By: Andrew McCabe

Kylie Ohlmiller, just 2:14 into the first half, fired a shot past Northwestern netminder Julie Krupnick, the first goal of the game. Northwestern would trail the top-ranked Stony Brook Sea Wolves throughout the remainder of the game. The goal foreshadowed what was to come; Ohlmiller, a senior, had an outstanding day, tallying 3 goals and 2 assists, alongside standout Courtney Murphy, who finished with 3 goals and an assist in Stony Brook’s 15-10 victory over the Wildcats.

The Wildcats, however, didn’t go down quietly. Down 6-3 at the half, the ‘Cats, led by Sheila Nesselbush, who notched a career-high 5 points (4 goals, 1 assist), scored twice within the first few minutes of the second half to narrow the lead to a goal. Having a couple offensive surges that kept them in the game, the ‘Cats never lost hope.

At a critical point in the game, with the Wildcats trailing by 2 with 12 minutes to go, Shelby Fredericks scored to narrow the Sea Wolves lead to 1. However, after checking her stick, the referees reversed the call on the field. The goal would’ve been the ‘Cats fourth straight and would’ve made the game 10-9, but instead, the Sea Wolves received the ball and immediately scored. The momentum shift was evident, and the Sea Wolves handled the remainder of the game.

Northwestern’s defense didn’t quite match up against Stony Brook; the Sea Wolves seemed to be one step ahead of the ‘Cats and were able to penetrate the arc easily. Julie Krupnick, with 7 saves, continued her excellent work as netminder, but it wasn’t nearly enough to hold back the dominant Sea Wolves offense.

The Wildcats, conversely, faltered in their inability to convert. Selena Lasota did not have any points and was 0-3 on free position shots, while Danita Stroup tallied 2 goals. The ‘Cats offense was 2-11 on free position shots, and turned the ball over 12 times, something that the Sea Wolves only did 7 times. Additionally, Anna Tesoriero proved to be a problem for the Wildcats, saving 11 shots through the 60 minutes of game time.

The Wildcats played a great game against an outstanding team, and showed their strengths well, but were always playing catch-up. Despite Shelby Fredericks having one of her best performances in the circle, with 13 draw controls, the ‘Cats were never able to pounce on opportunities to surpass the nation’s highest ranked lacrosse team.

Coach Kelly Amonte-Hiller and the Wildcats will look to rebound from this loss and regain their offensive confidence, playing Marquette next Saturday, March 10^th, at 12pm at Martin Stadium.