June 17, 2009

CBS 2 Chicago Promotion of Saturday's Broadcast

Northwestern - CBS 2 Chicago Official Release

CHICAGO, Ill. --- Responding to the demand to relive the excitement of the Northwestern women's lacrosse team's drive toward an NCAA title, CBS 2 Chicago will re-broadcast the Wildcats' 21-7 championship game victory over North Carolina this Saturday, June 20, at 3 p.m. The game, which was originally broadcast on CBS College Sports Network, represents the fifth-straight national championship for the Northwestern women's lacrosse team.

"To be certain, Northwestern is extremely excited about the re-airing of our NCAA women's lacrosse championship game on WBBM-TV," said Jim Phillips, Northwestern's director of athletics and recreation. "What head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and her team have accomplished in the past few years is unbelievable, and we're excited to expose the program and the championship game to an even broader market."

CBS 2 Sports Chicago anchors Ryan Baker and Megan Mawicke will anchor the event, and will be joined by coach Amonte Hiller for a kick-off segment, setting the stage for the broadcast television premiere of the title game. The CBS College Sports broadcast will then be aired in its entirety, with play-by-play by Jason Knapp and Sheehan Stanwick Burch providing the color commentary. Amonte Hiller will then appear on a wrap-up segment following the game, giving a final perspective on the season and the team's progress as Northwestern now sets its sight on a sixth-straight crown.

"CBS 2 Chicago is thrilled to re-broadcast this championship game for our local audience," said Bruno Cohen, president and general manager of CBS 2. "And, we are proud to join with the Northwestern family of alumns, students and faculty to celebrate the accomplishments of these great athletes and share their success with hometown fans."

The re-airing of the championship game is a unique experience for both Northwestern and lacrosse fans, marking the first time an NCAA lacrosse game will be televised on broadcast television in the Chicagoland area.

The Wildcats capped a perfect 23-0 season by routing the third-ranked Tar Heels 21-7 at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md., on Sunday, May 24. In doing so, they became just the second team in the sport's history to win a fifth-straight crown, trailing only Maryland's seven consecutive national titles from 1995-2001.

A number of story lines made Northwestern's championship victory over North Carolina even more memorable. Senior Hilary Bowen, who just six weeks earlier had torn her left ACL, returned to not only start against the Tar Heels, but scored a game-high five goals. Senior Hannah Nielsen, the NCAA's all-time assist leader, dished out six assists to set a single-tournament record with 16 over four games. Finally, it capped an incredible career for the 10 Wildcat seniors, who leave Evanston with an overall record of 85-3 and four NCAA championship rings.