Nielsen's Nine Points Leads Northwestern Past Penn State, 15-7 :: Wildcats advance to ALC championship game Sunday against Vanderbilt

May 3, 2008

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior Hannah Nielsen (Adelaide, Australia/Brighton Secondary) recorded a season-high nine points on four goals and five assists in leading Northwestern past Penn State 15-7 in the American Lacrosse Conference semifinals. The Wildcats advance to Sunday's championship game to meet the second-seeded Vanderbilt Commodores, who defeated Johns Hopkins 10-7 in the second semifinal. NU improves to 16-1 on the season and extends its home-field winning streak to 41 games.

Looking to rebound after its first loss of the season last weekend, the Wildcats came out the agressor, as goals by Casey Donohoe (Jarrettsville, Md./Notre Dame Prep), Katrina Dowd (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) and Nielsen put NU on top 3-0 just over seven minutes into the contest. After the Nittany Lions (5-12) answered with a goal, junior Hilary Bowen (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) took a feed from Nielsen to put the `Cats back on top by three at 4-1 with seven minutes remaining in the half.

Penn State would take momentum into the half, however, as the Nittany Lions notched a pair of goals, including one with three seconds remaining on the clock to trim the Wildcat leave to 4-3 at the half.

The Nittany Lions continued that momentum into the second stanza, as a goal two minutes into the half knotted the game at four. NU responded with a pair of quick goals by freshman Brooke Matthews (Baltimore, Md./Friends School) and Bowen less than two minutes apart to give the Wildcats a two-goal cushion. Penn State cut into that lead one last time at 6-5, but that was as close as the Nittany Lions would come to the upset.

Nielsen, already having a monster game, took control for Northwestern, scoring three goals and adding an assist as the Wildcats would reel off six straight goals over a ten minute span to blow the game open. Matthews, Bowen and Dowd each netted a goal during the run.

Penn State tried one last comeback attempt, cutting the lead to 12-6 with ten minutes to play. But a pair of goals by Danielle Spencer (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) and another from Donohoe helped propel the Wildcats into Sunday's championship game.

Nielsen and Bowen continued their impressive streaks. Bowen finished with three goals, giving her 60 for the year, and has now scored a goal in 35 consecutive games while both of the juniors have recorded at least one point in 39 straight games. Nielsen continues to track down Lindsey Munday's all-time assist record, as her five on the afternoon gives her 126 for her career, just two shy of the all-time mark. Nielsen also won five draw controls for NU.

Defensively, the duo of Christy Finch (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) and Morgan Lathrop (Briarcliff, N.Y./The Hackley School) continued to step up when needed. Finch had four caused turnovers, bringing her career total to 170, fifth in the NCAA record books, while also scooping up four ground balls. Lathrop recorded seven saves to bring her season total to 97.

Northwestern now turns its attention toward a rematch with Vanderbilt, who defeated Johns Hopkins 10-7 in Saturday's second semifinal. The Wildcats knocked off the Commodores 14-8 at Lakeside Field on March 30, and will go for their fifth-consecutive American Lacrosse Conference championship at 12:05. The ALC championship game will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network.