A-Mass-ing right recruits

The 1992 Thayer Academy graduate took on the task of establishing a program that had operated as a club team from 1993 to 2001. When she began the recruiting process, she looked in the backyards of her hometown, convincing players to leave the comforts of New England and build a program.

For each player who made that leap, another followed.

Two weeks ago, Northwestern captured its fifth consecutive NCAA Division 1 title, capping a perfect 23-0 season, with a 21-7 thumping of North Carolina. And on the field, sharing in the celebration with Amonte Hiller were eight Wildcats hailing from the Bay State, including seven from towns south of Boston.

"When I first got the job, those were the kids that I knew being from that area," said Amonte Hiller, who recorded her 20th straight tournament win. "I had a good sense of comfort with those kids and where they came from. That's kind of who I built the program around, and we continue to get strong kids from the Massachusetts area. I think our success on the national scene has helped the New England area in terms of recruiting more and more."

A pair of local players, former Globe Player of the Year Meredith Frank of Westwood, and Caitlin Jackson of Norwell, were part of a senior class that ended its four-year run with an 84-3 record and four national titles. This year's unbeaten season was the second in program history.

"Nowhere in my wildest dreams did I think we would compete in four final fours and eventually win four national championships," said Frank, a midfielder and attack who netted 30 goals and 11 assists in 23 games this season, including a pair of goals in the final.

"My dream was to go to school and play lacrosse. . . . To win a national championship and have four national titles when I'm leaving school is surreal and extremely humbling."

Before graduating from Westwood High in 2005, Frank was considering Northwestern and Harvard as possible choices.

At the time, former Westwood standout Kristen Kjellman, in the midst of her stellar career at Northwestern, raved about the program to Frank.

Kjellman boasted about the school and the program. And Frank knew of Amonte Hiller from her involvement in the lacrosse community. The two factors were enough to convince Frank to join the Wildcats. Her experience also influenced her younger sister, Alex, a freshman this past season, to join the program.

Frank "was an unsung hero this year because she did so much but didn't get a lot of credit," Amonte Hiller said.

While some athletes sifted through dozens of recruiting letters, Jackson said she pursued Northwestern. The midfielder was a key player on Norwell's 2005 Division 2 championship team, but described herself as a "raw talent" looking to build on her high school experience. On an unofficial visit, Jackson said she was gathered with a number of recruits and someone pointed out the chemistry of the potential freshmen in the room.

"Everything just clicked with the girls, and that was what sold it for me," Jackson said.

Jackson played in all 23 games this season and found a way to make an impact off the field, using her graphic design skills to create T-shirt designs to motivate her teammates.

"Caitlin is an inspirational person and player on the field," Amonte Hiller said. "She's so hard-working and so involved with the dynamic of the team."

Different influences may have affected Jackson and Frank, but they both ended up at Northwestern. The two played against each other in high school and participated in clinics and tournaments together, but didn't get to know each other until college. They joined a group of players from Massachusetts who offered comfort when symptoms of homesickness arrived.

"You have that support system and familiarity, and it's something not a lot of student athletes get to have," Frank said. "I feel extremely lucky."

The players gather to watch Red Sox and Yankees games and toss out playful jabs at teammates from other parts of the East Coast. Amonte Hiller said while she has recruited a number of players from Massachusetts, she makes a point of seeking out talent in other parts of the country.

"All of the players come out and unite under the common team as the Wildcats," Frank said.

When Frank and Jackson arrived at Northwestern, the Wildcats were distancing themselves from the early years. In both 2002 and 2003, the team didn't win more than eight games. In 2005, the program captured its first national title and hasn't looked back.

"It was very emotional for me," said Amonte Hiller of the 2009 championship. "It was a great day to see that senior class go out on top, and I couldn't have been more excited to have represented Northwestern and my family in such a positive way."

"The biggest thing that Kelly taught me was to always have confidence in myself," Frank said. "She helped me improve my shooting and my defense, all of those tactical things, but it was the intangible things that helped me have such success."

Jackson said she has also become a stronger player and more confident person after this experience and that "I'm going to miss having 30 of my closest friends around every day."

Junior Sarah Harrington (Westwood), sophomore Rachel Fox (Andover), senior Ali Jacobs (Westwood), sophomore Darcy St. Clair-Barrie (Scituate/Brooks School) and freshman Marie Tedeschi (Norwell/Thayer Academy) were also members of the NCAA champions.

Monique Walker can be reached at mwalker@globe.com.