Choosing a college is no easy task, especially for a highly touted lacrosse recruit. But for Danielle Spencer, the choice was easy. Her best friend from high school, Hilary Bowen, committed to play for Northwestern, and in the spring of her junior year she watched the Wildcats win their first national title.
"When they won, it was an easy decision," Spencer said. "If they hadn't won, I still would have leaned there because of Hilary, but that really sealed the deal. I want to play at the best place I can and this is obviously the best."
Now the 6-foot sophomore attacker is leading the charge on NU's offense alongside Bowen, her teammate at Brighton High School in Rochester, N.Y., adding firepower to an already explosive unit.
"(Spencer) is just so powerful," junior midfielder Hannah Nielsen said. "I don't think there is anyone out there who can stop her at full speed with the ball."
Although Spencer is head and shoulders above the competition, as well as her own team, being tall does have its drawbacks.
"Height is a bonus factor on attack and the draw," Spencer said, "but defensively my feet aren't as quick, and that's something I've had to work on. It's hard for me when I go one way to recover than it is for smaller girls. I have to get extra low to be in the same realm as other girls."
Spencer has scored in all 10 of the Cats' games this season and is second on the team in goals scored behind Bowen with 33. She is also tied for first on the team in draw controls with 30.
Spencer's improvement this season has been the result of hard work and increased playing time.
"I think she is so much more confident and aggressive this year and is one of the hardest workers on the team," coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. "She has done a lot outside of practice to make herself better and taken a lot of responsibility to do that."
After coming off the bench in 17 games last season to finish with 11 goals, Spencer said she wanted to use her freshman season as a "dress rehearsal" for this season.
2008 Woodie Awards
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