BOSTON (AP) - Northwestern trailed late in the first half of the NCAA women's lacrosse championship, then took another hit when leading scorer Kristen Kjellman left the game with a sprained right ankle.

Northwestern players celebrate their 7-4 victory against Dartmouth after the game of NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship final, Sunday, May 28, 2006, in Boston. (AP Photo/Chitose Suzuki)

To compensate for Kjellman's absence and her team's stagnant offense, Wildcats coach Kelly Amonte Hiller shuffled her lineup and switched Sarah Albrecht from midfield to attack.

The move paid off immediately.

Albrecht scored two second-half goals and added an assist to lead Northwestern to its second consecutive NCAA title with a 7-4 win over Dartmouth on Sunday.

"We felt like we need a little bit more of a boost offensively," Hiller said. "(Albrecht) responded right from that first whistle. I don't think it mattered where I put her, she was just on a mission to really put the team on her back and lead this team to another championship."

Albrecht, who scored the game-winning goal in Northwestern's 11-10 overtime win over Duke in the semifinals Friday, was selected tournament MVP.

Aly Josephs added a game-high four goals for the Wildcats, who became the first team in school history to win back-to-back national titles.

Northwestern trailed 1-0, 3-2 and 4-3 before scoring the game's final four goals to become the only team this year to beat Dartmouth after trailing at halftime.

Albrecht's second goal of the second half tied it at 4 with 22:06 remaining in the game. Josephs then bounced the ball off the ground and past Dartmouth goalie Devon Wills for the winning score with 20:27 left.

Josephs added two more late goals to put the game out of reach.

"Kristen has done so much for us all year, I just wanted to step up," Josephs said. "We were kind of playing for her and we knew somebody would step up."

Lindsey Munday also scored for the Wildcats.

Kjellman, a finalist for the Tewaaraton Award as the nation's top player, returned early in the second half, but was held without a point for the only time this season.

With Kjellman ailing, Northwestern _ the nation's highest-scoring team _ was held to a season low in goals scored. But the Wildcats relied on a stingy defense to outscore Dartmouth 5-1 in the second half and hold the Big Green scoreless for the final 24:49.

Northwestern outshot Dartmouth 22-10 and Morgan Lathrop made two saves to help the Wildcats tie a season low for goals allowed. The two teams combined for the lowest point total in a championship game since 1985.

"They really flustered our attackers," Wills said. "They flustered us in the midfield, they really knew how to get us out of our rhythm."

Northwestern, which also set a season low for goals in a half after hitting the post five times in the first half, trailed 3-2 at halftime. But Albrecht tied it at 3 early in the second half, and the teams traded goals before Northwestern's scoring barrage.

"I think (Albrecht) is their heart and soul," Dartmouth coach Amy Patton said. "The kid plays with a lot of emotion. When Kjellman went out, I knew that (Albrecht) would probably be the one to step it up."

Casey Hazel, Kristen Barry, Jen Pittman and Sarah Szefi each scored for Dartmouth, which advanced to the championship game for the first time in team history.