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Second-Half Rally Leads No. 1 Northwestern Past Duke 15-11

Nielsen records two goals, four assists, all in second half

Hannah Nielsen leads the team with 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists).

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April 6, 2008

Box Score (PDF)

Box Score

DURHAM, N.C. -- Top-ranked Northwestern found itself in unchartered territory Sunday afternoon, trailing seventh-ranked Duke 8-6 at halftime. But behind six points from junior Hannah Nielsen (Adelaide, Australia/Brighton Secondary) and four goals from junior Hilary Bowen (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton), NU outscored the Blue Devils 9-3 in the second half to earn the hard-fought 15-11 victory at Koskinen Stadium to improve to 11-0. The win is the 32nd-straight for the Wildcats, a program record.

"We're extremely excited about this win," said head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller. "Northwestern and Duke have established a great rivalry over the years, and it's a big game for whoever wins. The fact that we got a win on the road makes it even more exciting."

Northwestern came out of the gates firing as the `Cats connected on five of their first six shots to take a 5-1 advantage midway through the first half. Bowen and sophomore Danielle Spencer (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) each netted a pair of goals and freshman Brooke Matthews (Baltimore, Md./Friends School) helped give Northwestern the early advantage. Junior goalkeeper Morgan Lathrop (Briarcliff, N.Y./The Hackley School) played big early as well, making three big saves to keep the Blue Devils (7-5) at bay.

But Duke found its touch in the later part of the second half, outscoring the Wildcats 7-1 over the final 13 minutes to take an 8-6 lead into halftime. Emma Hamm and Allie Johnson each scored twice for the Blue Devils, as the two-goal deficit was the largest NU had faced all season. It also marked the first time this year the `Cats trailed at the half.

"The true measure of a good team is not how you respond when you're on top, but when you are down," said Amonte Hiller. "I told them (at halftime) now was their test to see if they would respond. They really stepped up their mentality and put it all out on the line in the second half."

The Wildcats would even the score at eight thanks to goals from Bowen and junior Meredith Frank (Westwood, Mass./Westwood), but Duke would respond to take a 9-8 lead with four minutes gone in the half. That would be the last Blue Devil lead of the afternoon, however, as NU reeled off five straight goals and never looked back. The Blue Devils tried to make a run late, but the Wildcats kept Duke at bay to earn the 15-11 win.

Nielsen would become the leader in the second half for Northwestern, scoring both her goals and dishing out four assists all in the second stanza. She leads the team in scoring with 54 points (24 goals, 30 assists), while Bowen's four goals and an assist puts her right behind at 53 points (43g, 10a). Bowen registered a goal in her 29th-consecutive game for NU, while both Bowen and Nielsen extended their point streak to 33 straight games.

Spencer and Frank each added three goals for the Wildcats, with Frank helping change momentum in the second half by winning six draw controls. Lathrop had one of her best outings of the year for NU, recording a season-high 10 saves. The `Cats improve to 4-2 all-time against Duke and earned their first-ever victory at Koskinen Stadium, handing the Blue Devils their fourth consecutive loss in the process.

There is little time to celebrate this victory, however, as Northwestern now prepares to face 12th-ranked Notre Dame at Lakeside Field Wednesday, April 9. The Irish are 9-3 on the year and are coming off a 12-8 victory against this same Duke team in Durham. The game will also be U.S. Cellular Night with the Wildcats as the first 500 fans will receive purple U.S. Cellular purple beads, and any NU student can bring in a t-shirt bearing another school's name or logo and trade it in for a new Northwestern t-shirt. Opening draw against the Irish is set for 6 p.m.