The disappointing result of a final matchup doesn’t take away from an incredible program.
Northwestern lacrosse is gearing up to start another season in the upcoming days. Coming off a promising 2024 season where everything looked perfect for the Wildcats, a 14-13 defeat against then-No. 2 Boston College in the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship final was the only stain on an otherwise clean record. Despite this loss, the Wildcats still finished first in the Big Ten and took home the Big Ten Tournament title for the second consecutive year. Now, they’re looking to gain back terrain and go as far as the NCAA final once again.
Knowing them, the sky’s the limit.
Bitter ending to last season
They say nothing ever goes as planned. After Northwestern defeated Boston College 18-6 in the 2023 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship final, it wouldn’t have been surprising if they did the same when they faced each other in the 2024 final. However, a loss in North Carolina meant Northwestern would have to wait a little longer to repeat its second consecutive national title win since 2012.
Still, an end-of-season heartbreak doesn’t overshadow the amazing season the Wildcats had. With only two losses early on in the season, lacrosse finished first in most-scored goals (354) in the Big Ten and finished third, in a three-way tie, in win percentage (.857) in the NCAA.
The list of accomplishments goes on. Now, it’s just a matter of seeing if it can be done all over again.
Roster for 2025
This season brings slight changes to the Wildcats’ team, especially on offense.
After six years with phenomenal attacker Izzy Scane, who led with 88 goals across the country in 2024 and was winner of the Tewaaraton Award for two consecutive years, the team will have to learn to function without her. Luckily, they have the necessary tricks up their sleeve, with fundamental players already in their current roster.
Third-year attacker Madison Taylor is the perfect player to continue to keep the team a robust powerhouse. As a second-year, she started every game last season and scored the second-highest goals (83) for the team. A finalist for the 2024 Tewaaraton Award, her stellar performance makes her a strong starting offensive choice. She will come into the 2025 season ranked No. 1 in the Inside Lacrosse preseason Top 50.
The Wildcats also looked to the transfer portal to bolster their roster. This is where graduate attacker Niki Miles comes in. After four years at the University of Pennsylvania, the California native brings extensive experience. As a Quaker, she scored 135 goals, making this the fourth-most in the program’s history, and made 61 assists. For the 2024 season, she was the team’s captain and finished eighth in goals scored (54) across the Ivy League conference. She comes to Northwestern ranked No. 22 in the preseason Top 50 and is sure to make an impact.
On defense, the Wildcats will have one final year with fourth-year defender Sammy White. In December 2024, it was announced that the Maryland native will plan to pursue basketball as a graduate student for the 2025-26 season, officially entering the transfer portal in her final eligibility year. Until then, she will look to give her all for the Wildcats. She has been named the Preseason Defender of the Year by USA Lacrosse Magazine and is ranked No. 15 in the preseason Top 50, making her one of a kind in defense. Tallying 24 ground balls and 38 draw controls last season, her inclusion in this year’s defensive line is critical.
Expectations
It is no secret that Northwestern lacrosse is one of the university’s most prized assets and is, definitely, a team that can show up and show out in conference and national tournaments.
The Wildcats are ranked No. 2 in the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Preseason Rankings, a perfect signifier of their ability to run it back to success one more season. Not only that, but five Wildcats were named to USA Lacrosse’s list of 2025 Division I Women’s Preseason All-Americans. The only thing left to see is how they will adjust to changes and embrace the high expectations that begin to simmer in, with hopes for another successful run to a NCAA final.
This season kick’s off with a home game at Ryan Fieldhouse against preseason rank No. 13 Notre Dame on Feb. 7.
