BHGP: We’ve been saying this every summer since, hell, 2006 or so, but there is actual depth at tailback for Iowa this year. Weisman you’re familiar with, and when he’s on, he can move chains as well as nearly anyone in the Big Ten. Behind his is Damon Bullock, who started the 2012 season atop the depth chart before minor injuries knocked him around (he was Iowa’s most reliable option on offense in the 18-17 win over NIU, even securing the victory with a 23-yard TD late in the 4th quarter). Past those two are Jordan Canzeri and Barkley Hill, two young RBs who—and this is going to shock you—missed 2012 with ACL injuries. Hill missed spring ball as he continues to recover from an ACL tear last August and he’s missing the first game of 2013 after a DUI arrest last November, but all indications are that he’s sticking around. Canzeri, meanwhile, showed off impressive athleticism at spring practices and he looks like the type of back who could be very helpful situationally.

The Wildcats’ first Bowl Championship rings since 1948 arrived in the mail and were distributed to players and coaches Wednesday. Kain Colter posted a photo of his stylish ring on Instagram. Like Northwestern’s Big Ten championship rings of recent years, the front is pretty simply the Northwestern “N” logo on a purple background. On one side, as Colter shows, is the player’s name, the year and the Gator Bowl trophy. On the other side it says “10 wins” and has the player’s number and position. Or at least Colter’s does.

If there is any way to put finality on the amazing 2012 season — with its 10 wins and bowl victory — it is with these rings. Congratulations to the entire Northwestern football team on this accomplishment. On to the next!

Shurna vs. Juice Part Deux

Earlier this season, Michael Thompson and Villeurbanne upset Strasbourg SIG to clinch a playoff spot with a 84-81 win on National Championship Monday back in April. Of course, their paths would cross again.

John and Juice reunited prior to Tuesday’s game. @juicethompson22twitpic.com/csgf3e

— NU Men’s Basketball (@NUMensBball) May 22, 2013

Shurna’s Strasbourg SIG and Thompson’s Asvel Villeurbanne met in the semifinals of the French A League on Tuesday. Strasbourg won the first leg against Asvel behind a team-best 16 points from John Shurna. We always knew he would step up once he tasted the postseason and the chance to win a championship. Shurna scored 16 points in 22 minutes off the bench, making five of eight shots. He did most of his damage in the first half as Strasbourg built a 30-16 lead in the second quarter.

A photo of John Shurna raining down jumpers in his team’s playoff win over Juice Thompson’s squad Tuesday in France. twitpic.com/csfyjm

— NU Men’s Basketball (@NUMensBball) May 22, 2013

Asvel did come back and take the lead in the third quarter, but a 26-13 fourth quarter gave Strasbourg the key victory.

Michael Thompson had nine points on 4-for-8 shooting in 33 minutes and added three assists to his total. Asvel will play Strasbourg in the second leg of the semifinal on Thursday in Villeurbanne. It is a best of three series so Thompson will have to be on his game to force a decisive third leg on Saturday and get season bragging rights over his college teammate.

Rodger Sherman of Sippin’ On Purple compiled a Storify of all the tweets coming from the first leg of the series.

The game tips off at 1:30 p.m. Central Time, if you want to follow along on the LNB Web site.

And before we look more closely at the participants, a quick valedictory for the team that is missing: Florida. The Gators, in their fourth year of existence as a varsity squad, hold a 4-3 overall record against the Wildcats, a far greater quota of success than any other team can boast. But, having stumbled at Syracuse, they are out of the running, thus preserving the Wildcats’ unique distinction of having won a national title in their fourth year. It ends the career of a wonderful collection of lacrosse players, who showed early promise, gained prominence at breakneck speed, and, about a year ago, looked ready to blow the rest of the women’s lax world out of the water. Their total four-year tally includes one conference title and one Final Four appearance and a lot of gaudy statistics, but one is left wondering what could have been. I’m not sure they ever quite recovered from last year’s staggering collapse in the national semis and their 22-4 pounding of Northwestern this year in Gainesville (hubris?) may have been a mistake, as it seemed to trigger the circumstances of their eventual demise. I could never root for this team as the early arrogance of their fans was extremely off-putting, but I admired the players greatly.

For the third consecutive year, my outlook is tinged with a degree of pessimism conditioned by the overwhelming power of the top-seeded team, in this year’s case, Maryland. For two years Kelly Amonte Hiller has found the right combination of tenacious defense, solid goaltending, timely scoring, and near-obsessive ball control to confound the experts and prove me wrong. I hope against hope to be wrong again.

Of course there is a semi-final to be won against North Carolina – no easy task. The Wildcats opened poorly against the Tar Heels when they met in February, but that game was so early in the season that it probably doesn’t figure much in either team’s thinking; both have progressed a good deal since then. The Heels continue to be led by the whip-like Kara Cannizzaro, who is a dynamic presence all over the field, and Abbey Friend, a fireplug of an attacker who runs hot and cold, but is very hard to stop when she is hot. Chances are that she will draw the faceguard of Kerri Harrington, while Cannizzaro will most likely be covered by Taylor Thornton. The Heels have other scoring options, including Brittney Coppa and Taylor George, and especially Aly Messinger, who has had a fruitful freshman season. Senior Emily Garrity is a workhorse in the midfield and had seven draw controls in the quarterfinal match with Virginia. The defense is headed by Sloane Serpe and Margaret Corzel, and the Heels seem to have benefited from a mid-season switch in goal to freshman Megan Ward. Against Virginia, the Heels, rather typically, had stretches of clockwork perfection and other stretches when they seemed to have no initiative at all. Let’s hope the Wildcats can catch them on the negative side of that particular ledger.

Maryland, unbeaten and impressive all season, remains the tournament favorite and fairly bristles with weaponry. Start with Katie Schwarzmann, last year’s Tewaaraton Award winner, as able a defender as she is a constant threat to score. Alex Aust, the quarterback of the offense who primarily operates from behind the net, has put up tremendous numbers: 67 goals and 52 assists. Brooke Griffin, top high school player in 2010, has come into her own in her second season of action after having to sit out her freshman year with a bad knee. Then there is Taylor Cummings, top high school player in 2012, who would pose a significant challenge to Alyssa Leonard in the draw circle, should they meet. There is also the speedy Kelly McPartland, as well as Beth Glaros, who gave so much trouble to the ‘Cats in the 2011 championship. Not to mention talented rookie Halle Majorana, plus reserve Kristen Lamon, who has a .694 shooting percentage. It means that every Terp player on the money side of the restraining line has serious scoring potential. The defense is led by Iliana Sanza, a rugged All-American. Kasey Howard stands in goal. She is less recognized than some of her teammates, but it should be remembered that it was the relatively unheralded Brittany Dipper who suddenly made a name for herself when the Terps last won it all in 2010.

Let’s not forget Syracuse, however. In their big push at the beginning of the second half against Florida, the Orange looked as sharp as any team has looked all season. Earlier in the spring, they withstood the loss of their number one player, Michelle Tumolo, without skipping a beat. This is largely because of Kayla Treanor, the phenomenal freshman who has added a special element of zip to the Orange lineup. At the same time, Alyssa Murray is one of the most productive scorers in the nation. Kailah Kempney, while not very tall, holds her own in the draw circle and is not afraid to go to goal. Veteran midfielders Katie Webster, Bridget Daley, and Amy Cross form a savvy supporting cast. The defense coalesces around All-American Becca Block, who looked positively Thornton-like when she rushed the goal from midfield last weekend. The Orange have managed to thrive while splitting goalkeeping duties between Kelsey Richardson and Alyssa Costantino.

So what does Northwestern bring to the tournament, beside its incredible winning tradition and the best coach in the business? The key to the last two championships has been possession. One does not really need to get on top of a table and shout this through a megaphone; everyone pretty much understands what the Wildcats intend to do. Obviously, possession begins with the draw control, where Alyssa Leonard and her wingmates Taylor Thornton and Gabriella Flibotte truly excel. Throughout the season this threesome has had an extraordinary ability to dictate the flow of action – from Leonard outleaping her opponents for the draw, and Thornton pounding up the field on clears, to Flibotte continually emerging from rugby-like scrums with the ball in her stick or picking the pocket of an unsuspecting ballhandler. All this exclusive of their scoring, which, in the case of Leonard and Thornton, has been substantial.

Top scorer Erin Fitzgerald is sure to draw the opponent’s best defender, if not a double team, so it will be incumbent upon the various members of the ever-changing attack, Ali Cassera, Amanda Macaluso, Kelly Rich, Kat DeRonda, Bea Conley, and Nancy Dunbar to provide alternative scoring options. Aside from Kerri Harrington, who is at her best when draped over a potent adversary, Christy Turner is the most experienced defender and Kate Macdonald has come on strong in the second half of the season. The X factor may be goalie Bridget Bianco, whose save percentage would look healthier if one were to discount that very unhappy afternoon in Gainesville. Keep in mind that former goalie Breezy LoManto’s regular season stats were nothing to write home about, but she rose to the occasion when it counted most, and Bianco certainly has the capability to do the same.

LTP: Gia, give us a brief recap of last year’s road trip(s) and how it went from your perspective.

Gia: The NUCC has been hosting bus trips to home games for the past 4 years and in 2012 we chose the Nebraska and Iowa games. We have a similar mission to LTP in that we want to get as much purple to Ryan Field as possible, and we recognize that some people may choose to only attend 1-2 games per year, so we give them a convenient and inexpensive option for some of the popular games. The target audience is people who aren’t yet season ticket holders and those who want more convenient transportation to the games. The events include roundtrip bus transportation from Kendall’s Pub (2263 N Lincoln), a game ticket, 1 hour of free beer at the bar, a keg on the bus (built in tailgate!), and light appetizers. We took about 80 people to the Nebraska game and about 40 to the Iowa game.

For the first time ever last year, we also hosted an away game bus trip to the Michigan game, which was, by all accounts except the final score, wildly successful. The bus picked up first at Ryan field for people who wanted to leave their vehicles then at Union Station. Because it was an early game and a long drive, the day started around 3:30am in Evanston, but everyone made the bus on time! One of my colleagues made a trip to Costco to ensure that the bus was fully stocked with snacks, beer, and drinks and mixers. We also worked with a small group of Kellogg students and the NUMBAlums who were making the trip from Chicago.

LTP: As you look at the 2013 season, both from the anticipation of success and the juicy road opponents, what types of things do you have in mind?

Gia: We have a TON going on between now and a possible B1G Championship Game. Over the summer, we have a couple excellent events with football twist. They are:

Ethics in College Sports Panel Discussion and Networking Event
Tuesday, June 18, 6-8:30pm

As we all know, Northwestern is committed to doing it the “right way,” but it seems like there’s always a new scandal in the news, so we’ll be talking about what’s right and wrong with college athletics and address some of the specific cases that I’m sure you’re all curious about.
Panelists include D’Wayne Bates (Lasalle-Peru HS AD), Pat Goss (NU golf coach),Chad Hawley (B1G compliance), Doug Bakker (NU assistant dean, specializes in applied ethics), Conrad Novack (DePaul compliance) with host, Dave Eanet, the voice of the ‘Cats.

An Evening with Senator Napoleon Harris, Communication, 2002
Thursday, July 18, 6-8:30pm

You may know Napoleon Harris as a Northwestern football standout who also played seven years in the NFL. But do you know his true boot straps story of how a Northwestern football scholarship changed the course of his life and how he went from football player to 2013 freshman Illinois State Senator? Come to this event to hear his story and network with fellow alumni by registering HERE. 
During the football season, we are continuing our tradition of offering bus trips to the most sought after games and you could probably guess which ones we chose. You are hearing it here first because we have not yet publicized these events, so grab up tickets soon, as we know these will all sell out once we start advertising!
Home game bus trips include game ticket, roundtrip bus transportation from Kendall’s, an hour of free beer at the bar, a keg on the bus, and light appetizers. Buses leave no later than an hour and a half before game time, but if folks want to tailgate, we are expecting two buses for both home games and will run a bus 2.5-3 hours before the game, if there is enough interest.

Northwestern vs. Ohio State, homecoming night game
October 5, 2013
Register BY CLICKING HERE
Northwestern vs. Michigan, game time tbd, but this game could help decide the division
November 16, 2013
Register BY CLICKING HERE.

This year’s away game will include roundtrip bus transportation from Union Station and Ryan Field, game ticket in the Northwestern section, breakfast, snacks, beer, drinks and mixers, and a possible tailgate, depending on the time of the game.

LTP: OK, Gia. This is a great start. What about the road trip for 2013?

Gia: I’m glad you asked! Camp Randall, here we come!

Northwestern at Wisconsin
October 12, 2013
Register BY CLICKING HERE
I’m also personally planning to attend the Cal game and have a group of friends who is interested in an outing to the French Laundry and a Napa Valley bus tour, so if you’re interested in either of those options, feel free to reach out to me directly at gdigiacobbe@gmail.com.

LTP: What are the biggest unanswered questions you have as it relates to fan’s interest in attending road games this year? How can the LTP community help?

Gia: With the bus trips, in general, we are interested in knowing whether there is enough interest in overnight trips, knowing that a hotel would be an added fixed cost (for example, the only way we could ever host an away trip to Nebraska would be overnight and would probably require committing a year in advance, given now hotels in Lincoln book up).

It would also be helpful to know whether there is sufficient demand for more than one game per year (depending on the selection available, of course). This year both Illinois and Iowa are also attractive options, but we ultimately chose Wisconsin based on the overall availability of tickets in that stadium, a name opponent, and an interesting match-up. Because we have to pre-purchase tickets and the bus is a fixed cost, we have to know that we have around 50 people committed to attending in order to make the event financially viable (the $25 dues don’t cover big financial losses if we were not able to sell an event like this out!).
For the home game bus trips, we mostly stick with games that we know tickets will be more expensive on the secondary market. We do get a discount for certain games, but for less popular match-ups, you still might be able to buy tickets cheaper elsewhere than through us. We would be open to considering a bus for folks who already have season tickets if we knew there were enough people who would enjoy this option (about 40 people). Bus and beer with no game ticket would cost around $15, which isn’t all that much more expensive than taking the el to the game and much more convenient.

LTP: What’s your goal for the NU Club of Chicago and NU football this year?

Gia: Same as every year, we want to get as many Northwestern fans as possible to the games and eliminate excuses for why people can’t come (it’s inconvenient to get to, I can’t tailgate/drink if I drive to the game). I would love to be able to grow this program to include every home game and more than one away game, so that everyone just knows that we’re the go-to source for this kind of event, but I’m still not convinced I could fill a bus for the likes of Maine, no matter how cheap I could get game tickets for (which would probably still be around $20).
We also continue to host away game watch parties at Kendall’s and Blackfinn and would definitely support LTP’s efforts to expand that to include other suburbs.

LTP: OK, help us set the record straight on  the NU Alumni Club of Chicago, your role and why members should join:

Gia: The NU Alumni Club of Chicago (NUCC) is a completely volunteer run organization for alumni in the Chicagoland area. People often get confused between these local clubs that exist in many cities around the world and the Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA). You’re a member of the NAA the day you matriculate at Northwestern; you can also join your local club in order to stay better connected to alumni in your area. Some of the benefits include networking, access to members-only events that often include special NU-related perks that you couldn’t get without a group (talk-backs with actors or producers from the show, coaches, athletes, or chefs; behind the scenes access, for example at Northwestern Memorial Hospital or Northwestern Athletics facilities; group discounts; or special educational and networking events).

The NUCC’s membership fee is $25 per year, with discounts for 2 and 3 year memberships. Most other local clubs have similar fees and many, especially in cities with a smaller NU presence, are free. This amount is less than many other universities’ local club membership prices and goes toward subsidizing events for members, paying for paper and electronic newsletters, and back to the NAA for support they provide.

As for me, I’m the VP Membership and Marketing for the NUCC, and, like all of our board members, one of my primary responsibilities is planning great events, some of which you are about to hear all about!

LTP:  Anything else you’d love to share with us?

Gia: I think I’ve said enough already ;)!

But, I did want to mention that I’ve heard some other local clubs are also planning events for some away games. Look for the Milwaukee Club to consider an event related to the Wisconsin game and for both LA and San Francisco to work on events for the Cal game. You can reach out to their clubs at http://alumni.northwestern.edu/milwaukee, http://alumni.northwestern.edu/sfbay, and http://alumni.northwestern.edu/losangeles. I’m sure they’d also love to hear about your interest and suggestions for those events.
I have also heard some concerns about verifying that tickets go to Northwestern fans. As a club, our events are members’ only, and we verify that the person attending is a Northwestern alumnus and member of our club through the alumni database. However, sometimes that still results in folks wearing opposing team colors (for instance, they went to Michigan undergrad and Kellogg for grad school). Most of the time, this results in a little fun rivalry at events, and hopefully the recruitment of these attendees to adopt Northwestern as their second team!

LTP: Thanks Gia. We’ll be back here soon with more info. In the meantime, here are the LTP Road Trip poll results:

Which one game would you pick to attend in 2013?

Recruiting rankings do not matter. That is at least what Pat Fitzgerald tells us. Getting talent is fantastic, but it means nothing if you cannot coach them up. If recruiting rankings were the end-all, be-all and coaching did not matter than Illinois would be much better at football than they are.

What recruiting rankings mean for Northwestern is only a battle of perception and the faith that with more talent the good coaching that has brought Northwestern to the level of consistent bowl appearances will translate with an increased talent pool and depth. Northwestern seems on the verge of that level of consistency Northwestern fans of the Dark Ages could only dream of (maybe not even that far). Wildcat fans can sense we are on the precipice of something.

This post should also come with another caveat. It is only May and much of the heavy lifting (at least for other teams) is still left to do in recruiting. Northwestern itself still has work to do to finish out its class for this year. And then all the other recruiting caveats remain with recruiting rankings often based on the size of a class and not necessarily the quality. Since Northwestern typically has players on a five-year cycle, their classes are much smaller. This year’s class is expected only to be 15 players strong — and 10 have already committed.

Yet, perception is something we follow. And, after an intense few weeks of commitments that have put together what is already being considered the strongest, most talked about Northwestern recruiting class in the program’s history (or at least since covering recruiting classes became a thing), recruiting rankings shape perception.

While Northwestern has steadily climbed recruiting rankings — Scout.com ranked Pat Fitzgerald’s first recruiting class in 2007 No. 56 and his 2013 recruiting class No. 47 — it is still a long climb up the rankings. The buzz though that has surrounded Northwestern’s program in this run of major commitments, including three four-star prospects, is palpable. Northwestern suddenly seems relevant . . . in May.

For at least a short period of time, we can revel in some much-needed Northwestern recruiting buzz (which has helped us fill this blog to some extent during the down season).

Northwestern fans certainly want to screen shot the recruiting rankings ESPN.com released last week that had Northwestern No. 17 nationally for its 10-man recruiting class.

Football Class Rankings – ESPN via kwout

In ESPN’s estimation, last week’s recruiting activity helped Northwestern rise by two spots.

The other recruiting services — Rivals and Scout — have Northwestern in their top 20. Scout has Northwestern 16th with two four-star prospects and Rivals has Northwestern 15th with three four-star prospects.

Those numbers are not necessarily important. They will surely shift as the big programs begin their hat dances.

Undeniably though, Northwestern has struck a chord and turned a corner. The years of coaching up overlooked talent has paid off and now this fantastic coaching staff gets the chance to coach up elite talent. Play-calling and clock management issues aside, of course.

Northwestern has built this amazing level of recruiting thanks to a simple message from Pat Fitzgerald. He has always talked about finding players who fit Northwestern’s culture and will be motivated to play for the program. Fitzgerald explained his basic recruiting philosophy to Jared Shanker of ESPN.com:

 

I’m not sure if the term ‘selling’ is right,” Fitzgerald said. “I tell our staff this, and I say this humbly: For a young man to get a top-15 education and compete for Big Ten championships in the backyard of Chicago and to be around our players, if I have to sell it that hard, I’m not sure he’s a right fit.

That approach also includes current players get to know recruits and, sort of, sign off on them as future members of the team. They are often the best source of information for the recruit and the ones who can sell the program best by simply telling the truth. The approach is paying off now with the accolades and momentum Northwestern has built.

What is important for Northwestern is that undoubtedly perceptions about the program are changing in a major, major way both from the recruits who are looking at Northwestern and the national media. That is a big part of what we as Northwestern fans have asked for. Every part of Northwestern is something for fans to be proud of.

Just let us bask in this a little bit longer as the recruiting and game wins seem to be pouring in.

Previously announced were Northwestern’s participation in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational, which will feature two games in Evanston on Nov. 22 and 25 and two games in Las Vegas on Nov. 28 and 29, and NU’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge matchup at NC State. The participants in the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational include Missouri, UCLA and Nevada.

The intriguing games in this non-conference slate is that trip to Vegas and that trip to Raleigh, but it also includes a trip to Stanford on Nov. 14 for the second game of the season. This continues a relatively ongoing matchup between the two private universities that has at times lived up to its billing and at times has been bad — neither team has been particularly strong when the other team is strong.

Northwestern will also renew its intra-city rivalry with DePaul after a few years off the schedule. The Blue Demons will travel to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Dec. 27 in the final non-conference game before Big Ten play begins.

In all, Northwestern will play (a lucky) 13 non-conference games.

Perhaps, the schedule (listed in full below) does not scream any of the “sexy” names fans want from a non-conference schedule. But it does get NU around Chicago. Matchups against Illinois teams such as Eastern Illinois, Illinois State, DePaul and a return trip to UIC will keep Collins’ crew near home to recruit Chicago, something that appears to be a goal early on in his coaching tenure. The Wildcats will have plenty of opportunities to sell themselves to Chicago early on this season.

Also consider Collins had little time to put this schedule together and there are probably still several contractual obligations for Northwestern to fill with some of these opponents.

The Wildcats, thanks to that trip to Vegas, likely will have the opportunity to come away with some quality wins. But they should also have the chance to grow. And with a relatively young team, that could be the most important from this young team.

With the schedule out, Collins and crew can get back to preparing for the season and recruiting the next generation of Northwestern Wildcats.

2013-14 Nonconference Schedule

11/6 vs. Lewis (exh.)
11/9 vs. Eastern Illinois
11/14 @ Stanford
11/17 vs. Illinois State
11/22 Las Vegas Inv. @ Evanston
11/25 Las Vegas Inv. @ Evanston
11/28 Las Vegas Inv. @ Las Vegas
11/29 Las Vegas Inv. @ Las Vegas
12/4 @ NC State (B1G/ACC Challenge)
12/7 vs. Western Michigan
12/16 vs. Mississippi Valley State
12/22 vs. Brown
12/27 vs. DePaul

Today, I continue to pound a familiar theme – packing Ryan Field with more purple.  In recent weeks, we’ve been calling significant attention to the unique benefit afforded to season ticket holders – four single game tickets per season ticket.  It’s kind of crazy when you think about the fact you’ll be able to walk around the summer BBQ circuit and boast face value tickets to see NU in primetime host Ohio State or Michigan.  Or Michigan State. So many of my non-NU fan friends (yes, I actually do have them) just assume that both season tickets and single game tickets are unobtainable. Well, today, I wanted to call attention to the fact that both are very much available.

Last week, I also floated the idea of your local town Northwestern club to add on to the pair of Chicago bars that call themselves home to the NU Club of Chicago. Why not have a gathering spot in Naperville for road game watch parties? Or Lake Forest? Or Arlington Heights? For certain, we should have one in Orland Park (aka childhood home of Fitz and Zak Kustok).  I believe that as many of us suburbanites look forward to the weekend road games this fall, we’d love to create some hometown momentum to get together and share in the joy that is NU football. It can also serve as a recruiting tool for neighbors and friends to get caught up in what we know is the best sports value around. Let me know if you would like to captain one of these efforts and we’ll create a platform for you (laketheposts@gmail.com).

John Anthony moved our season ticket total to 120 with four MORE season tickets to get us to 120 (60%) of our 200 NEW season ticket goal. We’re up to 160 single game tickets, primarily Ohio State or Michigan, as we really generate momentum towards our goal of 500 single game tickets. If you have a season ticket, you can get FOUR single game tickets.  That means $70 for an Ohio State ticket or $65 for Michigan. They go way down from there for the likes of Michigan State and Syracuse (and Western Michigan and Maine).

Today though, I wanted to share a couple of concrete ways to help one another on our collective goal.

1) The LTP Exchange – We created the LTP Exchange on the right sidebar of this blog exactly for this sort of thing. There is a link that says “click here to browse all listings” .  Simply click on that and then find the game that you want to buy from NU fans or sell to NU fans (at face value).  My email inbox is filling up with ‘Cats fans that live all across the country and are looking to come in to a game and want to connect with season ticket holders. HELP ME SEND THEM HERE! If you do transact here, let me know.

2) Context, folks, context - If you’re looking for economic reasons to take the plunge, then look no further than the official NU football ticket re-seller, Gold Coast Tickets. The few seats available between the 10-yard-line to 10-yard-line sideline seats START at about the same price as a season ticket ($200+).  End zone seats are going for $100. In May.  If you get a pair of season tickets, you can then get eight single game tickets. Do the math, spread the wealth and get a bunch of folks to go in on it with you.

3) Idea Generation – Shawn B. suggested the following idea and I’d love your feedback on it:

I’ve been thinking about your calls to take back Ryan Field, especially for the OSU and Mich games.  Some people have rallied behind your calls, others want to but are worried about bearing the risk of reselling the purchased single game/season tix in light of the relatively high cost for these games.

Leonard won two draw controls to help Northwester get out to a 17-7 draw control advantage. Leonard gave way to Gabriella Filbotte in the center circle for most of the game as she came up with four draw controls on the evening. That did not limit Leonard’s effectiveness. Leonard led the team with four goals on five shots on goal to help Northwestern enact the 10-goal mercy rule early on against Penn State and the running clock that comes with it.

To show how important that Leonard/Filbotte draw control team is, consider that in Northwestern’s two losses, the team lost the draw control battle 17-11 to Florida and defeated North Carolina 16-5. Winning draws is the first battle. Preventing turnovers is the next.

As the season has progressed, Kelly Amonte Hiller has used Filbotte more and more as the lady in the center circle, allowing Leonard to take her possession-protection skills on the offensive end where she can direct the offense and score more. Leonard has 36 goals and a team-best 12 assists. If the Wildcats are to get some revenge on the Tar Heels this week, Leonard will be a big part in directing the offense yet again.

Honorable Mentions

Zach Morton, Baseball: Northwestern’s baseball season ended with a bit of a thud in a three-game sweep at Wichita State. The Wildcats did not qualify for the Big Ten Baseball Tournament yet again. However, senior Zach Morton put in a fine showing in his final game wearing Northwestern purple. Morton fired seven shutout innings and added three hits in Northwestern’s 4-3 loss in 10 innings to Wichita State on Saturday, the final game of the season. Morton ended the season hitting .290 with a team-best 31 RBIs. He also was 3-5 in 14 appearances with a 2.86 ERA.

Nida Hamilton, Women’s Tennis: It was a controversial ending for the Wildcats at the NCAA Women’s Tennis Tournament against the Hurricanes. Northwestern rallied back to tie the match at 3-3 against Miami and Hamilton herself had to battle back to create the drama at the end. Hamilton lost the first set in a tiebreaker and then fought off three match points in the third set before the controversial finish ended her match with Miami’s Melissa Bolivar 6-4. Hamilton had her serve broken at 4-4 leading to the drama when her return to tie the match up again at five appeared to hit the line. Bolivar called it out, there was no challenge or disagreement from the umpire chair and Northwestern bowed out of the tournament. A great effort though from Hamilton at No. 6 singles to give Northwestern the chance to advance.

Jordan Willimovsky, Men’s Swimming: Willimovsky had a stellar freshman campaign for the Wildcats in the pool this winter. The accolades appear to be continuing outside of the pool. Willimovsky finished fourth in both the 10k and 5k of the USA Open Water National Championships, qualifying him for the United States’ World University Games team. Willimovsky finished in ninth place in the 10K at last year’s event, showing that he improved significantly after just one year at Northwestern.

NU is in the final five for 4-star TE/SB Garrett Dickerson. We’re up against Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan and Stanford.

Garrett Dickerson – SB/DE – The 4-star stud from Bergen Catholic (NJ) is one of the more unique candidates still on the board. A commitment by Dickerson – who has NU alongside Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan and Stanford as his finalists – and this class, despite its small size, would be cemented as a top 15 class in terms of quality.  Dickerson, as you likely know, is the younger brother of current WR, Cameron Dickerson. Yet, as InsideNU.com recently reported, it is his fellow Bergen Catholic teammate and 2014 commit, Kyle Queiro, who is putting the full court recruiting press on him. You just get the sense with this momentum that Dickerson will go purple, which would be beyond huge. Garrett is currently listed as the #5 TE in the nation by Rivals.com.

Noah Westerfield – LB/DE – The 2014 defensive standout from Frisco, Texas is pretty high on Northwestern as he counts offers from Duke, SMU and Boise State among his favorites. Westerfield has been high on NU since the day he received his offer and you get the sense it’s just a matter of time before he pulls the trigger.

Adarius Pickett – CB – Normally you’d consider a 4-star DB from El Cerritos, California a stretch for the Wildcats, especially considering his voluminous list of suitors includes the likes of Ohio State, USC, Oregon and oh, about a dozen others. However, based on the recent recruiting success, I’m done trying to predict what’s next in store for the ‘Cats. Pickett is unlikely to commit anywhere until the fall. Pickett perked my ears when he recently announced he’ll be paying a visit to the Northwestern campus  after the upcoming Rivals Five Star camp.

Ron Robinson – S – The 6-2, 195-pound DB from Santiago,  California is yet another top target in the secondary, a rather obvious theme for NU’s final third of the 2014 commitment list. Scout.com recently posted a glowing feature on the “big hitter”, who has mostly been courted by west coast schools. Nick Medline painted the Robinson picture to be a classic NU profile – a head turning player who has somehow stayed off the grid, for the most part.

Brandon Lee – LB – The Indianapolis native knocked out a visit to Evanston last month, yet the 4-star outside linebacker reported that he’s not close to making a decision. Lee’s offer list includes the likes of Michigan State, NC State, Purdue and Louisville among others, which will likely only increase as Scout has him listed as the 25^th best LB in the nation.

Parker Westphal – CB – Westphal is one of the few remaining crowned jewels in the Illinois area. He boasts 20 offers ranging from Florida to Syracuse to NU and now, Wisconsin.  The Bolingbrook, Illinois native has likely noticed the buzz in Evanston for this class, yet, Parker doesn’t intend to make a decision anytime soon.

Ladarius Wiley – CB – See a trend here? The ‘Cats are going west for their DB targets. Ladarius Wiley, of Cathedral High School in Los Angeles, has Northwestern atop his favorites list and the feeling appears to be mutual. The 3-star senior-to-be was offered early by NU, a very dominant theme in their recent success. Wiley holds offers from Cal, Cal Poly and Fresno State and the commentary on this rising junior reads like a classic NU tale – a diamond in the rough whom NU was confident in based on their own evaluations, not competitors offers.

There are several others in the mix for joining the ranks of the Wildcats, however, the above list seem to have a higher probability of being one of the next to create even more sizzle to a recruiting class that is now ranked 15^th by Scout.com and 17^th by ESPN.com.

Stoking the Illini Rivalry

Not a week goes by without some sort of jab between the Wildcats and Illini. Most recently, Illini blogger, The Champaign Room, posted this tongue-in-cheek accusation towards the Wildcats’ way as an explanation for our explosive recruiting results.

LTP Flag Project

OK, so today’s installment isn’t exactly a flag, but we still give props to Leonard Epstein (WCAS ’80) and his daughter, Sarah,  for sporting the purple on their recent trip to Angkor Wat in Cambodia.  We’ve got some loose “rules” on what constitutes a flag, so thanks for the effort Espteins!

Leonard & Sarah Epstein put Cambodia on the LTP Flag Project Map!

LTP Ticket Madness – Project Protect This House

Nothing like an Ohio State segue to drum up ticket support. I’ve learned that season ticket space is filling up fast and we’re now in to the corners of Ryan Field for season tickets.  All the more reason to step up NOW.  We’re also doing a fantastic job with specifically the  single game tickets for the Ohio State game, but we’ve got a long way to go. Folks, this isn’t some type of spin on my part…the time is now to lock in your tickets, especially if you want to improve your seats for next year.

Season Tickets - We did not add ANY new season tickets to the board this weekend.  Say it with me now…with Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Syracuse headlining a 7-game home slate on the heels of a 10-win season, now is the best time to get on board with season tickets. Simply call 888-Go-Purple and ask for Mike Zoller, then email me at laketheposts@gmail.com and we’ll give you a shout out. The ‘Cats play three night games (Syracuse, Western Michigan and Ohio State) this season and it is sure to crank up the level of fun for tailgating as well. You can also order NU season tickets online – click here to get right to the order page. 

Single Game Tickets (aka Project Protect This House vs OSU, Michigan) - Season ticket holders are afforded the exclusive right to gobble up as many as 10 single game tickets for ANY game, including Ohio State and Michigan.  Many of you are looking to buy single game tickets from existing season ticket holders – well, the LTP Exchange is now open for you to do just that!  A special shout out to Shawn B. who stepped up to help out a ’95 San Francisco alum and purchase 10 tickets on his behalf. Also, the handle Look Good In Purple has taken this project to the Rivals.com message boards which is yielding some movement. thanks to Shawn’s help we are now up to 148 on our way to a goal of 500 SINGLE GAME tickets in hopes of blocking the sea of Scarlet & Gray and Maize & Blue. I have another season ticket reader who is willing to purchase single game tickets for you. Just email me and I’ll connect you. 

You too can help us defend Ryan Field and box out the Buckeyes and Wolverines by purchasing single game tickets and start recruiting friends, neighbors and co-workers to join you for a one game experience that will whet their appetite for taking the plunge. We’ve just added a NEW scoreboard to track the single game tickets that you folks are starting to gobble up.   Email us your wins of buying single game tickets and we’ll give you a shout out. Simply email us at laketheposts@gmail.com.

Please use the LTP EXCHANGE to help your efforts!!!

Northwestern and lacrosse fans will get to enjoy this tradition yet again as Northwestern easily dispatched Penn State 15-7 at Lakeside Field on Saturday. The win sends Northwestern to the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament semifinals for the ninth straight year and keeps the dream of an eighth national championship in those eight years well and alive.

 

I think down the stretch the girls have been really focused, and it takes a lot of focus to be able to put a team away,” Kelly Amonte Hiller said after winning her 34th career NCAA Tournament game. “You have them on the ropes, you got to get that knockout punch and I think earlier in the year we lacked the focus to be able to get over the hump. Every single player since our loss to Florida has been really committed, and that’s the difference, that level of focus.

The Wildcats got four goals from Alyssa Leonard and three goals from Erin Fitzgerald. Kelly Rich came off the bench to score two goals as well.

The final score made the score look much closer than it actually was.

Northwestern did not allow a shot for the first 17 minutes and brought the 10-goal mercy rule into play in a national quarterfinal game! The Wildcats took a 13-3 lead into the halftime locker room. They eventually went up 15-3 and had the Nittany Lions scrambling just to get possession. Northwestern won 13 of the first 17 draw controls and forced seven Penn State turnovers in the first half.

Thorough domination adequately describes how Northwestern advance in this one.

The Wildcats are on the war path, but they will avoid their ALC nemesis from Gainesville. Florida lost to Syracuse in another quarterfinal. The Gators are out of sight, out of mind. Northwestern’s next focus is North Carolina. The Wildcats face off with the Tar Heels in Philadelphia on Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT (game is at Villanova for those Philadelphia Wildcats).

The Tar Heels handed the Wildcats their first of two losses this year, an 11-8 loss in Chapel Hill. Northwestern will have its work cut out for it. But after a close call to Penn State in the ALC Semifinals, NU has run off an 8-3 win over Florida, a 15-8 win over Stanford and Saturday’s 15-7 win over Penn State.

In typical Kelly Amonte Hiller team fashion, Northwestern has not taken kindly to losing or near losses and are playing their best lacrosse at the end of the season. The road to a national championship continues onward.