Northwestern Lacrosse Talks Importance of Draw Controls in Exhilarating Win

The 'Cats maintained possession for much of the fourth quarter against Boston College.

Northwestern's Sam Smith fights for possession. | Photo: Northwestern Athletics

Down 11-6 heading into the fourth quarter against Boston College yesterday, the 'Cats needed to put the ball in the net quickly and often. With a trip to the NCAA Championship Game on the line, time was running out.

In those moments, teams of course lean on their offensive talent, and Northwestern did just that. NCAA all-time single-season goal leader Madison Taylor scored twice during Northwestern's shocking comeback against the Eagles. The rest of her team came up with the other four to take the lead.

But none of that would have been possible without the work of Sam Smith and others in the draw circle. While the 'Cats turned the ball over 18 times in the contest, they kept creating possessions off the draw, finishing up 19-8 in that category.

"We're never out of a game because of Sam Smith and our draw team," Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said postgame. "Sam is the ultimate competitor."

In the fourth quarter especially, when the pressure was on and the 'Cats desperately needed the ball on their sticks, Smith and her team dominated. Northwestern out-drew BC by a whopping 6-1 margin in the final quarter alone.

"We really knew that we needed possession in those moments, and we fought hard for the ball," Smith said.

Offense is always the easiest thing to appreciate in any sport but especially lacrosse where goals are scored fairly often. Watching Northwestern, the defense is easy to appreciate too. But both units are reliant on the 'Cats securing possession in the draw circle more often than not.

As of late, that's been happening, and it has led to a lot of success. Northwestern will try to cap off its season with a National Championship against North Carolina on Sunday, and it will need Smith and the draw-team to do more of the same.