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Lacrosse trumps Vandy, advances to ALC Finals
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If Northwestern thought that Vanderbilt might be a little tougher opponent without Hilary Bowen on the field, they were right.
In the first meeting of the season, Bowen found the net five times as Northwestern crushed Vandy 22-10 by outscoring them 13-4 in the second half.
Absent Bowen, the ‘Cats needed someone to step up and take the lead. Northwestern found that player in junior Katrina Dowd.
Dowd matched her career high with five goals on eight shots as the Wildcat women’s lacrosse team defeated the Commodores 15-10 to advance to the finals of the American Lacrosse Conference tournament. Northwestern will face the winner of Ohio State and Penn State who will play later Friday.
Northwestern started the game behind after Carter Foote finished a pass from All-conference first teamer Cara Giordano to give Vanderbilt the early lead in the match. But the Wildcats rattled off five straight goals from five different players to take control.
Momentum on their side, the Wildcats went into the half ahead 9-3 after scoring on 53 percent of their shots. Dowd led the way in the early period with three goals while ALC Player of the Year Hannah Nielsen chipped in two goals of her own and added an assist to her NCAA record. Nielsen, the only player in NCAA history to have more than 200 helpers, finished the game with three assists to extend her record to 204.
The Commodores and Wildcats traded goals through the first eight minutes of the second half, with Vanderbilt’s Sarah Downing netting her second and third of the match. Still each time Vandy put one past the ALC’s Goalie of the Year Morgan Lathrop, Northwestern would respond.
Vanderbilt got as close as three when Foote scored her second and third goals of the contest to finish a run of four-straight goals by the Commodores.
But 12-9 was as tight as the game would get. Nielsen extended the lead back to four with a free position shot less than a minute later, her 55th score of the season.
After eight minutes of scoreless play, Dowd notched her fifth goal to make the game 14-9.
Katherine Denkler tried to spark a comeback with a little more than a minute remaining when she slipped one into the goal, but Meredith Frank sealed Northwestern’s win with her second goal of the game coming with 14 seconds remaining.
The win was the 28th conference win in a row for Northwestern. The Wildcats have not lost an ALC game since 2004.
For more info check out these Lacrosse articles:
Less than perfect: A look at lost titles
Lacrosse seeks another trophy: An Emmy
Northwestern sweeps 1st place votes to stay No. 1 over undefeated Maryland
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