Kelly Wilk-Carroll, Class of 1995, has been elected to the NU Hall of Fame for excellence in the sport of field hockey.
Wilk became one of the most efficient scoring machines in the Huskies' illustrious field hockey history and led Northeastern to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments during her career.
A native of West Warren, Mass., Wilk set all the field hockey records at Quaboag Regional High School. She graduated with an incredible 83 goals and All-America honors. She was elected to the Border Conference All-Star team three times and, as a senior, was voted the Central Massachusetts Player of the Year.
She quickly proved her secondary school credentials valid at Northeastern. Wilk had eight goals and two assists for 18 points as the Huskies finished the year 15-6-2 and went on to the NCAA Tournament. They defeated New Hampshire 2-1 in the first round then bowed out to North Carolina in the quarterfinals. Her efforts earned her North Atlantic Conference Rookie of the Year honors.
Her sophomore season proved to be one of the greatest ever by a Northeastern athlete. She set Huskies records for goals in a season, with 24, and points in a season, with 54. She was voted first-team All-North Atlantic Conference and first-team All-Northeast Region. The team enjoyed a 15-6-2 record, won the NAC's first conference tournament and once again qualified for the NCAA Tournament. Wilk scored the game-winning goal as NU defeated Providence, 2-1, in the first round, but the team again fell to UNC in the quarterfinals 3-1.
In Wilk's junior season, coach Cheryl Murtagh moved her from the forward position to midfield to take maximum advantage of her great passing skills. This move, though beneficial to the team, limited her goal scoring. She tallied 17 goals and one assist for 35 points as Northeastern went 12-9-1. The Huskies qualified for NCAA play once again. In round one versus Massachusetts, they went into double overtime locked at 1-1, and once again it was Wilk who netted the game-winner. Old Dominion ended the Huskies' season in the next round, 4-1. She was voted first team All-NAC and second-team All-America.
In her senior season, she was elected captain and, behind a 15-7-1 record, they went to the NCAA Tournament again, only to lose in round one to Maryland. Wilk had a 10-goal, six-assist campaign for 26 points and was voted first-team All-NAC for the third straight year and was selected first-team All-America.
Wilk's career totals of 59 goals and 133 points rewrote the Huskies' record book. Her six goals and 13 points in NCAA play remain a Northeastern mark 15 years later.
