Northwestern Wildcats women's lacrosse
Encyclopedia
The Northwestern Wildcats
Women's Lacrosse Team is a NCAA Division I college lacrosse
team representing Northwestern University
as part of the American Lacrosse Conference
. The team began competition at the varsity level in 1982, operated as a club sport from 1993 to 2001, and resumed play at the varsity level in 2002. They play their home games at Lakeside Field in Evanston, IL. From 2005 to 2009, the team won the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship
five consecutive times and recorded two undefeated seasons. The Wildcats added a sixth championship in 2011 after losing in the finals the previous year. The midwestern team's success is a rarity in a sport that enjoys most of its popularity on the East Coast
- the Wildcats are the first and only team from outside the Eastern Time Zone
to win the national title.
The Wildcats began playing in 1982 and enjoyed success early, appearing in the NCAA tournament five times before budget cuts forced the team to disband in 1993. Northwestern hired former Maryland
player Kelly Amonte Hiller
to be the head coach when the university revived the team in 2002. Hiller had to think outside the box
in forming her squad; she recruited two freshmen who had never played the game before after seeing them jog around campus (they went on to be named All-Americans). Her methods proved successful, however, and the team improved its record every year from its inception until 2005, when the Wildcats went undefeated and won their first national title. Two years and two more championships later in 2007, they joined Maryland as the only teams to win three consecutive national titles. The Wildcats would take home championship trophies again in 2008 and after a second undefeated season in 2009. The streak ended in 2010 when the team lost to Maryland in a championship game that set the attendance record for a women's lacrosse match in the United States.
During their five-year championship run, the Wildcats had a record of 106-3 and were undefeated at home.
When the team visited the White House
after winning their first championship, they created a minor fashion scandal when some members wore flip-flops. The publicity inspired the team to auction off their sandals with the proceeds going to the Friends of Jaclyn charity. The team first met Jaclyn Murphy in 2005 when she was recovering from a brain tumor and their support prompted her father to start a charity that matches other college teams with pediatric brain tumor patients.
*Statistics thru 2010 season
Northwestern Wildcats
The Northwestern Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent Northwestern University, a founding member of the Big Ten Conference and the only private university in the conference. Northwestern has eight men's and eleven women's Division I sports teams. The mascot is Willie the Wildcat...
Women's Lacrosse Team is a NCAA Division I college lacrosse
College lacrosse
College lacrosse refers to lacrosse played by student athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played in both the varsity and club levels...
team representing Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
as part of the American Lacrosse Conference
American Lacrosse Conference
The American Lacrosse Conference is a NCAA Division I women's lacrosse-only college athletic conference whose members are located in the Midwest, on the East Coast, and increasingly in the Southeastern states from Illinois to Florida....
. The team began competition at the varsity level in 1982, operated as a club sport from 1993 to 2001, and resumed play at the varsity level in 2002. They play their home games at Lakeside Field in Evanston, IL. From 2005 to 2009, the team won the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship
NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top women's lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
five consecutive times and recorded two undefeated seasons. The Wildcats added a sixth championship in 2011 after losing in the finals the previous year. The midwestern team's success is a rarity in a sport that enjoys most of its popularity on the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
- the Wildcats are the first and only team from outside the Eastern Time Zone
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
to win the national title.
History
Maryland Terrapins women's lacrosse
The Maryland Terrapins women's lacrosse team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women's college lacrosse. The Maryland has won a total of ten NCAA championships, the most of any women's lacrosse program...
player Kelly Amonte Hiller
Kelly Amonte Hiller
Kelly Amonte Hiller is the head women's lacrosse coach at Northwestern University. She has coached Northwestern to six NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championships. Amonte Hiller played for the University of Maryland Terrapins, and won two national championships as a player...
to be the head coach when the university revived the team in 2002. Hiller had to think outside the box
Thinking outside the box
Thinking outside the box is to think differently, unconventionally, or from a new perspective. This phrase often refers to novel or creative thinking....
in forming her squad; she recruited two freshmen who had never played the game before after seeing them jog around campus (they went on to be named All-Americans). Her methods proved successful, however, and the team improved its record every year from its inception until 2005, when the Wildcats went undefeated and won their first national title. Two years and two more championships later in 2007, they joined Maryland as the only teams to win three consecutive national titles. The Wildcats would take home championship trophies again in 2008 and after a second undefeated season in 2009. The streak ended in 2010 when the team lost to Maryland in a championship game that set the attendance record for a women's lacrosse match in the United States.
During their five-year championship run, the Wildcats had a record of 106-3 and were undefeated at home.
When the team visited the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
after winning their first championship, they created a minor fashion scandal when some members wore flip-flops. The publicity inspired the team to auction off their sandals with the proceeds going to the Friends of Jaclyn charity. The team first met Jaclyn Murphy in 2005 when she was recovering from a brain tumor and their support prompted her father to start a charity that matches other college teams with pediatric brain tumor patients.
Historical Statistics
| Overall | |
|---|---|
| Years of Lacrosse | 20 |
| 1st Season | 1982 |
| Head Coaches | 4 |
| All-Time Record | 233-84 |
| ALC Games | |
| ALC W-L record | 34-9 |
| ALC Titles | 7 |
| NCAA Tournament | |
| NCAA Appearances | 12 |
| NCAA W-L record | 25-7 |
| Final Fours | 6 |
| National Championships | 5 |
Year-By-Year Records
| Year | Overall | Conference | Coach | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 8-3 | Cindy Timchal | ||
| 1983 | 11-3 | Cindy Timchal | First Round | |
| 1984 | 10-4 | Cindy Timchal | Quarterfinal | |
| 1985 | 7-4 | Cindy Timchal | ||
| 1986 | 10-4 | Cindy Timchal | First Round | |
| 1987 | 10-4 | Cindy Timchal | First Round | |
| 1988 | 10-5 | Cindy Timchal | First Round | |
| 1989 | 6-5 | Cindy Timchal | ||
| 1990 | 4-8 | Cindy Timchal | ||
| 1991 | 1-10 | Robin Cummings | ||
| 1992 | 2-8 | Patti Bossio | ||
| 2002 | 5-10 | 2-4 | Kelly Amonte Hiller | |
| 2003 | 8-8 | 2-4 | Kelly Amonte Hiller | |
| 2004 | 15-3 | 5-1 | Kelly Amonte Hiller | Quarterfinal |
| 2005 | 21-0 | 6-0 | Kelly Amonte Hiller | National Champion |
| 2006 | 20-1 | 5-0 | Kelly Amonte Hiller | National Champion |
| 2007 | 21-1 | 4-0 | Kelly Amonte Hiller | National Champion |
| 2008 | 21-1 | 4-0 | Kelly Amonte Hiller | National Champion |
| 2009 | 23-0 | 6-0 | Kelly Amonte Hiller | National Champion |
| 2010 | 20-2 | 5-0 | Kelly Amonte Hiller | National Runner-Up |
| 2011 | 21-2 | 3-2 | Kelly Amonte Hiller | National Champion |
Awards and Records
- Tewaaraton TrophyTewaaraton TrophyThe Tewaaraton Trophy is an award given annually, since 2001, to the most outstanding American college lacrosse player. It is the lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. The trophy is presented by the Greater Washington Sports Alliance and the University Club of Washington, D.C...
- Kristen Kjellman – 2006, 2007
- Hannah Nielsen – 2008, 2009
- Honda Sports Award – Lacrosse
- Kristen Kjellman – 2005, 2006, 2007
- Hannah Nielsen – 2008, 2009
- Big Ten – Suzy Favor Athlete of the Year
- Hannah Nielsen – 2008
- Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Division I National Coach of the Year
- Kelly Amonte Hiller - 2005, 2008, 2009