Four titles and counting, NU lacrosse keeps rolling on

It's possible Christy Finch simply lost track.

I mean, really, who could blame her?

When I asked the lacrosse star which of Northwestern's national titles was her favorite, her response amused me.

"This last one was probably my favorite… so far," said Finch, a senior defender.

So far?

Is Finch expecting another?

Maybe she just lost count and forgot that this last one -- which NU sewed up last weekend by defeating Penn on her game-winning goal -- makes four in a row. And that means that her run, and eligibility, is finally done.

But what a run it was.

She is one of four Wildcats who have been part of a spectacular feat -- four years as a college athlete, four national championships.

"I've never won like that before," she said with a laugh.

But then, who has?

Not many. Teammates Quinn Cammarota, Lindsay North and Fallon McGraw are the other lucky few who helped Northwestern to its first national title in 2005 and who haven't let up since.

I have to say it again. Four-for-four. Amazing.

"It hasn't really sunk in and I don't know if it really will," said Finch. "It's so surreal. Sometimes it doesn't even feel like we really did it."

But, of course, the Wildcats did. Now NU is a contender to become the greatest women's lacrosse program ever. Only Maryland has won more titles, claiming seven in a row from 1995 to 2001.

But with only four seniors on the 32-player roster, this was NU's rebuilding year. So, more titles seem imminent for this little Midwest dynasty.

"I don't know if we can go putting labels like that on it," said Finch, who echoed her head coach, Kelly Amonte Hiller, and downplayed the dynasty talk. "Maybe when we get to seven we can talk like that.

"Right now, I just think that things are going in the right direction. It's good that our program, and Northwestern, is getting some recognition. We've set the standard."

Finch credits the players who were seniors during her freshman year for setting the tone for such high standards.

That 2005 team went undefeated (21-0) and was determined to win the program's first title. In doing so, NU became the first team outside the Eastern time zone to win an NCAA national lacrosse title at any level.

"I really had no idea this would happen when I first got here," Finch said. "I was just excited to play Division I lacrosse.

"But the seniors set an early tone. They were always pushing the rest of us to be better and they set the goal of winning the national championship. That's what we worked toward every day.

"Every year since then, the goal has been the same."

Another common thread has been Amonte Hiller, who took a team that was at club status in 2001 to national champion in just four years.

Amonte Hiller is well versed in what it takes to be a national champion. She won titles with Maryland in 1995 and 1996 and was national player of the year twice.

"So much of this is Kelly," Finch said. "She takes risks and she's built this program the way she wants it to be. She found players who believed in that, and she's been the reason we've been back every year."

Getting back every year also means returning to the jewelry store every year, too.

For each national title, the Wildcats get a national championship ring, which the senior class gets to design.

This time, it's Finch's turn to put her touch on a ring.

"It'll be nice," Finch said of the ring. "(Getting rings) never gets old."

But does wearing them? Four rings is a lot of bling, after all?

"I only wear them every now and then," Finch said. "They're too precious, you know?"

Purple power

The awards keep piling up for the Northwestern women's lacrosse team.

Less than a week after the Wildcats brought home their fourth straight national title, junior midfielder Hannah Nielsen was named the top collegiate player in the nation, earning the Tewaaraton Trophy.

A finalist last season, Nielsen becomes the second NU player to capture the sport's most prestigious award. Former teammate Kristen Kjellman took home the trophy in 2006 and 2007.

Nielsen led the Wildcats in points for the second straight year with 114. She became the first player in the program's history to put together back-to-back 100-point seasons.

Going for the gold

Looks like Sky rookie center Sylvia Fowles will be among the U.S. players who will try to win gold at the Olympics this summer.

The Sky sent out a press release on Friday indicating that a Sky player made the U.S. national team and that the official announcement would be made today at a fan event at the Rockit Bar and Grill, 22 W. Hubbard St. Chicago.

Fowles was the only Sky player to work out with the national team last month. She also traveled to China with the team to play in a series of exhibition games.

Softball city

DePaul junior third baseman Amber Patton was named a Louisville Slugger/National Fastpitch Coaches Association all-American.

Patton, who earned second-team honors at third base, became the program's 22nd all-American.

The junior wrapped up her third consecutive team batting title after leading the Blue Demons and the Big East Conference with a .403 average. Patton tallied a school-record and conference-best 87 hits on the season.

Meanwhile, at Loyola, senior designated hitter Kat Krause was named third team academic all-America by ESPN Magazine.

The most prolific power hitter in school history, Krause is the first-ever softball player at Loyola to earn Academic All-America honors.

This spring, the former Hersey star led Loyola with 6 home runs and a .457 slugging percentage, while batting .252 with 8 doubles, 16 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 48 contests. She finished her career as Loyola's all-time leader in both home runs (32) and RBI (93).