EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior Hannah Nielsen (Adelaide, Australia/Brighton Secondary) registered four goals and added four assists while junior Hilary Bowen (Rochester, N.Y/Brighton) tallied five goals and an assist as Northwestern improved to 5-0 on the season with a 19-10 victory over 14th-ranked Boston University at Lakeside Field. The victory extended the top-ranked Wildcats' winning streak to 26 games.

Cold, snowy conditions did little to slow down the offensive output by either team, as sophomore Danielle Spencer (Rochester, N.Y./Brighton) put the 'Cats on top 1-0 less than three minutes into the game. After the Terriers (2-1) answered with a goal of their own, NU responded with four unanswered to open up a 5-1 lead, thanks to goals from Spencer, freshman Brooke Matthews (Baltimore, Md./Friends School) and a pair from Bowen.

Northwestern and Boston would trade goals over a four-minute span until the Wildcats took control of the half. Behind a pair of goals by both Bowen and Nielsen, NU would finish the first half with five unanswered goals and take an 11-4 lead into the half, thanks in large part to a 25-5 shot advantage in the first 30 minutes.

Northwestern continued to set the pace into the second half, outscoring the Terriers 7-2 and led 18-6 with ten minutes remaining. But Boston would begin a run of its own, scoring four goals in a five minute span to trim the Wildcat lead to 18-10 with just under three minutes to play. Junior Ali Jacobs' (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) second goal of the afternoon came with 53 seconds remaining to finish the game on a positive note for NU and seal its 34th straight home victory.

Sophomore Katrina Dowd (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) continued her impressive play recording her second hat-trick of the season, while juniors Meredith Frank (Westwood, Mass./Westwood) and Casey Donohoe (Jarrettsville, Md./Notre Dame Prep) each added a goal and an assist in the win.

Up next for Northwestern is a trip to Columbus, Ohio, as it opens American Lacrosse Conference play against the Buckeyes at 2:00 p.m. Friday, March 14. The 'Cats then return home to face Massachusetts at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, March 16.

Score by Period       1  2  Tot
-------------------------------
Boston University...  4  6 - 10
Northwestern........ 11  8 - 19
 
Attendance: 323
 
Boston University SCORING:
GOALS: Dalton, Sarah 3; Morton, Lauren 3; Landy; Traci 2; Curro, McKinley 2.
ASSISTS: Landy, Traci 1.
 
Northwestern SCORING:
GOALS: Bowen, Hilary 5; Nielsen, Hannah 4; Dowd, Katrina 3;
       Spencer, Danielle 2; Jacobs, Ali 2; Donohoe, Casey 1;
       Frank, Meredith 1; Matthews, Brooke 1.
ASSISTS: Nielsen, Hannah 4; Bowen, Hilary 1; Donohoe, Casey 1;
         Dowd, Katrina 1; Frank, Meredith 1.
 
SHOTS BY PERIOD       1  2  Tot
-------------------------------
Boston University...  5 17 - 22
Northwestern........ 25 18 - 43
 
GROUND BALLS BY PRD   1  2  Tot
-------------------------------
Boston University...  3  1 -  4
Northwestern........ 13  4 - 17
 
DRAW CONTROLS BY PRD  1  2  Tot
-------------------------------
Boston University...  8  8 - 16
Northwestern........  8  7 - 15
 
FREE-POSITION SHOTS    1     2     Total
----------------------------------------
Boston University...  1-1   0-2  -  1-3
Northwestern........  1-4   0-3  -  1-7
 
SAVES BY PERIOD       1  2  Tot
-------------------------------
Boston University...  7  7 - 14
Northwestern........  0  5 -  5
 
FOULS BY PERIOD       1  2  Tot
-------------------------------
Boston University... 12  8 - 20
Northwestern........  7 14 - 21
 
TURNOVERS BY PRD      1  2  Tot
-------------------------------
Boston University... 16  2 - 18
Northwestern........  3  0 -  3

2008-03-09