Answers to all your questions.
There has been a lot of shuffling in the rankings and a ton of upsets this season. In the tournament, NU is the No. 1 seed, Penn State the No. 2, Maryland the No. 3 and Michigan the No. 4. Do you feel like these seedings accurately reflect the strength of these teams?
Jason Boue
Well, Northwestern is definitely the No. 1 seed. After that, it doesn’t really matter, to be honest. But if I must answer, I would say that Michigan is probably the second-best team in the conference. Watch last weekend’s Wildcat vs. Wolverine matchup if you need further proof. The next two spots are honestly a toss-up for me, but Maryland’s recent regression will push them into the fourth spot.
Brendan Preisman
I agree with Jason, I think Michigan being the No. 4 seed is an extraordinarily unlucky break for the Wildcats. According to the IWLCA (Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaching Association), Michigan is easily the second-best team in the conference, checking in at No. 5 nationally (Maryland is No. 7, Johns Hopkins is No. 15, and Penn State is No. 16). I agree with the IWLCA: while the loss to Maryland at the end of March was concerning, Michigan’s scored at least 12 goals in every game since then. The Nittany Lions aren’t a squad to be ignored, though: they just took down Maryland in College Park on April 13, so they’re pretty easily the third-best team in the conference right now.
Yanyan Li
I’m not a fan of the seeding being correlated to Big Ten play, only because I don’t think it is representative of how good each team is. Michigan being the No. 4 seed is very misleading, because had just a few things gone different against Northwestern, it could have been the No. 1 seed. In addition, the Wolverines have a better overall record (14-2) than No. 2 Penn State (9-6) and No. 3 Maryland (12-4) and the same Big Ten conference record (4-2), so despite their seeding, I believe they are the second-best team in the conference.
Penn State is an erratic team, but it’s fair to put the team as a high seed. Despite having bad losses to Ohio State, Drexel, Colorado, and Princeton, the Nittany Lions have beaten teams like top-seeded Northwestern and Maryland, so top teams shouldn’t be underestimating them. After all, you have to beat the best to be the best.
Sarah Effress
Northwestern is the clear favorite to win the Big Ten Tournament, so a one-seed feels appropriate, but then the lines begin to blur. Having been the only team in the conference to overcome the defending national champs, Penn State does make the most sense to take the two-seed, especially after beating Maryland. There’s little separating the Terps and Wolverines from there.
Sophia Vlahakis
For a season recap: Northwestern beat Michigan and Maryland, Penn State beat Northwestern and Maryland, Maryland beat Michigan, and Michigan beat Penn State. 2024 definitely has not been the most consistent, hence the seeding in this tournament.
The ‘Cats are the clear No. 1 in the division and the country. Having the best offense in the country and picking up wins against the most contested non-Big Ten teams in Boston College and Syracuse solidifies that. Beyond Northwestern’s rankings, it’s all up in the air, but right now, all eyes are on Michigan.
The Wolverines lost by just one goal against the Wildcats and held the lead at the half in last week’s regular-season finale. The No. 1 defense in the country showed it could easily hang with Northwestern, solidifying its legitimacy in not just the conference, but all around. So while logically the record may put Penn State at No. 2 and Michigan at No. 4, the Wolverines just proved to be pretty darn close to the same level as the Wildcats.
Rather than look at the Big Ten seeding, the IWLCA’s rankings are more indicating of where talent is at, with NU being trailed by Michigan at No. 5, Maryland at No. 7 and Penn State at No. 16.
What is Northwestern’s biggest challenge to winning back-to-back Big Ten titles?
Jason Boue
I said this on Winning the Draw with Ethan Segall, and I’ll say it again: Northwestern’s biggest challenge to winning back-to-back Big Ten (and national) titles is… (drumroll, please)… the Northwestern Wildcats. At the end of the day, they have everything in place needed to repeat. Erin Coykendall, Izzy Scane and Madison Taylor are the best attacking trio in the country, the Smith sisters dominate the circle and Molly Laliberty and the defense are battle-tested. They just have to make sure they put it all together at the right time. Do the little things right. Pass and catch. Scoop ground balls. Be dynamic. At the end of the day, they just need to play lacrosse. Tap into the ebbs and flows of the lake, and let it hum. Chemistry is this team’s greatest asset, and they need to take advantage of that.
Brendan Preisman
This answer is obvious: it’s the Michigan team that’s been just a few plays away from beating Northwestern twice in a row. Former Wildcat Hannah Nielsen has built the Wolverines into a legitimate title threat, and their collection of individual top-end talent is pretty close to Northwestern’s level. The key is Erin O’Grady: the junior goalkeeper has a save percentage of 58.9% — for context, only one other goalkeeper in the nation has a save percentage of over 53%. Maddie Burns was a unanimous First-Team All-Big Ten selection, and O’Grady, Kaylee Dyer, and Jill Smith joined her on the first team. The only team with more than four first-teamers? Northwestern. Let’s be clear: Northwestern is probably a better team, but Michigan is one of the few teams that can look the Lake Show in the eyes and not back down. They’ve kept ground balls and the draw circle relatively even in the last two games, and if that pattern continues, Michigan might be able to pull off a paradigm-shifting victory.
Yanyan Li
The draw control. Yes, there have been exceptions to this (the Maryland game where NU dominated but lost the draw and the Penn State game where NU got twice as many draws as the Nittany Lions but still lost, to be precise), but typically Northwestern wins games when it dominates on the draw and doesn’t let its opponents touch the ball offensively. The proof is in the Michigan game — in the third quarter where the Wildcats scored seven goals, they beat the Wolverines 9-1 in the draw circle. But if they face a team with good attackers that wins draws and knows how to keep the ball on their side, they could struggle, like what happened against Notre Dame and the earlier parts of the Michigan game where the Wolverines seemed to be scoring every time they got possession. Many of Northwestern’s issues this season (in the rare moments where the team even had issues) came from purely struggling to get the ball, and getting draw controls will eliminate that problem. As we go further and further into the season, it becomes clearer and clearer just how important Samantha Smith and company are to this team.
Sarah Effress
Honestly, themselves. One would hope that two regular season losses would be sufficient bumps in the road after last year to remind the ‘Cats what they stand to lose, but if anything is going to take this team out of contention for the conference title, it’s its own mental blocks.
Sophia Vlahakis
Externally, Michigan. Internally, composure.
If it hasn’t been clear yet, the Wolverines have momentum in their favor. They could have easily pulled out the win against the ‘Cats, and that’s plain and simple. For as dominant as NU is in the first quarter, it was held to just one goal, and while NU carried a three-goal lead into the last quarter, the Wolverines tied it back up. If Michigan’s top scorer Jill Smith hadn’t received two cards to end the game, the outcome could have been different. All that to say, the Wolverines want to avenge their loss.
Throughout this season, Northwestern has impressed with its ability to take over games in the second half, even when not starting out strong (see Michigan). Being comfortable with the uncomfortable is crucial for the ‘Cats.
What is the storyline you’re most interested in for the tournament?
Jason Boue
This is niche, but I’m excited to see what attendance is like for the tournament games on the lake. Martin Stadium is about to get a major upgrade for the next two seasons, so this is a perfect opportunity to show that more than just football will be able to fill the stadium. The NU Lax lakeside atmosphere is one of the best in the sport, so it will be great to watch it shine over the next few weeks.
Brendan Preisman
How’s Maryland going to respond after not finishing top two in their conference for the first time in 18 years? Before 2024, the Terrapins had played eight Big Ten seasons and lost a total of seven conference games. The last time Maryland finished third or worse in a conference, it was 2006, Cindy Timchal was the coach (in her last season), and the Terrapins failed to win a single NCAA tournament game. This team’s got eight All-Big Ten selections (the most in the conference), and clearly has the talent to make a run. But ever since April hit, Maryland has looked very shaky.
Yanyan Li
I’m excited to see whether Izzy Scane is going to take down Charlotte North’s NCAA Division I All-Time scoring record because she’s only seven goals away from it. We take lacrosse’s consistent success for granted sometimes, and I feel like more people at Northwestern need to realize just how extraordinary it is to go to school with someone who is not only the best in the nation for their sport, but also on the precipice of being the greatest of all-time in a statistical category. If she does break the record during the Big Ten Tournament, it will be an incredible sight to witness in person, especially since she’s getting to do it at home.
Sarah Effress
The Big Ten competition this year is as fierce as it’s been in a long time, and one player to watch for is Rutgers’ Cassidy Spilis. The graduate student is the program’s all-time scoring leader with 192 goals, 68 of them coming this year alone. She’s scored at least three goals in her last seven games and is a member of the Tewaaraton Watch List for the fourth year in a row. Maryland will have a tough time if it can’t keep her contained in their first-round matchup.
Sophia Vlahakis
My Northwestern bias has kicked in a bit but I’m invested in Izzy Scane and the defense for this tournament. Scane is six away from Charlotte North’s 358-goal record, and if NU beats Michigan, Scane could break the record while winning another Big Ten title.
Having a healthy Sammy White is as big of an advantage as any. Watching her play — especially after missing her for a couple of games this season — can never be taken for granted. She’s a player who is going to have a huge role, especially if Northwestern has to face a strong Michigan defense or a strong Maryland draw-control unit. She, Kendall Halpern and Carleigh Mahoney have been stellar all year and can be expected to continue to do so. This also is a prime opportunity for the defense to lock in against top-tier talent before the NCAA tournament.
Who are your Northwestern and non-Northwestern MVPs?
Jason Boue
The entire starting Wildcat lineup just popped into my head as I thought of my answer to this question. I’m gonna have to go with one of the big three, and I wish I had a three-sided coin to make this choice for me. It’s gotta be Scane. She’s the G.O.A.T. for a reason. A complete takeover is imminent at any moment, and Northwestern can never be counted out while she’s on the field.
If it’s going to be someone not in purple, it’s going to be Jillian Smith. She’s shifty and quick, slicing through opposing defenses at will. She is one of the major reasons behind Michigan’s ascension into a force to be reckoned with.
Brendan Preisman
I’m also going with Izzy Scane, but more so for narrative purposes. Charlotte North’s 358 goals looms large as the last record for Scane to shatter before her illustrious career comes to an end. Scane currently sits at 352 for her career, and if she keeps up her current pace, she should pass North sometime in the third quarter of the Big Ten title game. The scoring dominance combined with the record-breaking moment should be enough to earn Scane her third Big Ten Tournament MVP.
If it’s not Scane, then that’s probably because Michigan made it through. If the Wolverines do win their first Big Ten title, it’s probably because their defense, led by Maddie Burns, completely wrecked everything any challengers tried. Burns is one of the few players who can run a game from the defensive side, and if she’s able to do so, Michigan has a real shot.
Yanyan Li
I agree with Brendan that Izzy Scane will be a standout for narrative reasons, but I’m going to say that Samantha White will be Northwestern’s tournament MVP. She’s been phenomenal in her return from injury (article incoming!), forcing the game-winning turnover against Michigan and being a part of a Northwestern defense that stopped Maryland from scoring several times to counteract the Terrapins winning the draw battle. As a defender who is active in transition and the draw circle, she can do so much for this team and will be critical for the Wildcats in this tournament.
I’m going to have to go with the consensus here and say that Michigan’s Jill Smith will be the MVP if Northwestern doesn’t make it through. She was the team’s top scorer against Northwestern and overall throughout the regular season, and can also make a big impact in the draw circle.
Sarah Effress
This is Madison Taylor’s year to shine in the postseason — she’s my NU MVP. Michigan goalkeeper Erin O’Grady is also one to watch. She’s saving close to 60% of the shots she faces and will be tough to get anything by in the coming weeks.
Sophia Vlahakis
Madison Taylor is a sophomore with 58 goals. Simply put: that doesn’t happen often. Especially as teams look to limit Scane, Taylor has all the potential for a complete takeover.
If it’s not Taylor and Northwestern, it’s Jill Smith and Michigan. With 48 goals and 47 draw controls, Smith’s presence is felt all over the field. Any offensive surge for the Wolverines starts with her.
Who will be the Big Ten Champion?
Jason Boue
Silly question. Northwestern.
Brendan Preisman
The real question is: who wins the Michigan-Northwestern semifinal matchup (which will happen unless Johns Hopkins pulls the stunner of the season)? And despite everything I’ve said earlier, it’s still Northwestern’s game to lose. Michigan hasn’t been in a title-deciding game before. Northwestern’s been in several, and that’s why I think the ‘Cats are going back-to-back.
Yanyan Li
I’m very superstitious with my predictions. If I pick Northwestern, I’m going to jinx the team. If I pick any other team to win, I’m manifesting it into existence. So I just won’t say anything.
Sarah Effress
It won’t be easy, but ‘Cats all the way.
Sophia Vlahakis
The answer will be in the semifinal matchup between Michigan and Northwestern. All I’ll say is that Michigan has never beaten Northwestern before, and the ‘Cats are not going to let the first time be on their home turf with a tournament championship on the line.