Northwestern Wildcats heading to final four of NCAA lacrosse
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Northwestern's lacrosse team is two wins away from a national title. Next stop for the wildcats: Cary, North Carolina, where Northwestern will take on undefeated Denver in the NCAA semifinals.
It's familiar territory for head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, who once led the cats to 10 straight final fours.
With their fourth consecutive semifinals appearance, Northwestern is seeking a return to the top of the lacrosse world.
Going to the NCAA semifinals might be old hat for the Northwestern women's lacrosse team, but the excitement is clearly still there as they head to North Carolina.
"It's phenomenal; I mean, just to have the support of our fans and the entire school. We've felt that all year, and this is just kind of the cherry on top," goalkeeper Molly Laliberty said.
The Wildcats are focused on finishing the job this time around, after falling in the national semifinals in their last three trips. They are the #1 overall seed this time around, they've won 19 straight games since a season opening loss, and they hope their experience on the big stage pays off.
"I think I've learned that it's just lacrosse. You know, we tend to put a lot of pressure on different games or different opponents, but just the opportunity to go out there and have fun at the highest level is really just such a gift," Laliberty said.
"The final four is absolutely a unique experience, just because of the amount of sheer fans, and energy, and excitement," Amone Hiller said. "We played really well last year for 50 minutes, and we're looking to make it a complete 60 on Friday."
The Wildcats scored 16 goals in their last game to get to the final four. Now they face a Denver squad that hasn't allowed double-digit goals all season.
Amonte Hiller led Northwestern to 7 NCAA championships in eight seasons, but they haven't won it all since 2012.
