NORTHWESTERN WINS!

The Wildcats held on to win, 15-13, for their third consecutive national championship. Which means that their coach, Kelly Amonte Hiller, has been associated with the only two teams to win three consecutive national championships in women's lax history. You can only wonder what the most successful coach in women's collegiate lacrosse earns.

And how much Ivy League or ACC schools would be willing to pay to lure her away from the Midwest. But Amonte Hiller who, like her big brother Tony, has found her greatest athletic success in Chicago, may just be tempted to stay. She's building something special and athletic director Mark Murphy (yes, the former Washington Redskins safety) sure digs her. Murphy was one of the first to give Amonte Hiller a hug when the clock hit 0:00.

One funny moment: Don't know how it happened, but Northwestern's Kristen Kjellman grabbed the NCAA championship trophy only moments after the clock ran out. The entire team was buzzing around Kjellman, as she held the trophy aloft, while the P.A. announcer asked that we "please remain off the field for the trophy presentation". It seemed that Kjellman pre-empted that.

Oh, and by the way, yes, this is the same Northwestern squad that was involved in the scandalous, sandalous White House visit two years ago. You remember. They won their first national championship and were invited to the Rose Garden in July for the presidential photo op. And a few people were upset that some of the players wore sandals instead of dress shoes. And that was the one thing anyone outside of Evanston could tell you about Northwestern lacrosse.

Now, however, they've won three in a row. The Wildcats are a burgeoning dynasty and their terrific coach, just 33 years old, is a rising star in women's collegiate athletics. Even though she still looks young enough to be playing.