preseason ranking, and we should expect Lasota, who was all-Big Ten as a sophomore last year, to lead that attack throughout the year.
Corinne Wessels – Hayden W. King
One of the team’s most clever playmakers, Corinne Wessels could be Northwestern’s breakout player this year if given the opportunity. Wessels is a shifty attacking specialist, and she has an impeccable knack for finding soft spots in opposing defenses. In Northwestern’s first game of the season, Wessels had a goal and four assists in a 9-7 victory over Canisius.
Wessels is the most prolific passer of all time in women’s high school lacrosse. She holds the national high school records for assists in a game (13), assists in a season (142) and assists in a career (327).
After finishing first on the team and fourth in the Big Ten in assists per game in 2015, Wessels saw her playing time decline last year as a sophomore. But if the first game of the 2017 season was any indication, Wessels is due for a memorable junior campaign. #CorinneForTheDime
Mallory Weisse – Evan Denton
After winning the starting job as the goalkeeper as a freshman a year ago, Mallory Weisse averaged just over seven saves per game. For NU to return back to championship form, the ‘Cats are going to need Weisse to step up against lacrosse’s top tier teams. In NU’s nine losses against ranked teams a year ago, Weisse allowed nearly 14 goals per game.
As a lacrosse goals stands at six feet tall, Weisse – who measures in at 5’9” – is able to cut down possible scoring angles. If she can average three more saves this season, this ‘Cats will be in prime position to make a run for the Big Ten championship and possibly accomplish even more ambitious goals.