Northwestern's Lasota leads Canada to U-19 World Championship

Selena Lasota, the talented rising sophomore who finished last season as Northwestern lacrosse's leading scorer, helped lead Canada to its first ever championship in in the gold-medal game on Saturday of the 2015 FIL Rathbones Women's Lacrosse U-19 World Championship, held in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Although lacrosse fans may be disheartened to see her 9-8 victory came over the United States in the gold-medal game, now at least they have a better understanding of how tough it can be to play against Lasota, known for her aggressive style and unique free-position shots, who usually lines up as an attacker in the purple and white.

Lasota was a huge reason for team Canada's historic victory, earning Player of the Match honors befitting her stat line: three goals, two assists, three draw controls and a pair of caused turnovers. Her final goal of the game ended up the game winner after she drove right and finished top-shelf over the keeper, making the score 9-7 Canada.

In the spring, we chronicled Lasota's rise from seemingly out of nowhere to become an unlikely superstar. She finished the season as the fifth-leading scorer in the nation with 69 goals, but the Wildcats season ultimately ended in disappointment after a 14-7 record with a national quarterfinal loss to arch-rival Maryland.

Any success the Wildcats have this year will likely involve another standout season from the young Canadian.