Women's Hockey in High Gear
Goal-scorer Hilary Witt boosts Huskies' hopes.
By Paul Perillo
Hilary Witt was sick and tired of only watching hockey
games. Growing up in Canton, Massachusetts, Witt was constantly at the
rink watching her older brother play. Her parents would let her go out
and skate once in a while, but she finally put a stop to all the spectating
when she demanded equal time.
"I was always at the games," says Witt. "I begged my
parents to let me play and I finally convinced them. I loved it right away.
I already knew all the kids because of my brother-and playing was a lot
better than watching."
Witt played on boys' teams until she was twelve, switching to all-girls
teams with the Assabet Valley program. It was with the Assabet team that
she blossomed into one of the top goal-scorers in Massachusetts, playing
on two state championship teams (1991 and 1994).
Even so, she remembers her first year at Assabet Valley as a big adjustment
because the level of play wasn't what she was used to. After playing for
several years with boys, she found the all-girls team to be a drop-off
in talent.
Witt has maintained her superiority in the years since, even as the
general skill level of women's hockey has improved dramatically. Arriving
at N.U. in 1996, the twenty-year-old junior has led the Huskies in goals
in each of her two seasons. Her fifty-eight points led the team last year.
But offense is not her only strength, according to coach Heather Linstad.
"Hilary is one of the best two-way forwards to come through the
ECAC," says Linstad, who began her seventh season at N.U. in November.
"You would think a goal-scorer wouldn't be the best back-checker,
but she is tremendous defensively. She has great hands, not the hardest
shot, but she finds the corners and puts them away. People are always looking
for her, but she still finds a way to score."
The team's success has mirrored Witt's. In 199697, her first season,
the Huskies went 27-9 and captured the Eastern College Athletic Conference
championship, at that time considered the unofficial national title. It
was Witt's pair of goals that provided the margin of victory in the 3-2
win over New Hampshire in the championship game, earning her ECAC tournament
MVP honors.
Last season, the Huskies' 26-6-5 record was good enough to qualify for
the ECAC semifinals, where N.U. was upset by Princeton, 3-2. Despite that
loss, Northeastern advanced to the final four of the first-ever Women's
College Hockey Association tournament. The team earned a third-place finish
after losing to Brown (3-2) and defeating Minnesota (4-0) in the consolation
game.
"Winning the ECAC two years ago was amazing," says Witt. "I've
never felt anything like that day . . . it was one of the best days of
my life, definitely as far as hockey is concerned.
"Last year, we thought we had a shot to win it all. We came close,
but didn't quite make it. I think we can surprise some people this year.
I don't think any other team has the depth we have. We have five strong
defensemen returning, plus freshmen stepping in. With two great goalies
and our defense, we'll be tough to stop."
Witt is surely the main reason the Huskies will be hard to beat. Her
56 goals have her on pace to surpass the school record of 87, set by Carolyn
Sullivan (198084). Linstad, for one, recognizes Witt's talents and
believes her star winger is destined for bigger things.
"She went to the Olympic trials last year and played very well,"
says Linstad, who feels Witt is a perfect candidate to represent the U.S.
at the Salt Lake City games in 2000. "She had a bad hip before her
sophomore year, and then went to the trials. She's a very gifted goal-scorer
and was leading the trials in goals, basically skating on one leg."
"Playing at the trials was a great experience for me," says
Witt. "I didn't really expect to make the team, but it was kind of
embarrassing because I couldn't skate [due to the hip injury]. Now I know
what I have to do. Playing in the Olympics would be a possibility, but
it's still a long way away."
With her hip at 100 percent after arthroscopic surgery last fall, it's
been full speed ahead for Witt and the Huskies. Linstad is excited about
plans to charge for game tickets for the first time, making the team a
potential revenue-producer. Another first for the women was a Friday night
game, played November 20 against Cornell.
"We're still working on marketing and drawing enthusiasm,"
says Linstad. "Women's hockey is starting to generate a little momentum,
with the Olympians returning to the league [last] year. Hopefully, with
players like Hilary, we can continue to build on that and establish ourselves
for the future."
Seniors Hoop It Up
When men's basketball coach Rudy Keeling arrived at
Northeastern two years ago, he wasn't sure if the team's returning players
had what it took to become quality Division 1 performers.
The Huskies had gone 4-24 in 199596, the most dismal record in
school history. In coach Dave Leitao's second and final season, lightning
struck. One player was suspended and missed the entire season, another
flunked out of school, and just about everyone else decided to leave.
Harold Miller, who along with Lin Lattimore represents the lone holdover
from Leitao's regime, is a senior now. He chose to stay and fight to put
Northeastern basketball back on the map.
"When I got the job here, I felt we had players that just weren't
good enough," says Keeling. "To be honest, the jury was still
out on Harold. I had a long meeting with him in my office and since then,
there's been a 180-degree turnaround in his play."
While the team's fortunes haven't improved quite to that degree, N.U.
has gone from 4 wins in 199596 to 7 wins the next year to 14 last
year. Miller's development clearly has had a lot to do with that.
"Sure I thought about leaving," says Miller, a native of Waterbury,
Connecticut, who plans to attend graduate school after completing his degree
in sociology. "I wasn't playing much, we were losing, the crowds were
small, and I felt there was a lot of conflict between the coaches and the
players.
"I really can't explain why I stayed. There was some inner voice
telling me to work harder. Lin and I stayed and we decided we weren't leaving
until we made our mark and put N.U. back on top."
Lattimore has provided Keeling with a badly needed inside presence.
While the six-foot-seven-inch native of Morganton, North Carolina, has
had his ups and downs over the past three years, he has often been Northeastern's
lone frontcourt player with the size and skills necessary to compete with
opposing big men in the America East Conference.
Miller, a guard, has blossomed under Keeling's guidance. His average
has steadily climbed, reaching 13.5 points per game last season, while
his turnovers have dropped dramatically. He also averaged a career-high
four assists per game last year.
But according to Keeling, Miller's greatest advancement as a player
has been off the court. After being content to follow the pack early in
his career, he is now a bona fide leader. Keeling credits much of that
to last year's captain, Ty Mack, who set the example for Miller.
"Harold was a tremendous scorer in high school and I think maybe
he was a little selfish at first," says Keeling. "After watching
Ty the past two years, it's been a total transformation. He's a good student,
he's a leader, and he tries to do whatever it takes to win."
At five feet ten inches and 160 pounds, Miller is small in stature,
but Keeling describes him as "very strong" and "an extremely
tough competitor." He uses his exceptional speed on offense and has
learned to complement his scoring prowess with improved passing.
Miller and Lattimore, along with teammates Changa Adams and Jean Bain,
participated in the Beantown Pro-Am League this summer in Boston and performed
well. The league includes top college players from the area and several
NBA players.
"I think the Pro-Am was a measure of how good we can be,"
says Miller. "We held our own individually and as a team. Jean, Changa,
and I all made the all-league team, so the potential for our success is
there. We have the confidence and know if we can play to our potential,
we can keep up with anyone."
Return to top of
page