Northwestern lacrosse team has shot at back-to-back national championships
CHICAGO (CBS) – Head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller has led the Northwestern lacrosse team to eight national championships since 2005, and that was despite an 11-year drought before last season's return to glory.
This year, the Wildcats have a chance to do it again as they're just two wins away from a repeat.
Northwestern's quest of getting back-to-back titles continues this week in North Carolina. The top-seeded Cats made their fifth-straight trip to a Final Four. But none of those trips are being taken for granted by players who have been there for them all.
"Everyone on this team, every chance we've gotten they've gotten to Final Four, except for the freshmen of course," said Molly Laliberty, a sixth-year player. "I think that's really cool that we know what we're walking into, but even further shows our appreciation for it."
Amonte Hiller added, "This group is the group that kind of helped us revert back to some of the things that we used to do, but also improve on that culture. So I think it's been really, really fun and exciting for them to have those experiences."
One of the players with the most postseason experience is star attacker Izzy Scane, who became the all-time women's lacrosse scoring leader in her sixth and final season.
"We've got an extra week of practice with our best friends," Scane said. "We've got an extra week of play for the big thing and I've definitely learned from that over my years. When I was a bit younger, I was definitely was a little bit more scared for situation and now that I'm older, I think it's allowed me to enjoy."
Those fond memories in Cary, North Carolina, last year for the Cats included beating Boston College to become a national champion. Northwestern has a chance to face them again if Boston College beats Syracuse in the other semifinal game, but first, the Wildcats have to get through Florida on Friday.