May 29, 2010

No. 2 Northwestern (20-1) vs. No. 1 Maryland (21-1)
2010 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship Game
Sunday, May 30 • 4:30 p.m. CT
Johnny Unitas Stadium
Towson, Md.
TV: CBS College Sports Network
Audio: WNUR 89.3 FM
Gametracker: NUsports.com
In-game Twitter updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
Northwestern Game Notes (PDF)
2010 NCAA Tournament Central
Northwestern Recognized at Men's Final Four

Opening Draw
The battle the lacrosse world has been waiting for is finally about to happen on the sport's biggest stage. Second-ranked Northwestern goes for its sixth-consecutive national championship Sunday, facing top-ranked Maryland at 4:30 p.m. CT at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md.

Catch the 'Cats Live!
Fans unable to make it to Towson for Sunday's title game can still catch every Northwestern goal live. CBS College Sports is airing the title game live and Wildcat fans are invited out to the Globe Café (1710 Orrington in Evanston) to help cheer on the 'Cats. WNUR is in Towson and will call the game live at 89.3 FM in the Evanston area and online at Sports.WNUR.org. Gametracker live stats are available at NUsports.com and Twitter followers can receive in-game updates @NU_SportsLIVE.

Scouting the Terrapins
Top-ranked Maryland is 22-1 on the year and advances to its first title game since 2001 after dispatching Syracuse 14-5 in Friday's first semifinal. The Terrapins have been led by Karri Ellen Johnson's 85 points (66G, 19A) as she leads the team in goals, points and draw controls. Tewaaraton Award finalist Caitlyn McFadden has recorded 82 points on the year (48G, 34A) while leading Maryland in assists and caused turnovers (29) and is second in draws with 32 to go along with 31 ground balls. Sarah Mollison has also eclipsed the 40-goal mark for the Terrapins, sitting at 42 on the year, with 29 assists, 24 ground balls and 29 draws to her credit. Katie Schwarzmann has registered 30 goals for Maryland and has 37 ground balls, second only to Brittany Poist's 42. Brittany Dipper has seen the majority of action between the pipes for the Terps, recording 131 saves with a .471 save percentage and a 6.68 goals against average. Cathy Reese is in her fourth season at the helm of her alma mater with a 77-9 record and is 107-38 in seven years as a head coach.

Series Information
Northwestern and Maryland meet for the 11th time Sunday, but it will be only the third meeting between the sport's premiere programs since 1991. The Terrapins hold a 6-4 edge in the all-time series, posting a 6-2 mark against the Wildcats from 1985-1991. However head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller is 2-0 against her alma mater, defeating the Terps 13-8 in 2006 and 12-7 in 2007.

Northwestern Extends NCAA Tournament Record Win Streak to 23 Games
With the 15-10 victory over North Carolina in the semifinals, Northwestern continued to solidifiy its place in history. The win was the 23rd-consecutive in the NCAA tournament as Northwestern recently surpassed Maryland's previous record of 21 set from 1995 through 2002. Head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, who played at Maryland from 1993-96, is 24-1 in her career in the postseason for a .960 winning percentage, the tops in the sport's history.

Wildcats in the NCAA Tournament
May has proven to be the month where Northwestern feels the most at home as the Wildcats have thrived in the NCAA tournament under head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller. Since the program was reinstated in 2002, Northwestern has posted a 24-1 record under Amonte Hiller in the tournament, and are currently riding an NCAA-record 23-game tournament winning streak. Including the early days of Northwestern lacrosse, the Wildcats are making their 12th postseason appearance with an overall record of 25-6, as their .806 tournament winning percentage is tops all-time.

Dowd Becomes NCAA's All-Time Leading Tournament Goal Scorer
Katrina Dowd has earned the reputation as "Miss May," and with good reason. With her three goals against North Carolina in the semifinals, the 2009 NCAA Championship MVP has now registered 45 career goals in the NCAA tournament, extending her NCAA tournament record. Dowd, who set the single-tournament mark with 22 goals in 2009, heads the list with three of her former teammates on her heels. She also became just the fourth player in Division I history to surpass 50 career points, sitting at 52 for her career and is on the heels of former teammates Hannah Nielsen (56) and Hilary Bowen (55).

For the complete weekly release, click the PDF link above.

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