The NU lax ladies punch their ticket to the national title game with a win against North Carolina.
So here's the deal. I love lacrosse. It's not my favorite sport, but ever since I saw my first game back in middle school I've been hooked on this truly American game.
The fact that NU is a great lacrosse school at this point played no role in my choosing to go to college in Evanston. After all, everyone knows that the Norris Sbarro is the real selling-point when it comes to getting prospective students to come to Northwestern. But the chance to go to every home game, cover the team, and see the 'Cats win four consecutive national titles (five overall) while I was a student was definitely a good side perk of my time at NU.
And with a win yesterday in the national semi-finals against North Carolina, the ladies of Lakeside Field are back where they belong - in a seventh straight championship game.
A quick primer on what you need to know heading into this afternoon's battle against Maryland is after the jump.
Rivalry Renewed
It's plain and simple - these two teams do not like each other one bit. When Northwestern and Maryland met in Evanston during the 2007 season, it was the most physical women's lacrosse game I have ever seen. The dislike is partly because they're the two winningest programs of the past 15 plus years. It's partly because Kelly Amonte Hiller went to Maryland and now has a built a program that has generally overshadowed the Terps in recent years. And it's partly that the only time they play anymore is in the postseason (I've heard that Maryland has refused to schedule Northwestern in the regular season). The 'Cats are 2-1 against Maryland under Hiller, although the Terps won 13-11 in last year's championship game.
Wildcats to Watch
If you could only watch one player on the field wearing purple, it'd be an easy choice to focus on superstar midfielder/attacker Shannon Smith. You knew she was good from the day she stepped onto the field wearing the same number 3 jersey worn by the best-ever Wildcat, Kristen Kjellman. A Tewaaraton Trophy finalist (think lax's Heisman), Smith, has proven more than worthy of the number by setting the school's single-season record in goals scored (82) and scoring the game winner against the Tar Heels in the semis. The other two players I'll be keeping an eye on are on the defensive side of the ball. Speedy sophomore Taylor Thornton will play a big role in disrupting Maryland's potent attack as it transitions trough the midfield. And Brianne LaMonto will be crucial in goal, especially if NU allows the number of shots UNC took in the semis - the Terrapins score on 50 percent of the shots they take.
Fear the Turtle?
Northwestern will have more to worry about than the potent attack referenced above. The true scary part about this Maryland team is the alacrity it shows on the defensive end. The back line has been harder to break than a Terrapin's shell (I'm assuming those are pretty hard to break.) Maryland has allowed double digit goals to an opponent just once this year. Back to that offense - the Terps boast two Tewaaraton finalists of their on on the front line. Sarah Mollison quarterbacks the team with 56 goals and 45 assists, while sophomore Katie Schwarzmann has found the back of the net 64 times this year.
Welcome to Strong Island
It may sound strange knowing that College Park, MD is roughly four times closer to Stony Brook, NY than Evanston, but expect Northwestern to have a home field advantage for the championship game. Seven of the Wildcats starters call Long Island home. The number includes Smith and LoManto as well as NU's other Fitz, Erin Fitzgerald, who scored a hat trick against UNC Friday (it would have been more had she been sporting a Fitzstache). The homefield edge will be a definite flip from last year's championship game between the 'Cats and Terps that was played in Towson, MD.
Underdog?
It's been a while since Northwestern has been the underdog in a national tile game (2005?), but that's exactly the case this year. My gut says that NU will either win a close game or lose by a fairly large margin. The big X Factor could be the fight Amonte Hiller's squad has shown through a year with plenty of ups and downs. Official Prediction: Northwestern 10, Maryland 9.
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Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/spread-far-the-fame/2011/05/back-where-they-belong-a-championship-game-primer-1.html
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