When Northwestern graduate midfielder Jill Girardi first played attack last fall, she wasn’t a fan of the position.

“The whole week [beforehand], I was like, ‘I hate attack,’” Girardi said. “‘I don’t want to play this anymore. Put me back on straight defense. I’m over it.’ I think I’m bugged half the time at practice, because [during the next game], they’re like, ‘Jill, go on attack.’ I’m like, ‘What? Why me out of everyone here?’”

Girardi, who ended 2021 as a defender, thought she would mostly play midfield for the Wildcats this season. For most of the fall, that was the case. But Izzy Scane’s season-ending ACL injury created a “sense of urgency” to get Girardi on the offensive end, coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said.

Now Girardi, who scored just three times in 2021, has become a staple of Northwestern’s offense. She’s tallied 30 goals so far, leading the team in scoring against tough opponents like Boston College and Michigan. In the Big Ten, she ranks sixth in both points per game and goals per game.

Developing confidence has been key to this growth. Girardi said she feels comfortable embracing her playing style and being the player she always has been. As a result, she feels like she’s helped teammates embrace their abilities, too.

Amonte Hiller has taken notice, saying she’s enjoyed watching Girardi grow as a player and a leader in 2022. She was “tremendous” on attack when they first moved her, Amonte Hiller said, and she continues to carry the team offensively.

“We knew that she had this inside of her,” Amonte Hiller said. “It’s been nice to see her come into her own and do her thing. She really started to gain momentum last year toward the end of the season. She’s really found her confidence and has a strong sense of purpose this season.”

On top of her offensive prowess, Girardi has elevated her draw game, too. She took on a key role in the unit last season, ranking second on the team with 69 draw controls and powering the unit to a strong national standing. She’s quickly surpassed that success, however, already recording 119 draws — including a career-high 19 against Rutgers on Thursday. Her efforts place her third nationally in draw controls per game.

Working closely with assistant coach Shelby Fredericks, one of the program’s best-ever draw specialists, has been important, Girardi said. She feels she’s grown not only tactically, but as a leader for her teammates through her work with Fredericks.

Without Scane, Northwestern has relied heavily on Girardi, graduate attacker Lauren Gilbert and junior attacker Erin Coykendall as leaders on offense. The Wildcats finished with the country’s top scoring offense in 2021, primarily powered by Scane’s 98 goals. This year, Northwestern ranks eighth nationally in scoring offense and points per game.

Scane continues to help the Wildcats on the sideline, but on the field, they’ve worked on adapting without her.

“We’ve changed the narrative of our attack, but it still is successful,” Girardi said. “Izzy is still [playing] a key role for our team, giving us pointers on the sideline. We just have to adapt to have other people step up into that role of scoring goals.”

During her time at Northwestern, Girardi has been to two Finals Fours — both featuring heartbreaking, lopsided losses. Winning in overtime this season against Syracuse — which knocked the Wildcats out of last year’s Final Four — was a “huge moment,” Girardi said. As good as that felt, Northwestern is now looking toward the ultimate goal: cracking the Final Four again and making it to the NCAA championship game.

“We’re ready to win,” Girardi said. “We’re ready to go back to the Final Four and go back to championship weekend and rewrite what happened the past two years. We’re excited, and I have all the confidence in the world in my teammates.”

NUMBERS OF NOTE

2012

Temple easily handled Vanderbilt in its AAC opener on Saturday, defeating the Commodores 20-9 in Philadelphia. Junior attacker Riley McGowan led the way for the Owls, notching a career-high seven goals, while graduate midfielder Quinn Nicolai recorded four of her own. Temple’s 20 goals marks the first time since March 3, 2012, that the Owls have hit the 20-goal mark.

8

Northwestern handily took down Rutgers 21-13 in Evanston on Thursday, powered by eight goals from graduate attacker Lauren Gilbert and four from graduate midfielder Jill Girardi. Gilbert’s eight goals marked a new career-high — placing her just two goals off of Northwestern’s program record of 10, held by Izzy Scane.

11

Virginia evened its record on Wednesday, returning to winning ways with a 23-5 victory against VCU. Junior midfielder Kiki Shaw led the Cavaliers with four goals, and senior midfielder Ashlyn McGovern and freshman midfielder Rachel Clark each chipped in a hat trick. Beyond their efforts, Virginia had 11 total players score in the win.

21

Richmond soundly defeated St. Joseph’s 21-7 in Richmond on Sunday. The victory was revenge for the Spiders, who the Hawks knocked out of the Atlantic-10 tournament last year in a lopsided 19-8 loss. Junior midfielder Sophia DiCenso led Richmond with four goals and an assist, and graduate goalkeeper Delaney Galvin anchored the defense with eight saves. The victory was the Spiders’ highest scoring contest of 2022.