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Top-Ranked 'Cats Put the Clamps on No. 4 Penn, Advance to NCAA Final

Kjellman sets all-time NCAA Tournament goals record with 38

Aly Josephs and Kristen Kjellman celebrate a first half goal by Josephs.

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May 25, 2007

Box Score

All Wildcat fans are invited to watch Sunday night's championship game at Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe located at 1701 Maple Avenue in Evanston. Receive a 10 percent discount with your valid WildCARD.

PHILADELPHIA -- For the third year in a row, the 'Cats are back in the NCAA title game.

Behind a stifling defensive effort, No. 1 Northwestern (20-1) cruised to a 12-2 win over fourth seed Penn in the NCAA semifinals at Franklin Field in Philadelphia. The 'Cats advance to the championship game once again and will face No. 3 Virginia, which stunned No. 2 Duke by scoring the game's last 10 goals to win 14-13. The game, which will be televised live on CSTV, is set for 6 p.m. CT.

The Wildcats will try to become just the second team in NCAA women's lacrosse history to win three-straight national titles.

"We're extremely thrilled to be playing for another national championship," said head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, who has the best all-time winning percentage (12-1, .923) in NCAA Championship history. "I think we came out with a strong game plan and we executed well. Penn fought hard to the end. They are a tremendous team that had an unbelievable season and we're excited to be playing again on Sunday."

Northwestern, now winners in 20-straight games, held Penn scoreless until the 16:29 mark of the second half -- the longest scoring drought (43:31) to open a game in NCAA finals history. The first half shutout also marked the first time since 1991 that a team had been held scoreless in a half in finals history.

"We changed things up throughout the game on defense," Amonte Hiller added. "I think that was our strategy going in. Our girls used their experience. We have a very veteran defense. Annie Elliott, Christy Finch, Lindsay Finocchiaro and Morgan Lathrop did a great job leading out there. You could hear them communicating all over the field. That was really the difference maker. We have so much leadership and everyone was so aggressive."

The Wildcats scored the first 10 goals of the game as they opened up an 8-0 lead at halftime. Aly Josephs led the way with four first half goals. After scoring the first goal 4:27 in, Meredith Frank made it 2-0 on an unassisted goal seven minutes later. Josephs' second goal at 14:42 and a free position goal by Kristen Kjellman at 13:15 made it 4-0.

Even with the lead, Northwestern never let up as Hilary Bowen joined in on the scoring with her first goal at 12:23. Bowen caught a pass on the right side of the 8-meter, raced around to the front of the goal and fired her shot past Penn goalkeeper Sarah Waxman as she was knocked to the ground.

Less than a minute later, Kjellman caught a pass at midfield and turned on the jets, racing straight down the center of the field and leaving nothing but a trail of Quakers in her wake for her second score.

Kjellman finished with three goals, setting an all-time NCAA Tournament record with 38. That broke the old mark of 37, which was set by Jen Adams of Maryland from 1998-2001.

"I'm very fortunate because I play with such great attackers who set me up for goals and allow me to get in position to score," Kjellman said. "I think that's why we have such an amazing offense. We're all unselfish and work for each other and that has allowed me to have such great opportunities on offense."

Josephs finished with a game-high five goals on six shots, followed by two from Bowen and one each from Hannah Nielsen and Frank.

Lathrop (20-1) made seven saves in goal, giving her 153 for the year.

Game Notes: Northwestern has now won 20-straight games and has recorded at least 20 wins for the third year in a row ... NU is back in the NCAA final for the third-straight year ... Kjellman has scored 16 goals in four career games versus Penn ... NU has won the last four meetings with Penn by a combined score of 55-20 ... The Wildcats set an NCAA record with 505 points, breaking the mark of 498 they set last season ... NU is now 12-1 in the NCAA Tournament under coach Hiller and have won 11 in a row overall in the tournament.