Credit: NUSports.com

WNUR Sports’ John Beers recaps a big Northwestern win on the road in Ann Arbor

Northwestern’s freshman sensation continued her dominant play on a rainy night in Ann Arbor as the Wildcats’ women’s’ lacrosse team picked up their first ever Big Ten Conference win with a 17-8 win over the Michigan Wolverines.

Freshman midfielder Selena Lasota was again the story of the night, as she set a new career high with seven points and matched her career high with six goals. The six scores brought her season total to 40, tying her for fourth nationally in total goals scored.

Lasota was deadly from the 8-meter spot, as her two conversions against the Wolverinesbring her record to nine out of 11 on the season.

The Wildcats were able to dominate possession throughout the first half on into the early parts of the second half until the game was out of reach for the young Wolverines squad. On two of Michigan’s first three goals, Lasota was able to respond immediately with a goal less than a minute late. The ‘Cats closed out the first half in particularly dominant fashion, scoring eight unanswered goals in the half’s last 11 and a half minutes.

While Lasota certainly stole the show with her career performance, she was not the only one with a standout scoring effort Thursday night. Senior attacker and captain Kara Mupo registered her second consecutive game with four goals, including a first half hat trick, and junior midfielder Kaleigh Craig joined in on the hat trick fun with three first-half goals of her own.

Shelby Fredericks also was a key in the draw circle, leading the Wildcats to a 23-4 domination of the Wolverines on draw controls. Northwestern, who lost all-time NCAA draw control leader Alyssa Leonard to graduation after last season, had struggled in the circle for portions of the early season.

For Michigan, the game represented another step on the long path that faces the newly formed program. Sophomore midfielder Kim Coughlan led the Wolverines with four goals on the game, including a second-half hat trick against Northwestern backup goalie Brooke Jones. With the four scores, Coughlan raises her team-leading total to 26 on the season, this after she finished fourth on the team with 21 goals last year.

Northwestern (7-3, 1-1) will return to ranked-vs-ranked action this Sunday when they host the #11 Penn Quakers at Lakeside field at 12pm, which you can catch on WNUR Sports.