March 14, 2008

Box Score (PDF)

Box Score

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Junior Hilary Bowen (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) netted five goals and added three assists as top-ranked Northwestern opened its American Lacrosse Conference schedule with a 21-5 victory over Ohio State. The Wildcats improve to 6-0 on the season, 1-0 in conference play and extend their winning streak to 27 games.

Bowen set the tone early for the `Cats, taking a pass from junior Hannah Nielsen (Adelaide, Australia/Brighton Secondary) and firing it past Buckeye goalkeeper Kristen Gilwee 13 seconds into the game to give NU the 1-0 lead. OSU would tie the game at one three minutes later, but goals by Bowen and sophomores Danielle Spencer (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) and Katrina Dowd (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) gave Northwestern a 4-1 cushion ten minutes into the game.

Ohio State would trim the lead to 4-2 with just under 20 minutes remaining in the half, but from that point on the game belonged to the Wildcats. NU would score the next nine goals in a 17 minute span, bursting out to a 13-2 lead. Junior Casey Donohoe (Jarrettsville, Md./Notre Dame Prep) led the charge, recording three of her four goals during the span, with Bowen adding a pair as well.

The Buckeyes tried to spark a run, scoring the last goal of the first half and the first of the second, but did little to slow down the Northwestern charge. Leading 13-4 minutes into the second half, the Wildcats reeled off eight unanswered goal to put the game out of reach. Nine different `Cats netted goals on the wet and soggy afternoon, including a pair from junior Mary Kate Casey (Chicago, Ill./Loyola Academy) to ice the victory.

Bowen's eight points (five goals, three assists) are a season high, while Nielsen, the ALC Player of the Week, continued her hot start to the season with a pair of goals and four assists on the day. Dowd finished with her second-straight hat-trick and third of the season while Spencer added a pair of goals.

Junior goalkeeper Morgan Lathrop (Briarcliff, N.Y./The Hackley School) made three saves and allowed just four goals on the afternoon, improving her record to 6-0 on the season. Freshman goalkeeper Darby St. Clair-Barrie (Sciutate, Mass./Brooks School) also recorded a career high two saves in five minutes of work.

In addition to extending its winning streak to 27 games, NU has also won 18 consecutive conference games dating to 2004. Head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller moved to within four games of 100 career victories, improving to 96-23 (.807) in her seven seasons at Northwestern.

Up next for the `Cats is a meeting with Massachusetts and former NU assistant coach Alexis Venechanos, who is now the head coach of the Minutewomen. Opening draw against UMass is at 1 p.m. Sunday, March 16, at Lakeside Field.