Welcome to the Madison Taylor show.
The Wildcats keep rolling.
On Sunday, the No. 3-seeded Northwestern lacrosse defeated Michigan 15-7 in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Wildcat got off to a quick start and never let its foot off the gas, staying in the driver’s seat all the way through.
Northwestern’s Madison Taylor led all scorers with a whopping 10 goals on 11 shots, breaking Selena Lasota’s single-game NCAA tournament goals record from 2018. She also tied Izzy Scane’s single-season Northwestern record of 99 goals, as well as her single-game record from the 2023 and 2021 season. Other contributors included Taylor Lapointe (two goals, one assist) and Niki Miles (one goal, one assist).
Defensively, Northwestern goalkeeper Delaney Sweitzer was a standout, with eight saves on just seven goals allowed. Meanwhile, Sammy White led with three ground balls and three caused turnovers.
Michigan won the first draw but quickly turned it over, giving Northwestern possession early. Soon enough, the ball ended up with Madison Taylor, who ran up to the crease and scored to put the ‘Cats up early. And just over a minute later, Taylor curled around and found the back of the net again to make it 2-0.
The Wolverines responded right back with 10:30 left in the quarter, as the team’s primary feeder, Kaylee Dyer, found Emma Bradbury for a goal of Michigan’s own. It couldn’t score on its next possession, though, as Northwestern goalie Delaney Swietzer stopped Dyer’s free-position shot with a sliding save. Taylor then earned a hat trick on a tough shot from the eight-meter arc, making the score 3-1 with 8:43 left in the first.
Northwestern got its first free-position opportunity of the game from Noel Cumberland, but her shot was saved by Michigan goalie Erin O’Grady. The Wolverines then got two more attempts of their own — and while the Wildcats briefly turned the ball over after both, they couldn’t clear as the ball went back into the Wolverines’ sticks. Finally, on their third attempt, Jill Smith was called for a false start that gave NU possession. With just five seconds on the shot clock, Niki Miles fired a buzzer-beater to get on the board with 3:29 left in the quarter. However, the goal was called off for a dangerous follow-through, awarding Miles a yellow card.
The called-off goal didn’t stop Northwestern’s momentum, as it scored again with 33 seconds left in the quarter on a phenomenal transition play, where Taylor passed a ground ball to Emerson Bohlig, who found Sam Smith for a goal. Smith’s goal was also under review for a dangerous follow-through, but that one wasn’t overturned, as she didn’t check anyone in the head. At the end of the first quarter, Northwestern led 4-1.
To start the second quarter, both teams had a few empty possessions before Michigan got on the board first with a free-position goal from Calli Norris. Around three minutes later, Lucy Munro dished a pass to Taylor, who shot while falling to the ground to bring the ‘Cats up 5-2 with 7:56 left in the quarter.
Three fouls then ensued in the next two minutes, and Northwestern got a player-up opportunity when Dyer got a yellow card. However, it couldn’t capitalize on a free position, as Riley Campbell’s shot was saved by O’Grady. Michigan got possession after a Munro turnover, and with around 3:35 left in the quarter, Julia Schwabe fired a low shot to cut the ‘Cats lead to two. Northwestern couldn’t respond on its next two possessions, as both Bohlig and Aditi Foster ran into the wall that was O’Grady. Michigan’s Peyton Shreves tried to score one more time for her team but was stopped by Sweitzer, giving Northwestern the ball and a 5-3 lead heading into halftime.
Northwestern opened up the scoring in the second half with a goal from Taylor Lapointe, who cut from the right to catch a pass from Taylor. Michigan responded two minutes later, as Schwabe scored her second of the day off a bounce shot that just rolled behind Sweitzer. The Wildcats kept pushing the pace, though, with Taylor firing back to bring her goal total up to five with 10:51 left in the quarter, making the score 7-4.
The Wildcats kept the ball in their sticks for the most part after Taylor’s goal, with Sammy White forcing turnovers on two consecutive Michigan possessions. However, they couldn’t produce offensively as O’Grady stopped Northwestern’s next three shots. Eventually, it was Taylor again who stepped up, cashing in on a free position with 5:55 left to give Northwestern its largest lead of the game. She then scored her seventh just over a minute afterward, driving in to make the score 9-4 with 4:42 left in the third.
Taylor just couldn’t be stopped, tying her career single-game high of eight goals on the next possession to bring Northwestern to double digits. The ridiculousness didn’t end there, as she nabbed a free-position hat trick with 40 seconds left in the quarter to earn her ninth. To end the quarter, Miles made up for her earlier yellow card with a goal of her own. With 15 minutes remaining in the game, the Wildcats led 12-5.
Michigan wouldn’t go away completely, as the Wolverines’ top scorer Jill Smith finally got on the board less than two minutes into the fourth. However, Northwestern’s bench got in on the action to regain its eight-goal lead, with Aditi Foster finding Abby LoCascio for her first of the day. That goal also resulted in a Michigan yellow card, putting Northwestern a player up to rub more salt in the wound. The Wolverines were then offsides and Peyton Shreves earned a green card to make NU two players up.
Taking advantage of that opportunity, Lapointe scored her second of the day after receiving a pass from Miles. With 9:59 to go, Northwestern led 14-5. The ‘Cats just kept on rolling, as Taylor got her tenth off a free-position to force a running clock. That running clock didn’t last long, as Smith scored her second and third goals on the next two possessions, but it didn’t matter, as the Wildcats had practically secured a 15-7 victory.
Northwestern will face Penn in the NCAA quarterfinals on Thursday, May 15, in a rematch of the 2024 quarterfinals.