No. 6 Northwestern lacrosse (9-3, 3-0 B1G) came back from an early deficit to down No. 16 Johns Hopkins (8-3, 1-2 B1G), 20-13, on Saturday morning in Baltimore. The Wildcats were led by senior Claire Quinn (5 goals) and rode a dominating second half performance en route to overcoming an early 6-2 deficit. Northwestern’s win streak was extended to five as they continue to gain momentum prior to the most difficult stretch of the regular season.

Kelly Amonte Hiller’s squad was superior in almost every aspect of the game. Northwestern had 31 shots on goal to the Blue Jays’ 21, 19 ground balls to Hopkins’ 13, and 19 draw controls to Hopkins’ 16. The Blue Jays also committed more than twice the fouls that the Wildcats did.

After a flurry of goals from both teams early in the first half, Johns Hopkins went on a 4-0 run with four different scorers. However, with 10 minutes left in the half, Northwestern turned the corner. Lasota started the comeback with a goal less than a minute after Hopkins’ last goal, followed by scores from Scane and Lindsey McKone to cut the deficit to one at the half.

The second half was a mirror image of the first, but Northwestern was able to pull away late. Both teams scored two goals in the first seven minutes of the half before the ‘Cats embarked upon a 6-0 scoring run. Northwestern dominated possession and simply outlasted the Blue Jays as the half wore on. The ability to do so can be attributed to Northwestern’s depth and athleticism. Hopkins, led by Maggie Schneidereith (5 goals), traded goals with Northwestern after the run and pulled to within four with just over eight minutes left, but the Wildcats eliminated any hope of a comeback after successive goals from Meghan Duffy, Jill Girardi, Scane, and Megan Kinna.

The Northwestern win was a true team effort. Star senior Selena Lasota was quiet in this game as the trio of Quinn, Izzy Scane, and Lauren Gilbert scored a combined 10 goals. Sophomore Brennan Dwyer also secured 13 draw controls. Northwestern’s third ranked win of the season may move the Wildcats into the top 5 when the next rankings come out.

Northwestern faces their biggest rival, No. 2 Maryland, at Martin Stadium in Evanston next Thursday at 7 p.m.