Northwestern Wildcats women's lacrosse

The Northwestern Wildcats women's lacrosse team is a NCAA Division I college lacrosse team representing Northwestern University as part of the American Lacrosse Conference. The team began competition at the varsity level in 1982, operated as a club sport from 1993 to 2001, and resumed play at the varsity level in 2002. They play their home games at Lakeside Field in Evanston, IL. Since 2005, the team has won the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship five consecutive times and recorded two undefeated seasons.^[1] The midwestern team's success is a rarity in a sport that enjoys most of its popularity on the East Coast - the Wildcats are the first and only team from outside the Eastern Time Zone to win the national title.^[2]

History

2005 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship between the Virginia Cavaliers and Northwestern Wildcats

The Wildcats began playing in 1982 and enjoyed success early, appearing in the NCAA tournament five times before budget cuts forced the team to disband in 1993. Northwestern hired former Maryland player Kelly Amonte Hiller to be the head coach when the university revived the team in 2002. Hiller had to think outside the box in forming her squad; she recruited two freshmen who had never played the game before after seeing them jog around campus^[3] (they went on to be named All-Americans). Her methods proved successful, however, and the team improved its record every year from its inception until 2005, when the Wildcats went undefeated and won their first national title. Two years and two more championships later in 2007, they joined Maryland as the only teams to win three consecutive national titles. The Wildcats would take home championship trophies again in 2008 and after a second undefeated season in 2009.

During their five-year championship run, the Wildcats have a record of 106-3 and are undefeated at home.

When the team visited the White House after winning their first championship, they created a minor fashion scandal when some members wore flip-flops. The publicity inspired the team to auction off their sandals with the proceeds going to the Friends of Jaclyn charity.^[4] The team first met Jaclyn Murphy in 2005 when she was recovering from a brain tumor and their support prompted her father to start a charity that matches other college teams with pediatric brain tumor patients.^[5]

Season Records

Awards and Records

• Tewaaraton Trophy

Kristen Kjellman – 2006, 2007

Hannah Nielsen – 2008, 2009

• Honda Sports Award – Lacrosse

Kristen Kjellman – 2005, 2006, 2007

Hannah Nielsen – 2008, 2009

• Big Ten – Suzy Favor Athlete of the Year

Hannah Nielsen – 2008

• Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Division I National Coach of the Year

Kelly Amonte Hiller - 2005, 2008, 2009

External links

• Official Northwestern athletics site

References