US Lacrosse Magazine released the Nike/US Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Top 20 on Jan. 2. Team-by-team previews will be unveiled on uslaxmagazine.com through the end of the month and will also appear as part of the magazine’s NCAA preview edition in February. 

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No. 8 Northwestern

2018 Record: 15-6 (5-1 Big Ten)
Coach: Kelly Amonte Hiller (18th year)

All-Time Record: 280-73
NCAA Appearances: 20
Final Fours: 10
Championships: 7

Northwestern will attempt to overcome disappointment.

The Wildcats were on the doorstep of the team’s first championship weekend appearance since 2014, but the senior-laden 2018 team fell short against North Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinals. The goal remains the same for coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and company: Reach the national championship game.

“Our girls are pretty disappointed in not getting there [last year],” Amonte Hiller said. “We were one step away from the final four. We’re motivated. I think this team really believes that they can compete with anyone. We’re looking forward to that opportunity this year.” 

Northwestern has plenty of pieces to replace from last year’s quarterfinal team, including the school’s all-time leading draw specialist (Shelby Fredericks) and three of its four top scorers (Sheila Nesselbush, 76 points; Fredericks, 60; Danita Stroup, 33).

But when you have the unstoppable Selena Lasota on attack, anything is possible.

For Amonte Hiller, Lasota is the linchpin to the Wildcats’ success because she scores goals (75 in 2018), causes turnovers, wins ground balls and fires up her teammates.

“I think we have the best player in Selena,” Amonte Hiller gushed. “She’s a tough, tough person to stop when she gets on a roll. When she plays well, we play well.”

Lasota’s impact stretches beyond the stat line. Now as a fourth-year player, she’s stepped into a leadership role.

“She’s a pretty intense kid, but a very caring person,” Amonte Hiller said. “She’s a great leader. She has great connections with her teammates. It makes a big difference to have that experience.”

Experience on the sidelines will be added this year as Fredericks remains at Northwestern as a graduate assistant.

“We won’t have to fully replace her personality, ” Amonte Hiller rsaid. “She’s bringing that positivity. We’re lucky to have her.”

To fill the void of previous production, Northwestern will rely on instant impact freshmen such as midfielders Izzy Skane, Ellie Hansen, Amanda Cramer and Allie Berkery. Amonte Hiller said goalie Madison Doucette is locked in a battle with last year’s starter Julie Krupnick and senior Mallory Weisse, who started in 2016 and 2017.

Additionally, filling from within will be key with the likes of Lauren Gilbert (midfield), Jill Girardi (midfield) and Brennan Dwyer (draw), who made strides this fall and should feature prominently.

Amonte Hiller acknowledged there’s a lot of work to be done on defense, as a young corps will be expected to try and stop some of the country’s most dynamic offenses.

“We definitely are playing a more fast-paced game, Amonte Hiller said. “We are focusing on defense. We had quite a few players graduate, but we have players like Ally Palermo and Meg Gordon who started as freshmen. They’re bringing back a whole year of experience. That’s been huge for us.”

The Case For Northwestern

Northwestern is Northwestern. The Wildcats can take care of business in the non-conference slate, finish in the top two in the Big Ten and secure a top-eight seed in the NCAA tournament. With Lasota’s attacking ability and a young supporting cast evolving, Amonte Hiller’s squad has pieces in place to make another run at the final four

The Case Against Northwestern

The Wildcats have to replace too much. The losses of Fredericks, Danita Stroup and the Nesselbushes loom as major factors and could lead to some struggles. The team will still finish in the top three in the Big Ten, earn its 16th straight NCAA tournament appearance and probably win a game or two once there.

Path to the Playoffs

Northwestern never shies from a difficult non-conference schedule, and the Wildcats’ success will largely determine how far they’ll get in the NCAA tournament. The run to the quarterfinals in 2018 was cut down by a North Carolina team on its home turf. If Northwestern is able to gain a top-four seed, the path to the team’s first semifinal appearance since 2014 is that much easier.

Players To Watch

Selena Lasota, A, Sr.
75 G, 26 DC

Lasota could be a Tewaaraton Award finalist this year. She bounced back from her injury in 2017 to turn in her best season yet with a career-high 75 goals. Lasota’s assist count should continue to creep up as she receives additional double and triple teams.

Megan Kinna, M, Jr.
18 G, 31 DC

A starting midfielder who posted career highs in year two, Kinna’s role on offense will be further expanded in 2019. Where one of her biggest impacts may be felt is on the draw, where she became more prevalent at the end of last season with a pair of games with five pickups in the NCAA tournament.

Jill Girardi, M, So.
11 G, 22 CT

As a first-year player, she started to begin the season, came off the bench in the middle portion and was again in the starting lineup in the NCAA tournament. In the postseason she helped solidify the defense with eight of her 22 caused turnovers in the three tournament games.

National Rankings

Power Ratings (Scale of 1-5)

Offense
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Defense
⭐⭐⭐

Goalkeeping
⭐⭐⭐

Draw
⭐⭐⭐⭐

47.5%

Northwestern shot nearly 50 percent from the field last season, which was ninth in NCAA Division I. That was a 96-place improvement from 2017, when the Wildcats only converted 36.2 percent of their shots. The byproduct was a 5.2 goal-per-game improvement, as Northwestern ranked ninth in scoring offense (15.9 goals per game).

5-Year Trend
Scoring Defense (GAA)

Coach Confidential
Kelly Amonte Hiller

“It’s a big year for us, [Selena Lasota] is carrying a big load for us. We’re looking forward to her getting back where she left off last season. It was great for us down the stretch. She plays her best when the pressure is on.”

Enemy Lines

“They’re really good. They have a healthy Lasota, and I’m expecting them to make a huge run.”

An earlier version of this article incorrectly included All-American midfielder/defender Claire Quinn among Northwestern players that graduated in 2018. Quinn is a senior this year. We regret the error.