While it’s been a rough postseason for the Big Ten in men’s lacrosse, it’s a far different story on the women’s side. Three of the four semifinalists gathered in Evanston, Illinois, for championship weekend are members of the conference, including top seed and predetermined host institution Northwestern.
Conference officials probably shouldn’t count on hoisting the championship trophy just yet though, as the fourth team that will be in action on the shores of Lake Michigan is defending champion North Carolina, and the Tar Heels also feature the reigning Tewaaraton Award recipient as the top player in the college game.
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Here’s what you need to know as you prepare to watch the festivities, getting underway Friday.
Time/TV: 3 p.m. ET, ESPNU.
How they got here: North Carolina – Defeated Clemson 17-6, Stanford 14-11. Maryland – Defeated Rutgers 11-8, Navy 14-10.
National championships: North Carolina, four (last 2025), Maryland, 14 (last 2019).
Players to watch: North Carolina – A Chloe Humphrey (102 G, 46 A); A Addison Pattillo (55 G, 14 A); M Darcy Felter (33 G, 17 A). Maryland – A Lauren LaPointe (64 G, 25 A); A Kristen Shanahan (40 G, 34 A); M Kori Edmondson (48 G, 13 A).
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Quick sticks: While the Tar Heels have made a habit of competing for titles in recent years, they have a chance to go back-to-back for the first time in program history. … Humphrey is again a Tewaaraton finalist, and though this year’s squad doesn’t quite have as much scoring depth around her as last season’s title team, the Heels still lead the nation in offense putting up 17.95 goals a game. … Though Maryland is the most decorated program in the sport in the NCAA era, the Terrapins’ recent title drought is evidence of how much deeper the talent pool has become. … Two of the Terps’ three losses on the campaign were at the hands of Northwestern, each by a single goal, including an 8-7 decision in the Big Ten tournament final.
Time/TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU.
How they got here: Northwestern – Defeated James Madison 17-5, Colorado 13-12 (OT). Johns Hopkins – Defeated UAlbany 21-7, Army 21-13, Stony Brook 13-12.
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National championships: Northwestern, eight (last 2023), Johns Hopkins, none.
Players to watch: Northwestern – A Madison Taylor (92 G, 32 A); A Aditi Foster (48 G, 14 A); M Taylor LaPointe (31 G, 17 A). Johns Hopkins – A Ava Angello (78 G, 28 A); M Lacey Downey (57 G, 46 A); A Taylor Hoss (45 G, 57 A).
Quick sticks: The Wildcats once again have a Tewaaraton finalist in Taylor, whose scoring numbers are down a tick from a season ago but still frequently posts at least five points in a game. … She’ll be opposed by another finalist in JHU’s Reagan O’Brien, the Big Ten defender of the year who has been credited with 83 caused turnovers. … This is the Blue Jays’ first semifinal appearance since the program was elevated to Division I in 1999. They’ve already set a new program record for wins in a season, though they lost their regular-season meeting with the Wildcats 16-11 back on April 4.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament schedule, semifinal preview
