Northwestern lacrosse defeated Michigan 10-7 to secure a spot in the Big Ten Championship. The Wildcats extended their winning streak against Michigan to 20-0 and achieved their seventh consecutive victory in conference tournament play.
Key points
Northwestern lacrosse won 10-7 against Michigan
The Wildcats are now 13-3 and 7-1 in the Big Ten
Madison Taylor achieved over 450 points in Division I history
Northwestern extended their winning streak against Michigan to 20-0
This victory marks their seventh straight win in conference tournaments
Northwestern WildcatsMichigan WolverinesBig Ten Championship
 Northwestern lacrosse is Big Ten Championship bound once again.
The No. 1 Wildcats (13-3, 7-1 B1G) used resilient defense and a big second and third quarter to defeat No. 4 Michigan (12-5, 5-3 B1G) in Ann Arbor early Friday afternoon. This win marked NUâs seventh straight victory in conference tournament play, and extended their perfect streak against Michigan to an impressive 20-0.
Madison Taylor earned a game-high five points on two goals and three assists, becoming the first player in Division I history to record over 450 points and 200 draw controls. Aditi Foster and Taylor Lapointe led Wildcat scorers with hat tricks, while Jenika Cuocco recorded nine saves. Lapointe, Taylor and Maddie Epke each recorded three turnovers, while Madison Smith had seven draw controls, including three-straight in the second quarter that all resulted in Wildcat goals.
It was a slow start for the Wildcatsâ offense in the first quarter. Michiganâs Emma Burke won the draw control, and Ava Class quickly made the Wildcats pay with a high-bouncer past Cuocco, giving the Wolverines a quick 1-0 lead with 13:58 to go in the first quarter. Both teams exchanged strong defensive possessions over the following few minutes. While Cuocco made a couple impressive saves, the Wolverines continued to clog the Wildcatsâ passing lanes, preventing NUâs offense from getting any rhythm going.
With 9:01 remaining in the first quarter, the âCatsâ offense finally broke through, as Lapointe received an assist from Madison Taylor and crossed inside with a nicely angled shot to tie the game at 1-1.
The Wolverines won their second draw control and secured a free position shot shortly after, but Cuocco made another great save to keep the score knotted. The Wildcats continued their struggle to find real momentum on offense, with Michigan sustaining consecutive ground ball pickups and clears. Michigan got on the board again with 4:56 left in the first quarter, this time securing a successful free position shot by Truus van Wees to take a 2-1 lead. At this point in the contest, NU had managed just one shot on goal, while the Wolverines had five.
NU continued to come up empty on the attack, and a dominant defensive performance from Michigan defined the first frame.
Q&A
How did Northwestern lacrosse perform against Michigan in the Big Ten tournament?
Northwestern lacrosse won 10-7 against Michigan, showcasing strong defense and a powerful second and third quarter.
Who were the standout players in the Northwestern vs. Michigan lacrosse game?
Madison Taylor led with five points, while Aditi Foster and Taylor Lapointe each scored hat tricks.
What is Northwestern lacrosse's record against Michigan?
Northwestern has an impressive record of 20-0 against Michigan in lacrosse.
What does Northwestern's victory mean for their Big Ten Championship hopes?
The victory secures Northwestern's place in the Big Ten Championship, marking their continued success in the conference.
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However, the Wildcatsâ offense started the second quarter with a bang. Although Taylor missed a free position shot, Foster made a clutch ground ball pickup. Taylor then got the offense set and then fed it back to Foster, who sprinted down the right side and hit a shot past Michigan goalkeeper Elizabeth Johnson. The score was tied at 2-2 with 12:57 to go in the second quarter.
The Wolverines continued to find success in the draw control, but Cuocco picked up her fourth save of the game by blocking Classâ shot. But shortly after, Michigan turned defense into offense by forcing a turnover and executing a strong counter-attack, with Emma Bradbury doing a quick catch-and-shoot outside the crease to help the Wolverines retake a 3-2 lead.
With 8:23 left in the first half, the Wolverines won yet another draw control. After a long delay due to an officialâs review, the game resumed with more aggressive defense. Noel Cumberland was called for a foul after bumping into Katharine Merrifield, and Merrifield took advantage with a free-position shot that found the back of the net. Michigan extended its lead to 4-2 with 4:09 left before halftime.
But, NU finally found some success in the draw control, and that helped turn this game around.
Almost immediately after Merrifieldâs goal, Foster hit her second score of the game utilizing a nice pick from Taylor to cross towards the center of the goal and launched the ball in, making it a one-score game again.
After another successful draw, Cumberland nearly lost the ball in front of the goal, but picked it up and launched an incredible behind-the-back shot that found the net to tie the game.
Madison Smith followed with the âCatsâ third-straight draw control, and Taylor quickly drew a foul from Michigan. Her free position shot was successful, and in the blink of an eye, NU had turned the game upside down, taking a 5-4 lead with 1:21 left in the quarter after scoring three goals in two minutes. The score was reviewed to see whether Taylor had stepped in the crease, but the officials upheld it.
NU took its 5-4 advantage into the locker room. It was a defensive battle in the first frame, with each team tallying eight shots on goal. After dominating draws in the first quarter, Michigan possessed just a 6-4 advantage at halftime. Fosterâs two goals led all scorers, while Taylor had two points with a goal and assist. Smith had three pivotal draw controls, while Cuocco had four saves.
NU opened the second half a bit sloppy offensively, ceding back-to-back turnovers in the first couple minutes. Meanwhile, Michigan again turned defense-to-offense with some great ball movement that found Caroline Byrd for the score, and the game was quickly tied again at 5-5.
The âCatsâ offense initially struggled to get something going over the first half of the third quarter, and came up empty after a long possession, suffering the gameâs first shot clock violation. Cuocco continued to hold firm in goal, achieving a kick-save to up her total to six on the day.
But as the clock wound under six minutes to go in the third quarter, Foster was fouled on the counter and punched in the free position shot, earning herself a hat trick and giving NU a 6-5 lead.
But the Wolverines immediately responded, again executing after a won draw control. A high-bouncer from Calli Norris knotted the game at 6-6.
But Smith won the ensuing draw for Northwestern, and this time, the âCats took advantage with a goal from Taylor as she cut inside for the score. Back-and-forth the game went, as NU was on top 7-6 with 3:57 left in quarter three. Just 54 seconds later, Lapointe got her second goal of the game as Taylor found the junior in front of the goal for an 8-6 lead.
The offensive surge continued, as a nice defensive clearance resulted in Taylor again showcasing her incredible passing skills, finding Lapointe in front of the crease for back-to-back goals, and a hat trick on the day. It was 9-6 NU with 2:02 in the third quarter. The score was reviewed to see whether Lapointe had illegally hit a defender during the goal, but the officials upheld it and deemed Lapointe making contact with the defender as an unavoidable act and not a foul.
The âCats looked to build on their lead with another draw control, but this time Michigan got a clutch clear to end the third quarter now trailing Northwestern 9-6. The momentum clearly shifted in the Wildcatsâ favor this frame.
NUâs defense clamped down in the fourth quarter as Michigan couldnât find any opportunities. With Bradbury closing in on a sure-fire goal, Cuocco made arguably her most impressive save of the game to keep the score at 9-6 with 9:07 to go in the game. The âCats rewarded Cuocoâs efforts with their 10th goal, as Epke earned her first score of the game using several fakes to throw off the Wolverines.
Michigan got a much-needed goal with 6:11 to play, as Bradbury received a pass from behind the goal and ran around the net to score her second of the day. With NU now up 10-7, the Wolverines won the draw but another save was made by Cuocco on the ensuing shot.
Disaster nearly struck for the âCats, as Michigan forced a turnover and sprinted past the entire defense. But Cuocco held strong again with a clutch save. The Wolverines believed they had broken through a couple minutes later, though, as Bradbury thought she scored her third goal of the game. However, the score was overturned as a long officials review deemed Bradbury was in the crease. The score remained 10-7 Northwestern with 2:38 left in the game.
Northwestern smartly used its possession to burn a majority of the clock. Michigan did get a free position attempt with 18 seconds left, but it bounced off the crossbar. That was the final cry from the Wolverines, and celebrations began as Northwestern emerged victorious with a 10-7 win over Michigan.
NU is now heading to its fourth straight Big Ten Championship game, slated for Sunday at 11 a.m. CT. Itâll face off against the winner of Maryland vs Johns Hopkins.
