May 02--Penn State not only knocked Northwestern out of the Big Ten lacrosse tournament Friday but likely killed the Wildcats' chances of having at least one home game in the NCAA tournament when the field and pairings are announced Sunday.
The No. 7 Nittany Lions (13-4) dominated the sloppy No. 9 Wildcats (12-6) for the second time in two weeks, this one a 13-10 victory in the semifinals at Rutgers.
Penn State, which had lost 18 straight to Northwestern before a 14-10 win April 19 in Evanston, goes on to meet the Maryland -- Ohio State winner in Sunday's final.
Northwestern has always had at least one NCAA tourney home game in 11 straight appearances under coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, during which it has won seven national titles and made the Final Four ten years in a row.
The top eight seeds in the 26-team field are at home in the opening rounds, with the top four also getting a shot at home field advantage in the quarterfinals.