6 3 2 7 Ranked No. 1 after winning the ITA Team Indoor Championships, NU hopes to avoid history and advance past the NCAA quarterfinals. WOMEN’S TENNIS 8 The 2008 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Lauren Delaney is hoping to turn things around this year after a disappointing 2009. SOFTBALL In just his third season, coach Arvid Swan is looking to lead his team to back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time in a decade. MEN’S TENNIS CHECK OUT ALL THE SPRING SPORTS The Daily Northwestern Spring Sports Guide 2010 With only two senior starters, coach Paul Stevens will call on some young names both on the mound and at the plate. BASEBALL Led by super sophomore Eric Chun, the men look to build on last year’s NCAA tournament appearance. GOLF
Transcript
63 62 766 7Ranked No. 1 after
winning the ITA Team Indoor Championships, NU hopes
to avoid history and advance past the NCAA quarterfinals.
WO
MEN
’S T
ENN
IS 8The 2008 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year, Lauren Delaney is hoping to turn things around this year after a disappointing 2009.
SOFT
BALL
3
SOFT
BALLIn just his third season, coach
Arvid Swan is looking to lead his team to back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time in a decade.M
EN’S
TEN
NIS
CHECK OUT ALL THE SPRING SPORTS
2 8
The Daily NorthwesternSpring Sports Guide 2010
With only two senior starters, coach Paul
Stevens will call on some young names both on the mound and at the plate.
BASE
BALLLed by super sophomore
Eric Chun, the men look to build on last year’s NCAA tournament appearance. G
OLF
By Minjae ParkThe Daily Northweterndailynorthwestern.com/womens-golf
The turn of the millennium marked the last time Northwestern qualified for the NCAA Championships. But with four of its 10 regular season tournaments remaining, coach Emily Fletcher said the No. 37 Wildcats have a shot at returning to the national stage.
First the Cats have to make the region’s top 24 to compete in the NCAA Central Regionals, a feat they narrowly missed last year. NU finished the year No. 66, just a dozen spots below No. 54 Michigan, the lowest ranked team to qualify.
“We were pretty close to getting to the Re-gionals last year,” junior Rebecca Lederhausen said. “We definitely want to get that invitation this year and then take it from there.”
Fletcher, in her second year as coach, said NU can take a double-leap forward this year.
“We were just talking to our team about not getting caught up in just getting to Re-gionals but understanding that that’s just part of the process,” Fletcher said. “We have to take care of that and then move on. We are capable of being in that top 24 going into the national championship.”
The numbers back up the team’s ambi-tions. The Cats’ stroke average has improved substantially to 897.8 from 929.7 last season.
The team is doing well enough that the sixth-best individual average this season (77.50) is better than last season’s best (77.81).
“We have all made score improvements,” said Lederhausen, who has lowered her aver-age by a stroke. “I’ve had some of my lowest rounds career-wise this year. I would like to have some lower rounds, maybe some under-par rounds thrown in here and there, get my scoring average down a little.”
Freshman Lauren Weaver leads the team’s
scoring average chart with a 73.78. If the season were to end
now, Weaver would carry the school record for single-season stroke average.
“Lauren has stepped up and it’s been vital for us and our improvement to have a fresh-man who can come in and have the impact that she has,” Fletcher said. “Having that number-one player who is shooting around par has helped us tremendously as a team. It has steadied the team.”
Weaver recorded a season-best fifth-place finish in the Dick McGuire Invitational in her second collegiate tournament. In four of the six tournaments so far, she has notched NU’s best score. While Weaver has yet to finish outside the top 20, she is still looking to improve as the season goes on.
“I always try to get better,” she said. “I’m just working on improvements right now to do even better in the spring than in the fall.”
Although the nine-member squad is com-posed of three freshmen, three sophomores and three juniors, Fletcher pointed out that a player’s class doesn’t translate to level of experience. Weaver, for example, has had plenty of competi-tive experience with junior golf, Fletcher said.
The young team has taken strides toward a Regional berth since failing to qualify in 2009, and it is on track to make it there this year. But the NCAA Championships in Wilmington, N.C., is the target they have set for themselves.
“We can get a lot better than we are right now,” Weaver said. “This year we have a bet-ter chance of making the Regionals and then hopefully qualify for NCAAs.”
Some teams like to ease into the spring season, warming up to their competition along with the rising temperatures outside. Other teams like to spring into action.
Northwestern’s men’s golf team lies in the latter category. Building off their fall season, the Wildcats opened their spring schedule with a bang, capturing the Big Ten Match Play Championship.
“Our fall performance was very up-and-down,” said coach Pat Goss, whose team had first- and second-place tournament finishes to go along with 12th- and 13th-place results in the fall. “This win just goes to show that we can perform with the other powerful schools when we play consistently and to our potential.”
Still, the team is eyeing bigger prizes over the course of the season after qualifying for the NCAA National Championships last spring. While it was the first time the Cats had qualified for the postseason since 2006, it was NU’s 10th appearance under Goss, a four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year.
This year the Cats are led by 2009 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Eric Chun, the reign-ing Big Ten individual champion. A sopho-more from South Korea, Chun was the first freshman to win the season-ending confer-ence tournament in 23 years.
“Eric has the opportunity to be at the top of the game,” Goss said. “The physical tools and techniques are there. Now it’s up to him to put in that concerted effort to stay focused
and prepared.”Chun’s golf prowess extends beyond
the collegiate scene. Last summer he fell just short in a playoff that would have qualified him for the U.S. Open. In November Chun finished second at the Asian Amateur Championship, one place away from a earning an invitation to the Masters, but good enough to receive a spot in the International Final Qualifying for the 2010 British Open, which he will play for in mid-March.
“A focused Eric Chun is a powerful golfer,” Goss said. “When he consistently demonstrates preparation and concentration, not only could he be the best golfer in the Big Ten, he could be one of the strongest golfers in the country.”
While Chun figures to be a powerhouse for NU this spring, the entire team is primed to contend after losing just one senior from last year’s squad. Senior David Lipsky was part of a formidable one-two punch with Chun last year, and he was named Big Ten Player of the Week after notching a 4-0 re-cord at the Big Ten Match Play Champion-ship, including a decisive victory against sec-ond-seeded Iowa that helped launch NU into the final round.
Junior Josh Dupont manned the No. 1 spot for NU at the Match Play Championship, while senior Jonathan Bowers, sophomore Sam Chien and freshman Nick Losole helped round out a balanced tournament lineup along with Chun and Lipsky.
“We need at least one or two players to es-tablish themselves at the top of their game and carry this team,” Goss said. “But when we maintain a concentrated mindset and play our game, we’ve shown that we can compete with just about any team in the country.”
Note: please do NOT move the green guide. Our designers use that!
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN 2 | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010
2010Spring Sports Guide
STAFF
EditorRobbie Levin
DesignerNicholas Sauerberg
WritersMitch ArmentroutBrian Chappatta
Katherine DriessenSarah KutaMinjae Park
Christine ToddDavid Uberti
Young squad scores early success
scoring average chart with a 73.78. If the season were to end
GOLFWOMEN’S
DAILY SPORTS
ROBBIELEVIN
Chun and Co. ready for runMEN’S
Spring Sports Guide: An Introduction
Believe it or not, we are witnessing the Golden Age of Northwestern athletics. Both bas-ketball teams are currently completing their best seasons in the past decade. This fall the football team finished its most successful two-year run since No. 51 patrolled the field. Still don’t believe me? Look no further than the seven spring sports.
Five of the squads are ranked in the top 40 nationally. Two of these teams—lacrosse and women’s tennis—hold the top spot in the coun-try. A third, softball, is ranked 21st and is three years removed from a trip to the College World Series.
Speaking of the postseason, men’s tennis and men’s golf are looking to build off their first NCAA tournament appearances since 2005 and 2006, respectively.
The spring also boasts a bevy of exciting coaches. While baseball skipper Paul Stevens is the second-longest tenured coach at NU, wom-en’s golf coach Emily Fletcher is one of the new-est. Kelly Amonte Hiller, the school’s most suc-cessful coach, has compiled five national cham-pionships in lacrosse’s eight years as a varsity sport.
So if ever you thought about attending an athletic contest, make it this spring. The weather is warm, the fields are close and the teams deserve it.
Assistant Sports Editor Robbie Levin is a Medill sophomore. He can be reached at [email protected]. RISING STAR: CHUN’S SUMMER SCHEDULE
MAY 2009 JUNE 2009 NOV 2009The lone competitor to finish below par at the Big Ten Championships, Chun becomes the first freshman in 23 years to claim the conference crown.
At the Grayslake, Ill., section qualifying round of the U.S. Open, Chun ties for first place and garners an invitation as an alternate.
Chun finishes second out of 116 competitors at the Asian Amateur Championships, earning an International Final Qualifier spot for the 2010 British Open.
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By Sarah KutaThe Daily Northwesterndailynorthwestern.com/mens-tennis
Arvid Swan is used to relying on under-classmen.
Last year then-freshmen Josh Graves, Eric Spector and Tobias Reitz helped the Wildcats earn their first NCAA tournament bid since 2005.
This year with four more newcomers, No. 38 Northwestern is looking to build on last season’s success and advance past the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Sidarth Balaji, Spencer Wolf, Chris Jack-man and Mark Schanerman comprise the eighth-ranked recruiting class in the nation , three spots above last year’s group. Though they are young, each of the four freshmen has his own strength.
“The one thing all of the freshmen have is a weapon,” Swan said. “They can hurt you.”
With just one senior, Alex Sanborn, and one junior, Andrew McCarthy, on the Cats’ roster, NU will lean heavily on its underclassmen in 2010. Swan holds his newcomers to the same standard as the rest of the team.
“We are young, but that’s not an excuse,” Swan said. “I expect them to contribute in whatever position I put them in. They are going to have to make a significant contribu-tion to our team for us to be successful.”
The ‘freshman four’ have done just that. On Jan. 22 NU upset then-No. 18 Al-abama after falling behind 1-3 halfway through singles play. McCarthy collected the clinching win at No. 2 singles to top-ple the Crimson Tide, but when he was unable to play two weeks later against No. 48 Vanderbilt, Swan looked to Balaji to step up. Though the Cats fell to the Com-modores, Balaji used his speed at the net and backcourt play to post a two-set upset
over No. 71 Vijay Paul. The win helped Balaji gain a better under-standing of what it will take to play at
a high level of competition.“I executed pretty well,” he said. “I
played one of the best matches I’ve ever played. It was a really good experience.”
Two days later, with No. 1 singles player Josh Graves injured, Swan plucked Balaji for the top spot against Western Michigan.
“He’s got the talent to play at that level,” Swan said. “We hope that he brings that same level every time.”
At No. 2 singles against Western Michi-gan, Wolf also demonstrated his ability to step in when needed, knocking out a two-set win over Kazuya Kornada. NU posted a 5-2 victory against the No. 75 Broncos.
“It says a lot about the character of our team,” Swan said. “If people go down, we have people who can step up. It was a criti-cal win.”
For Wolf, being able to contribute to his team’s success as a freshman was a neces-sary self-esteem boost, one that he hopes will carry over into future matches.
“My confidence skyrocketed,” Wolf said. “We want to build momentum throughout the season and capitalize on it, especially during matches.”
Balaji said he wants that momentum to carry the Cats all the way to the postseason. Last year Swan led NU to its first NCAA tournament since 2005 , though the Cats fell to Wake Forest in the first round. Balaji and the rest of the freshmen have high expecta-tions for this season.
“We could win a match in the NCAA tournament,” Balaji said. “Those are our ex-pectations. They’re definitely reachable.”
With seven underclassmen, Swan knows this season will be a challenging one. But Swan is hoping proactive play from NU’s four rookies can make up for their youth.
“They can win points rather than waiting for someone to miss,” Swan said. “What they lack in experience they make up for in talent.”
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010 | 3
Freshmen fired up to fill in
By Sarah KutaBy Sarah KutaThe Daily NorthwesternThe Daily Northwestern
TENNISMEN’S
Today is… RHC, SCA, SD and CA
Appreciation Day
Thank you for the countless hours you dedicate to helping your fellow students and contributing to the Northwestern Community.
Aime Lynn Goudie Alex Adler Alex Kuo Alexandra Gloria Alexis Harrell Alice Feng Angela Zhou Angie Rankin Arthur Jago Benedict Lim Beth Lynk Blake Erickson Caroline Rothstein Chon Klomjit Christine Khaw Curie Chang Derek Suen Ed Warren Elif Koru Elizabeth Ridsdel Emily Wirtz Erin Cunningham Faizan Amlani Fatima Varner Gabby Ahlzadeh George Blazek Han Sun Hana Suckstorff Harrie Shin Heng Jie Tan Ina Jani Ivy Lin Jacob Kneeman Janna Kaplan JC Jacobs Jerry Chen Jerry Lin Jesse Lee Jessica Chen JJ Cheo Joel Stanwood
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Today is… RHC, SCA, SD and CA
Appreciation Day
Thank you for the countless hours you dedicate to helping your fellow students and contributing to the Northwestern Community.
Aime Lynn Goudie Alex Adler Alex Kuo Alexandra Gloria Alexis Harrell Alice Feng Angela Zhou Angie Rankin Arthur Jago Benedict Lim Beth Lynk Blake Erickson Caroline Rothstein Chon Klomjit Christine Khaw Curie Chang Derek Suen Ed Warren Elif Koru Elizabeth Ridsdel Emily Wirtz Erin Cunningham Faizan Amlani Fatima Varner Gabby Ahlzadeh George Blazek Han Sun Hana Suckstorff Harrie Shin Heng Jie Tan Ina Jani Ivy Lin Jacob Kneeman Janna Kaplan JC Jacobs Jerry Chen Jerry Lin Jesse Lee Jessica Chen JJ Cheo Joel Stanwood
Joey Dadabo John Kinsella Kaitlin Vernon Kaushik Govindaraju Kelli Marks Kevin Smith Kristen Wekony Kristin Coveney Kun-Ho Yoon Lara Gallant Lauren Kudsi Leo Zhu Lionel Meng Lucy Han Luis Espinoza Mar y Sol Esparza Maria Ptouchkina Mark Van Heukelom Matthew Brinks Megan Murphy Meghan Park Meixi Ng Michael Batres Monica Canalizo Natalie Chan Neha Awati Nerissa Diaz Nick Kramer Niki Patel Nirajan Rajkarnikar Prasanna Dhungel Qing Chang Ran Zhang Ray Wong Rocio-Reyes Morales Rose Arnold Ryan Jozwiak Shawn Ang Sid Rajgarhia Sophia Ahn Sophie Shen
Steven Lu Steven Pals Sutatcha Hongsresawat Tara Patel Tej Motiwala Theodore Chou Tim Stanis Trisha Bakshi Tulsi Parida Valerie Grasso Vernicia Elie Visraant Iyer Viviana Guerrero Xin Kai Cheng Ye Yuan Zuri Hemphill
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instituted an ongoing competition between junior Darby St. Clair-Barrie and sopho-more Brianne LoManto. In the win against UMass, LoManto got the start and played roughly two-thirds of the time in the goal, while St. Clair-Barrie finished out the game.
Amonte Hiller stressed competition for the starting job is still in progress, and no decisions have been made. She also said the contrast between Lathrop and the two potential goalkeepers makes the battle for the position exciting.
“They’re very different personalities, a different style than Morgan,” Amonte Hiller said. “Morgan played athletic, she just did what was natural for her and we encouraged that. These guys are a little more technical, a little bit more sound, and they’re doing a great job for us. It’s different, but different can be good, and we’re excited about what they bring to the table.”
LoManto admired Lathrop for her un-
conventional play. In some respects Lo-Manto is the same way. She did not have someone initially teach her the proper technique of a goalkeeper, so she has vari-ations upon standard style as well, such as playing lower to the ground.
As with the loss of the other seniors, the main issue with Lathrop’s departure is not replacing the production in goal, be-cause the Cats have a wealth of talent. The question will be if LoManto and St. Clair-Barrie can effectively communicate to the defense and become a distinctive voice as the field general.
“It’s definitely going to be hard to fill Morgan’s shoes,” LoManto said. “She is a very competitive person, a very strong per-sonality. When she was down or had a lapse in saves, she still had confidence. She was still able to forget about that game and go after the next game. Her drive to be the best was unbelievable.”
The team’s relentless pursuit of excel-lence is no coincidence. Spencer said
Amonte Hiller seeks “the most competitive girls out there,” and brings out their inten-sity on and off the field. NU’s drills are de-signed to have clear winners and losers, and Spencer said that environment helps the Cats keep their edge during games.
“We strive to have that intensity and competitive atmosphere every day at practice,” Spencer said. “If we can have our toughest competition be our own teammates, then when we get out on the field against another team, it won’t be anything more difficult than what we’ve already faced.”
The opposition was not challenging enough for last season’s NU squad, as evi-denced by the Cats’ perfect record and 21-7 national title victory. The team did encounter some close calls, such as a dou-
ble-overtime vic-tory against Penn in the NCAA semifi-nals that kept NU’s national champion-ship aspirations alive.
The Cats have different faces start-ing this time around, but their goal is the same: win the NCAA tour-nament. While they will be without the services of some of their stars from pre-vious years, Amonte
Hiller said the current players are eager to make a name for themselves in NU’s his-tory.
“They don’t want to get caught up in the past,” Amonte Hiller said. “This team wants to make its mark because it’s a new team and they know the impact of the se-nior class that left last year and how tre-mendous they were —everyone looked up to those players. They want to continue the tradition of working hard and putting it all out there and seeing what they can do as a group.”
The team-first mentality is something Amonte Hiller and her players have em-phasized throughout the preseason. The players have even adopted football coach Pat Fitzgerald’s mentality about last sea-son’s wide receiving corps.
“One thing our team is working on this year is to be nameless,” senior attacker Kim Pantages said. “Obviously we’re really honored and privileged to be a part of our past teams, but this year is a clean slate. We’re a very young team and we’re looking forward and seeing how much better we can get. If we settle on last year, we’re not going to go anywhere tomorrow.”
There’s no getting around it—this team has been and will be measured against the squads from past seasons. The Cats know what is at stake. While it is tempting to look back at the sustained success of the program, the group has its sights locked squarely on the future.
And with every NU opponent gun-ning for the top-ranked team, it needs to. The Cats once again face a tough schedule, as all but four squads they will face this season are currently ranked among the top-20.
“The girls are really starting to get ex-cited about the games,” Amonte Hiller said. “So far in the preseason we’re grow-ing, but sometimes you don’t mature un-less you go out and actually test yourself in the game situations. I’m looking forward to seeing where this team can go. It’s ex-citing to be a part of it.”
By Brian ChappattaThe Daily Northwesterndailynorthwestern.com/lacrosse
o one would blame Northwestern for playing with swagger. The Wildcats are reigning five-time na-tional champions, the top-ranked team in the preseason poll and easily handled Massachusetts 18-6 in their season opener.
Yet to think coach Kelly Amonte Hiller or her seniors would let that get to their heads is to not know the character of this squad.
“This team is brand new, we’ve added freshman, we’ve lost some players, so we’re not five-time national champions in our heads,” senior attacker Katrina Dowd said. “Every day we come to practice, we’ve won no championships as this team. We cleaned slate and this year we’re making a name for ourselves.”
Dowd is one of the leaders on a young team looking to ease a major transition pe-riod for NU. After a perfect 23-0 cam-paign, the Cats graduated several of the most decorated athletes in the program’s history: attackers Hannah Nielsen, Hilary Bowen and Meredith Frank, and four-year starting goalkeeper Morgan Lathrop.
Joining Dowd on the attack are senior Danielle Spencer and sophomore Shannon Smith. While Dowd did not play in the UMass game for precautionary measures, Smith and Spencer made up the differ-ence, combining for 11 goals in the victory.
The rest of the scoring came from a bal-anced attack, highlighted by sophomore Alexandra Frank, Meredith’s sister, who found the back of the net three times. Amonte Hiller has stressed the importance of every member of the team with the loss of last year’s senior class.
“We have players stepping into roles, and obviously one person can’t fill what those players did for us, so we are taking the team approach,” Amonte Hiller said. “We’ve talked to each individual, even the freshmen that haven’t gotten that much playing time yet. We said, ‘You need to im-pact this program, and you need to look to yourself to step up.’”
This year’s senior core has strong per-formers who have filled a void earlier in their careers. Dowd led the squad in scor-ing last season after Bowen went down with an ACL injury. Spencer has started all but one game over the past two seasons and is ninth all-time in goals scored at NU.
The wild card will be how the freshmen adjust to the college game and how other players respond to an increased role of the
team. Spencer said the freshmen are catch-ing on to the Cats’ system quickly—much quicker than she did when she was in their position three years ago. Not like Amonte Hiller is giving them any alternative.
“(The freshmen) have to adjust fast – we need them,” Amonte Hiller said. “Right now is a critical time for them, and we’re trying to step up their level of play and put them in situations in practice where they have to make decisions and have to step up individually as freshman. They’re liking
the challenge and responding well.”
Freshmen Beatrice Conley and Erin Fitzgerald are two newcomers expected to make an impact this season, and the numbers they wear prove it. Conley dons Bowen’s number one jersey, and Fitzgerald sports the number seven worn
by Nielsen. Amonte Hiller said the team fosters connections by having the former players call up the incoming freshman and invite them to accept the jersey.
Though the numbers will still be out on the field, Spencer said there is a notice-able difference in the team’s style of play without its leaders. She said not having Bowen and Nielsen behind the cage took some getting used to for the squad.
“What’s unique about us this year is that we don’t really have any designated feeders,” Spencer said. “Teams can’t really pinpoint which person on our attack is go-ing to be the quarterback of the offense. At first in the fall it was tough to get used to, but now that we’ve worked on it, it makes our offense more dynamic.”
The shift between seasons did not just come on attack. The Cats lost Lathrop, NU’s career leader in saves. Rather than immediately naming Lathrop’s replace-
ment, Amonte Hiller has
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN4 | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010 THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010 | 5
newcomers expected to make an impact this season, and the numbers they wear prove it. Conley dons Bowen’s number one jersey, and Fitzgerald sports the number seven worn
LACROSSENU
ASHLEY GERSUK
MORGAN LATHROP
BRIANNE LoMANTO
The position between the pipes has been a source of stability for NU over the past eight years. In that time coach Kelly Amonte Hiller has only started two
netminders, Ashley Gersuk and Morgan Lathrop. Things will
change in 2010, as there is no clear-cut starter—junior Darby St.
Clair-Barrie and sophomore Brianne LoManto will compete for
the starting job. A history of NU’s goalies since 2002:
ST. CLAIR-BARRIE
A four-year captain and the 2005 ALC Goalie of the Year, Gersuk started all but one game in her time at NU. She demolished the previous saves record, notching 526 stops in her career.
Like Gersuk, Lathrop broke through as the heir apparent her freshman year. She ended her career with 553 saves, 27 more than her predecessor. With 131 saves, Lathrop was named Goalkeeper of the Year by WomensLax.com and Womenslacrosse.com.
Lomanto has the edge in experience over St. Clair-Barrie. Her nine saves in 2009 rank her 10th in NU history, a testament to the recent consistency of the goalie position.
Over two years St. Clair-Barrie has appeared in 14 games, recording eight saves and letting up 19 goals.
services of some of their stars from pre-vious years, Amonte
Hiller said the current players are eager to make a name for themselves in NU’s his-tory.the fix for
instituted an ongoing competition between junior Darby St. Clair-Barrie and sopho-
conventional play. In some respects Lo-Manto is the same way. She did not have
“They don’t want to get caught up in the past,” Amonte Hiller said. “This team wants to make its mark because it’s a new team and they know the impact of the se-nior class that left last year and how tre-mendous they were —everyone looked up to those players. They want to continue the tradition of working hard and putting it all out there and seeing what they can do as a group.”
The team-first mentality is something Amonte Hiller and her players have em-phasized throughout the preseason. The players have even adopted football coach Pat Fitzgerald’s mentality about last sea-son’s wide receiving corps.
“One thing our team is working on this year is to be nameless,” senior attacker Kim Pantages said. “Obviously we’re really honored and privileged to be a part of our past teams, but this year is a clean slate. We’re a very young team and we’re looking forward and seeing how much better we can get. If we settle on last year, we’re not going to go anywhere tomorrow.”
There’s no getting around it—this team
MORGAN LATHROP
BRIANNE LoMANTO
Like Gersuk, Lathrop broke through as the heir apparent her freshman year. She ended her career with 553 saves, 27 more than her predecessor. With 131 saves, Lathrop was named Goalkeeper of the Year by WomensLax.com and WomensLax.com and WomensLax.com Womenslacrosse.com
Lomanto has the edge
tory.“They don’t want to get caught up in
the past,” Amonte Hiller said. “This team wants to make its mark because it’s a new team and they know the impact of the se-nior class that left last year and how tre-mendous they were —everyone looked up to those players. They want to continue the tradition of working hard and putting
the fix for
SIX
SPRING SPORTS GUIDE 2010 SPRING SPORTS GUIDE 2010
By Brian ChappattaThe Daily Northwesterndailynorthwestern.com/lacrosse
LACROSSE: RECORDS IN REACH
The class of 2009 made its mark on Northwestern’s record book, but this year’s team has a chance to make an impression of its own. There are several records waiting to be broken,
both individually and as a team. Here are a few:
Senior attackers Danielle Spencer and Katrina Dowd have 134 and 132 goals, respectively, coming into the 2010 season. While they’re unlikely to reach Kristen Kjellman’s school record of 250 goals, or even reach Hilary Bowen’s 219, the duo can still make a name for themselves in Northwestern lore. Assuming comprable production from last season, when Dowd poured in a team-high 75 goals and Spencer followed close behind with 64, they will both finish with about 200 goals, which would place them fourth and fifth all-time, ahead of recent graduates Hannah Nielsen and Meredith Frank.
Spencer is currently sixth on NU’s all-time draw control list with 93. Kjellman racked up 268 in her career, so Spencer will not prove a threat to the mark. But sophomore Alexandra Frank might. Last year Frank had the 63 draw controls, seventh-most in NU history. At this pace she would come up just short of the all-time record. Still, as Frank’s playing time increases she has a shot to move into the top five. That would require at least 60 draw controls in 2010.
This is a team record the Cats could feasibly achieve this season. NU comes in riding a 30-game winning streak that started on May 3, 2008 with a win over Penn State. To break Maryland’s magic number of 50, the Cats would practically need another perfect season, as they have a maximum of 21 games remaining on their schedule.
GOALS
Amonte Hiller seeks “the most competitive
GO-TO GOALIE
2002 - 2005
2006-2009
Current
Current
Daily File Photo by Matt Forman
Ready to go: Katrina Dowd stepped up in Hilary Bowen’s absence last year, scoring a team-high 75 goals. Dowd was especially clutch in the NCAA tournament, recording 22 goals and earning NCAA Championship MVP honors. This year Dowd, senior Danielle Spencer and sophomore Shannon Smith lead one of the most dangerous attacks in the country. The trio combined for 172 goals in 2009.
DRAW CONTROLS
CONSECUTIVE WINS
PASSING OF THE TORCH
”
“This team wants to make its mark because it’s a new team and they know the impact of the senior class that left
Kelly Amonte Hiller,Lacrosse coach
HANNAH ERINNIELSEN FITZGERALD HILARY
The two-time Tewaarton Trophy winner is the Cats’ all-time
leader in points (398), becoming the first player in NU history to record
back-to-back-to-back 100-point seasons. Nielsen also notched
224 assists during her four years in Evanston, good enough to
make her the NCAA’s all-time leader in helpers.
Replacing Nielsen will be no small task, but Amonte Hiller
has a strong candidate in Fitzgerald. The New York-native
finished her high school career with 382 goals, the third-most in New
York state history. Fitzgerald, who scored one goal in her collegiate debut
against UMass, is the fifth Division-I athlete in her family.
Even though she missed seven games last year with a torn ACL,
Bowen still managed to finish her career ranked third all-time in
points and goals. Bowen was also named the NCAA
Championship MVP in her sophomore and
junior seasons.
Following in the footsteps of Bowen and senior Danielle Spencer, Conley is the third in a line of successful Brighton High School alumnae to attend NU. As a junior
Conley lead her team to the state championship game, where she scored four goals in a losing effort.
Frank scored the game-winning goal in double overtime of last
year’s semifinal contest against Penn, propelling NU to the
National Championship game. In her career Frank notched
183 draw controls, fourth in NU history.
While she isn’t a freshman, Frank is switching from her old No. 9 to her sister’s No. 11. Like her sister, Alexandra has come to dominate
draw-controls, tallying 63 in her freshman campaign.
111BOWENERIN
FITZGERALD HILARY
The two-time Tewaarton Trophy winner is the Cats’ all-time Trophy winner is the Cats’ all-time
leader in points (398), becoming the first player in NU history to record
leader in points (398), becoming the first player in NU history to record
leader in points (398), becoming the
back-to-back-to-back 100-point seasons. Nielsen also notched
224 assists during her four years in Evanston, good enough to
224 assists during her four years in Evanston, good enough to
224 assists during her four years
make her the NCAA’s all-time in Evanston, good enough to
make her the NCAA’s all-time in Evanston, good enough to
leader in helpers.
Replacing Nielsen will be no small task, but Amonte Hiller small task, but Amonte Hiller Replacing Nielsen will be no
small task, but Amonte Hiller Replacing Nielsen will be no
has a strong candidate in Fitzgerald. The New York-native has a strong candidate in
Fitzgerald. The New York-native has a strong candidate in
finished her high school career with Fitzgerald. The New York-native
finished her high school career with Fitzgerald. The New York-native
382 goals, the third-most in New finished her high school career with
382 goals, the third-most in New finished her high school career with
York state history. Fitzgerald, who 382 goals, the third-most in New
York state history. Fitzgerald, who 382 goals, the third-most in New
scored one goal in her collegiate debut York state history. Fitzgerald, who
scored one goal in her collegiate debut York state history. Fitzgerald, who
against UMass, is the fifth Division-I scored one goal in her collegiate debut
against UMass, is the fifth Division-I scored one goal in her collegiate debut
athlete in her family.against UMass, is the fifth Division-I
athlete in her family.against UMass, is the fifth Division-I
Even though she missed seven Even though she missed seven 1Even though she missed seven 1games last year with a torn ACL, games last year with a torn ACL, games last year with a torn ACL, games last year with a torn ACL, 1games last year with a torn ACL, 11games last year with a torn ACL, 1Even though she missed seven games last year with a torn ACL,
Even though she missed seven Even though she missed seven games last year with a torn ACL,
Even though she missed seven 1Even though she missed seven 1games last year with a torn ACL, 1Even though she missed seven 1Bowen still managed to finish her Bowen still managed to finish her 1Bowen still managed to finish her 1games last year with a torn ACL, Bowen still managed to finish her games last year with a torn ACL, games last year with a torn ACL,
Bowen still managed to finish her games last year with a torn ACL, 1games last year with a torn ACL, 1Bowen still managed to finish her 1games last year with a torn ACL, 1career ranked third all-time in career ranked third all-time in 1career ranked third all-time in 1Bowen still managed to finish her
career ranked third all-time in Bowen still managed to finish her Bowen still managed to finish her
career ranked third all-time in Bowen still managed to finish her 1Bowen still managed to finish her 1career ranked third all-time in 1Bowen still managed to finish her 1points and goals. Bowen was also points and goals. Bowen was also 1points and goals. Bowen was also 1named the NCAA points and goals. Bowen was also
named the NCAA points and goals. Bowen was also
Championship MVP in her sophomore and
junior seasons.7
Desert Classic, where they dropped their first two games to No. 10 Georgia and No. 13 Okla-homa.
These early-season failures are especially surprising, as last year’s squad was the top seed at its NCAA Regional Tournament. The 2009 team went 31-15—good enough for third in the Big Ten—and boasted one of the best offenses in the nation.
While the Cats lost two of their regulars, shortstop Tammy Williams and catcher Erin Dyer, new additions have added versatility to the offense, Monka said.
“We have more speed and still the same amount of power that we had last year,” Monka said. “So it’s just going to put a lot of pressure on the defense.
Monka will supply much of the power in 2010. She and junior designated player Michelle Batts have already combined for seven home runs this season. Although the bar is set high for Monka after her freshman season in 2009, coach Kate Drohan has one simple message for the sophomore slugger:
“When a game comes, get in the batter’s box, and swing as hard as (you) can,” Drohan said.
The lineup is more versatile than years past, Drohan said, and will rely on a blend of speed, and slap and contact hitting. Much of the responsibility to catalyze the offense will belong to junior corner infielder Robin Thompson. The leadoff hitter, who batted .299 last year in her first season as a slapper,
has already stolen four bases in 2010.One of the biggest questions for Drohan’s
squad in 2010 will be at shortstop. Williams, a three time All-American and two time Big Ten Player of the Year, graduated last year. She has been replaced by Emily Allard, a freshman who never played shortstop before college. Through seven games, Allard boasted the fourth-highest average on the team and has proven to be a ser-viceable leader of the infield.
“(The transition) is going beautifully,” Drohan said. “Emily Allard has great skills. I’m really pleased with how she’s playing the position.”
The Cats also return seniors Kelly Dyer and Nicole Pauly, integral pieces on last year’s squad. Dyer will patrol center and provide a solid bat in the bottom half of the order, while Pauly adds even more pop to the lineup from second base.
Although NU’s offense is formidable and its ace dominant, the team’s biggest strength is its mentality, Drohan said. The Cats’ ability to bounce back from their 2-5 start was not in question. In fact, NU has won its last three games, evening out its record at 5-5.
“Past failures, past successes—our team has the maturity to know they have very little to do with what we have to do on a day to day basis and how we have to execute in the moment of a game,” Drohan said.
Cleaning up: Junior Michelle Batts and the Wildcats’ offense terrorized opposing pitchers last year, leading the Big Ten with a .294 batting average and 79 home runs. Through nine games this year, Batts is second in the conference with five long balls.
By David UbertiThe Daily Northwesterndailynorthwestern.com/softball
The story of 2010 will be the story of Lau-ren Delaney. The Wildcats feature the same powerful, dynamic offense they have had in years past, but much of the team’s success will fall on the right arm of their senior ace.
After going 37-11 with a 1.74 ERA in her sophomore season, the 2008 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year took a step back last year. In 2009 she posted a 29-12 record as her walks increased and strikeouts decreased.
Delaney said part of the rea-son for her sub-par 2009 was the sheer number of innings pitched. Between her sopho-more and junior seasons, she threw 590 frames. A tough off-season training program was essential to ensuring fatigue doesn’t affect her again.
“Our whole team really worked in getting our-selves in really good shape, being really physical,” she said. “We really pushed ourselves more than I have in my four years here. This was the hardest offseason workout we’ve done.”
Delaney’s off-season training regimen has al-ready paid divi-dends. At NU’s season-opening tournament, the Kajikawa Classic hosted by Ari-zona State, Dela-ney played the part of dominant power pitcher to perfection. Her no-hitter against Cal State Fullerton was the beginning of a week-end in which she posted a 0.98 ERA and al-lowed a .046 opponent batting average.
“It’s a good feeling to come out and do that the
first game of the season, especially after not ending on such a good note last year,” Dela-ney said. “Not having thrown against batters, it’s good to see that some of my work this off-season had paid off.”
The Cats’ opening tournament was made up of a 25-team field that featured five of the nation’s top 15 teams, according to the Na-tional Fastpitch Coaches Association pre-season poll. The strong competition proved troublesome for NU, which lost its last three games at Kajikawa by a total of four runs.
Kajikawa was only the beginning of what will be a daunting schedule
for the Cats, with 16 of their 52 scheduled games against Top 25 RPI opponents. For Delaney, the formula for beating top teams is simple.
“Do the same thing every time,” she said. “Go right at
them.”Despite Delaney tossing
two dominant outings at Kajikawa, the Cats only managed a 2-3 show-ing, dropping them to No. 21 in the NFCA rankings after the weekend.
“We didn’t have the weekend we were hoping to have,” sophomore infielder Adrienne Monka said. “But we saw what we needed to work on and we can only go up
from here.”Monka, who hit 19
home runs en route to being named the 2009 Big Ten Freshman of the
Year, said the tournament taught the team to be more aggressive.
“We need to be more physical on the field—get-ting in there, making hard tags and finishing plays—
that’s easy to fix. We just need to get in the game
more,” Monka said.NU’s troubles contin-ued last weekend. The
Cats traveled to Las Vegas for the Louis-ville Slugger
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN6 | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010
Dominant Delaney eyeing return to form
PROJECTED NU
Softball Lineup
SPRING SPORTS GUIDE 2010
Emily AllardShortstop, Freshman
Jordan WheelerLeft Field, Junior
Aly EulerRight Field, Junior
Emily HaugCatcher, Senior
Nicole Pauly2nd Base, Senior
Kelly DyerCenterfield, Junior
Michelle BattsDesignated Player, Junior
Lauren DelaneyPitcher, Senior
Robin Thompson3rd Base, Junior
Adrienne Monka1st Base, Sophomore
Laur
en D
elan
ey
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010 | 7
TENNISWOMEN’S
77
11
In 2009 the Cats extended their conference winning streak to 77 games. The last time NU lost a Big Ten match was on April 4, 2004 to Illinois.
While its winning streak dates back to 2004, NU has won the Big Ten title every year since 1999. In that span Claire Pollard has been voted Big Ten Coach of the Year five times.
Dominating the Big TenSERVED
SPRING SPORTS GUIDE 2010
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By Katherine DriessenThe Daily Northwesterndailynorthwestern.com/womens-tennis
The Combe Tennis Center is strewn with banners and trophies that attest to the powerhouse No. 1 Northwestern has become over the last decade. Eleven con-secutive Big Ten titles, five undefeated conference seasons and two ITA indoor team championships are proof of the team’s success.
Still, if you ask senior Samantha Mur-ray, there is one crucial piece of hardware missing.
“Really the only goal I have this season is to win the NCAA’s,” Murray said. “I have been working at it for three years. After playing some of the best teams (at the ITA indoor team championships) and beating them, we know that we have a serious shot.”
The Wildcats’ second consecutive ITA indoor team tournament championship marks the beginning of their 2010 run at the elusive NCAA title. Three of the last four NU squads have made it to the quar-terfinals of the NCAA tournament but no farther. Though the team is returning stalwarts such as Murray, fellow senior Lauren Lui and junior Maria Mosolova, the four NU newcomers got their first taste of the elite competition they will face down the road.
The Cats pulled points from every spot in their lineup, as evidenced by the final against No. 11 North Carolina. Both NU’s No. 1 and No. 3 doubles teams clinched close wins over one of the strongest dou-bles programs in the country to set up the Cats’ 4-2 win. The No. 3 team, comprised of Murray and newcomer Kate Turvy, went undefeated on the weekend. At sin-gles, Mosolova’s win cemented the ITA ti-tle for the Cats, but freshman Stacy Lee was also poised to take down her oppo-nent when the match was called.
“In the past couple of seasons we have maybe relied on certain players more heav-ily, and that has sort of subconsciously made other players feel less significant,” coach Claire Pollard said. “But this year we really are an unknown quantity with a lot to prove, so everyone has to contribute. Who knows, maybe that pushes us harder when it comes to these tournaments.”
One player who is not an ‘unknown quantity’ is Mosolova, as she finished last season No. 2 in the country. Mosolova has been ranked in the top-10 since exploding onto the college scene as a freshman. But her fate in the NCAA championships has closely mirrored that of the rest of the Cats—for two consecutive years she has earned a top seed in the tournament only to be stymied in the quarterfinals. Moso-lova posted a 3-1 record at the ITA indoor team championships, including a 6-2, 6-2 win over No. 6 Caitlin Whoriskey.
“I was very pleased with the way I played this weekend in singles,” Mosolova said. “There are still things to fix before the end of the season, but another part of winning is luck. If I can get both by the end of the season maybe I can have a good shot (at the title).”
Also emerging at singles is Lui, who posted a 4-0 record on the weekend to claim Big Ten Player of the Week. In Lui’s past three seasons she has made her mark as a doubles player. With her partner, 2009 graduate and All-American Georgia Rose, Lui advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Doubles Championship and finished the 2009 season No. 13 in the nation.
Lui’s new partner at the No. 1 doubles spot is sophomore Elena Chernyakova. The duo struggled at the beginning of the final ITA match, dropping the first three sets to the No. 6 ranked team. But Lui and Chernya-kova showed resilience and battled back to claim an 8-6 win that gave the Cats the edge in the doubles portion of the matchup.
“This ITA win was special because it was such a resounding team effort characterized by resiliency,” Pollard said. “If we can show toughness like that down the road who knows what we can make happen.”
Eyes on the prize: Senior Lauren Lui and the Cats have advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals each of the last two seasons, but they lost to California both years.
NU hopes depth will help reverse quarterfinal curse
By Christine ToddThe Daily Northwesterndailynorthwestern.com/baseball
J.A. Happ stood in the batting cage at Trienens Hall, throwing live batting practice to Northwestern’s lineup two weeks ago. The former NU ace and current Philadelphia Phil-lies starting pitcher was preparing for Spring Training while the Wildcats were getting ready for their first games of the season. For any hitter, making solid contact off Sporting News’ National League Rookie of the Year would be a challenge. But one player stood his ground in the box, routinely smoking the ball off Happ: Jake Goebbert.
“Happ is just amazing,” coach Paul Stevens said. “And Goebbert’s just sitting there going ‘pow! pow!’ And I’m like, ‘Oh God, I gotta re-place that in the lineup?”
That’s the biggest question facing the team in 2010—how to fill the void left by the player who Stevens said made NU’s offense “go-go.” Goebbert smacked 33 extra-base hits and totaled 48 RBIs his sophomore
year, when he was named a Second-Team All-Big Ten honoree.
The 6-foot, 205-pound first baseman/centerfielder was selected by Houston in the 13th round of the 2009 Major League Base-ball First-Year Player Draft and opted to forgo his senior year by signing a contract with the Astros.
But Goebbert isn’t the only player Ste-vens will need to replace —the Cats also lost sluggers Tony Vercelli and Tommy Finn to graduation. That trio, who hit 4-5-6 in Ste-vens’ lineup, combined for 54 of the 112 ex-tra-base hits tallied by NU’s starters.
Even with a sizable chunk of last season’s offensive production gone, Stevens has high expectations for the upcoming season.
“I honestly believe that this year will be as exciting and unpredictable as 2006 was,” Stevens said.
That year, NU won a school-best 21 Big Ten games and earned an opening-round bye in the conference tournament for the first time ever.
Two players from that squad, pitchers George Kontos and Dan Brauer, were drafted in the fifth and sixth rounds, respec-tively. Since then, NU hasn’t seen a year as successful.
Other than the pitchers, what made that group click? Two senior starters—outfielder An-thony Wycklendt and catcher Pat McMahon—held together a young team with mostly sopho-more starters.
Based on the makeup of the squad alone, Stevens has reason to compare the 2010 team to the 2006 crew. This year’s team is just as young, with only two senior starters: utility player Kenneth Avila and catcher Chad Noble.
While there are other players who offer more offensive production, Noble brings an in-tangible element to the diamond: Stevens called Noble the “backbone” of the team, thanks to his lead-by-example mentality on the field and keep-it-loose approach off it.
“When I have a question, I’ll go ask (No-ble) because he pretty much knows everything,” fresh-man Arby Fields said. “He’s the one I really look up to.”
At the plate, Noble hit .297 and connected for 10 extra-base knocks in 2009. Behind the plate, Noble, who has
started at catcher each of the last three sea-sons, is “as good of a catch-and-throw guy as there is in this coun-
try,” Stevens said. Noble threw out 38.2 percent of attempted basesteal-ers last season.
In 2009 Avila led NU with a .298 bat-ting average while splitting time between centerfield and desig-nated hitter. Stevens expects Avila to fill a similar role this year, saying, “He’ll be a
swing guy (splitting time between shortstop
and the corner outfield po-sitions), depending on who’s
on the mound for us.” Of NU’s four freshmen,
Fields and Colby Everett are the two expected to contribute
immediately. Fields will likely play centerfield, and Everett could play
third or second base. Meanwhile, class-mates Luke Farrell and Jack Havey
won’t be forced “from the refrig-erator to the frying pan right away,” Stevens said.
Two experienced juniors, corner infielder Chris Lashmet and start-
ing pitcher Eric Jokisch, will also be key in imparting knowledge during the adjust-ment period.
Lashmet started 45 games at third base and ranked second on the team with 30
RBIs in 2009. But because Lashmet made 18 errors at the hot corner, he could shift to the right side of the infield and play first base, de-pending on who’s pitching. Regardless of where Lashmet plays in the field, his presence in the lineup will be crucial to the Cats’ success.
“I’m going to need to step up,” Lashmet said. “I need to have a big year offensively to fill in for (Vercelli) and (Goebbert). … Last year, I kind of had a role of protecting those guys, while this year (Paul) Snieder’s gonna be protecting me, which allows me to see better pitches.”
Without the heart of last year’s lineup, NU may adjust its style of play in 2010. The team will likely implement a small-ball strategy—utilizing tactics like bunting and hitting-and-run-ning—to take advan-tage of its speed. Lash-met said the team’s offseason strength training focused more on speed, providing a “spark” to the offense. Fields and sophomore second baseman Trevor Stevens are expected to hit at the top of the Cats’ lineup and set the table for Lashmet and Snieder.
Even if NU doesn’t pack the same punch in its lineup this year, it has all the reason to be confident in its pitching staff, starting with Jokisch. During what Ste-vens described as a “fairytale” freshman campaign, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound left-handed pitcher won a team-leading eight games and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. That year, Jokisch was the first true freshman in Big Ten history to notch seven conference wins, routinely shutting down opposing lineups with ease. But as a household name last year, Jokisch struggled to find consistency, not winning his first Big Ten game until the last series of the season against Michigan.
“I had a lot more expected of me,” Jokisch said. “I didn’t really make much of an adjust-ment to try to improve myself to counter (op-posing teams’) understanding of what I’m go-ing to do. … I got a little tired, wasn’t really physically ready for the larger workload. It kind of took a toll on me.”
The Cats may not have to depend as much on Jokisch this year, as pitching coach Tom Stoddard can hand the ball to other hurlers with starting experience. Senior left-handed pitchers Joe Muraski and Dave Jensen have started a combined 52 games over the last three years. But sophomore Michael Jahns, who led the team with a 3.56 ERA last season, might find his way into a starting spot too. The hard-throwing right-hander would balance out the lefty-heavy rotation.
“(The pitching staff is) going to keep us in games,” Noble said. “We just need to put some runs up on the board.”
And winning games starts and ends with scoring more runs than the opponent, which may prove more difficult without Goebbert. The same question faced Stevens and Co. half-way through last season, when Goebbert lacer-ated his kidney after running into a fence while chasing a flyball at the Metrodome.
While NU missed Goebbert’s offensive pro-duction, it fared just as well with him out of the lineup. The Cats went 7-23 before Goebbert went down and 7-12-1 after.
But when a new season starts, last year’s sta-tistics and records don’t tell the whole story—2010 is a fresh slate with new undercurrents.
“The last time I saw a tsunami that did mas-sive damage, it wasn’t anything up on the sur-face, was it? It was something that was below that all of a sudden a couple of things collided and—wow!” said Stevens, rubbing his knuckles together to signify an explosion. “And that’s what’s happening around here.”
If the Cats’ first weekend tournament in Rock Hill, S.C.—where they lost four games by a combined 49 runs—is any indication, the stuff underneath the surface better start colliding soon.
Note: please do NOT move the green guide. Our designers use that!
THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN8 | WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2010
Lashmet started 45 games at third base
BASEBALLNU
‘Go-go’ gone, Stevens still psyched for ’10
Speedy: Fields joins coach Paul Stevens’ squad after an eye-catching campaign with Northwestern’s football team. But his gridiron success doesn’t leave this freshman overconfident. Fields said he needs to re-prove himself on the diamond. What will make Fields exciting to watch? He’s fast, and he’s always looking to speed up. “I work to be the fast guy,” Fields said.
KEY RETURNER KEY LOSSKEY NEWCOMER
Chad NobleCatcher
Senior
Arby FieldsCenterfield
Freshman
Jake GoebbertCenterfield /
1st BaseDrafted by
Houston
SPRING SPORTS GUIDE 2010
PROJECTED NU
Baseball Lineup
”
“I got a little tired, wasn’t really
physically ready for the larger
workload. It kind of took a toll on me.
Eric Jokisch,Junior pitcher
Arby FieldsCenterfield, Freshman started at catcher each
of the last three sea-
as there is in this coun-try,” Stevens said. Noble
Quentin WilliamsRight Field, Sophomore
Colby Everett3rd Base, Freshman
mates Luke Farrell and Jack Havey won’t be forced “from the refrig-erator to the frying pan right away,” Stevens said.
Catalytic: Coach Paul Stevens said Noble “may be the biggest catalyst of this entire thing.” The catcher, who was second on NU in 2009 with a .297 batting average, is a senior among a group of young starters and will need to act as a role model. His leadership style? “I like to joke around a little bit off the field. But when I get on the field, I usually lead by example,” Noble said.
Powerful: Losing Goebbert to injury halfway through last season gave the Wildcats an early taste of life without the slugger, but the team will still feel his absence. The power hitter ranks second in school history in career doubles and holds the season-single mark. His lighttower power gave the vibe that Northwestern was never out of any game, and he was known to hit mammoth shots.
