Five years ago, a 5-foot-7 freshman phenom from Cranbrook, Michigan introduced herself to the purple and white faithful in emphatic fashion, collecting the 2019 campaign’s opening draw control and dashing beyond the Louisville defense.
Just 12 seconds into her collegiate career, the sharpshooter scored her first goal in Ryan Fieldhouse — a picturesque lakeside facility where she’d eventually pile on more points than any player in program history.
“I dreamed of coming here when I was a little kid, so to be up in the ranks of players I used to watch growing up is pretty awesome,” graduate student attacker Izzy Scane said. “It’s just a testimony to how incredible this program is and the people in it.”
When No. 3 Northwestern collided with Central Michigan Sunday, Scane stood just two points away from snapping Hannah Nielsen’s 398-point program-highmark.
The record had stood since 2009, but Scane’s tendency to rewrite the sport’s history books knows no bounds.
“It’s pretty unreal what she has done in her career,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “Fighting back from injury and then being able to come back even stronger — her teammates love her, and it’s really special to see what she does within the confines of our team.”
Amid the Wildcats’ (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) 27-3 trouncing of the Chippewas (0-7, 0-0 Mid-American Conference), 10 players tallied multiple points for NU.
The defense — operating without its centerpiece, junior defender Sammy White, who Amonte Hiller said picked up a “day-to-day” injury — seldom surrendered any semblance of Central Michigan momentum.
“Something we work on a lot as a team is just everyone being ready to step up when it’s their time, and you never know when it’s gonna happen,” Scane said. “Having a lot of girls that prepare the way they do and play as hard as they do in practice, it’s super awesome when we can have people step in and fill in spots like that.”
Three days after helping her team dethrone No. 1 Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, Scane drew every visiting defender’s direct attention. But, an unstoppable force surrounded by an elite attacking arsenal requires a mere slither of space to wreak irreparable havoc.
Midway through the opening period, Scane struck even with Nielsen, recording an unassisted tally to put the ‘Cats in front 4-0.
Two minutes later, she notched her record-shattering 399th career point off a picture perfect pick and pop play, courtesy of graduate student attacker Erin Coykendall’s slick feed. The tally marked the first of Coykendall’s game-high six assists.
“She’s unbelievable. That’s typical Erin,” Scane said. “She’s become more of a dodger in recent years, but she was always such an insane feeder. It was fun to see her in that light again today.”
As NU activated the running clock less than two minutes into the second quarter on Scane’s hat trick conversion, extending the advantage to 11-1, Amonte Hiller filtered in much of her bench, providing a glimpse of the program’s next era sans its veteran legends.
After her four-goal first-half display, Scane set a new program standard of 401 points and counting. While she continues to threaten long-standing school and national records every time she steps onto the field, Scane consistently credits her teammates.
“I’m just very lucky that I’ve had such an awesome time with all my friends and amazing coaches,” Scane said of her new record. “It’s hard to believe for sure.”
Carrying a 17-1 halftime lead, Scane and her fellow starters didn’t see second-half minutes — except graduate student goalkeeper Molly Laliberty, who split time with junior goalkeeper Cara Nugent.
Four ‘Cats notched their first career goals, and a flurry of freshmen and sophomores got involved on both ends of the action. Scane said the production proved a long-time coming for many players typically unsung on the stat sheet.
“We get to see these girls in practice do incredible things and push the people that do end up on the field to be the best versions of themselves,” Scane said. “To see their hard work pay off on the big stage is awesome to see and so exciting to give the confidence to those younger girls that what they’re doing off the field is paying off.”
NU will host No. 10 Denver in a rematch of the 2023 NCAA Tournament semifinals March 8. The Pioneers (3-2, 0-0 Big East) boast an elite, experienced defense that will require the ‘Cats to remain at the top of their game.
“This team is really zeroing in on what they want,” Amonte Hiller said. “We had a great day today, and everyone couldn’t be more excited for our next day of practice … and how we’re gonna continue to grow each week.”
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @jakeepste1n
Related Stories:
— Lacrosse: No. 3 Northwestern closes in on Chestnut Hill clash at No. 1 Boston College
— Lacrosse: Northwestern’s limitless legacy sees sport skyrocket at local level
