Just two days after outdueling No. 10 Denver in a physically imposing battle, No. 1 Northwestern faced Albany in Ryan Fieldhouse Sunday. The two teams last crossed paths in April, when the 2023 America East champions provided an early test for the purple and white.
The Wildcats (7-1, 0-0 Big Ten) comprehensively controlled Sunday’s matchup from the opening whistle, mounting a 10-3 first-quarter lead en route to a 25-8 blowout victory over the Great Danes (1-6, 0-0 America East).
Graduate student attacker Izzy Scane scored a game-high four goals, as 12 players found the back of the net for NU. Sophomore attacker Madison Taylor and graduate student attackers Dylan Amonte and Erin Coykendall each notched hat tricks in a balanced scoring clinic.
“We’ve been trying to make sure that we’re sharing the ball and giving everyone chances,” Amonte said. “Having seven threats on offense is great — (it) even opens up more for people like Erin, Izzy and Maddy Taylor to do their thing by having other people scoring and getting more chances.”
While the ’Cats posted a turnover-free first quarter, Albany attacker Haley Phalines complicated matters inside the draw circle with her elite size. The 6-foot-1 junior corralled six draw controls during the opening period, helping the Great Danes win eight of the first 11 draws.
Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said her squad was well aware of Albany’s draw dominance from last season’s contest, and she made a few tactical tweaks following the visitors’ initial success. She said freshman midfielder Madison Smith, who registered her first career point on an assist to her older sister, played a big role in turning the draw trend in NU’s favor.
“In the beginning, we didn’t have a lot of success overall as a group, but then we were able to zero in (during) the second quarter — third quarter we really dominated,” Amonte Hiller said. “Madi Smith came in and dominated. She did really well.”
With the ’Cats activating the running clock during the second quarter, Amonte Hiller got another glimpse at her program’s future prospects, as a flurry of young talent filtered in during the second quarter.
Sophomore attacker Abby LoCascio — Inside Lacrosse’s No. 10 recruit in the class of 2022 — scored her first career goal and added a second tally in a fourth-quarter firestorm, while freshman midfielder Noel Cumberland scooped two ground balls and recorded her first career multi-point game.
“The first couple minutes (were) a little slow, but after that they played great,” Amonte Hiller said of her second and third lines. “They were sharing the ball. Defensively, they were gobbling up the ground balls and playing together. You could really hear them communicating out there.”
Sunday also marked graduate student defender Alia Marshall’s first career start. A high school lacrosse All-American out of Delaware’s Cape Henlopen, Marshall spent five years away from the game, winning the 2021 field hockey national title under coach Tracey Fuchs.
With junior defender Sammy White sidelined due to a lower-body injury, Marshall had seen extended minutes in recent games, but Amonte Hiller decided to shake things up and hand the field hockey sensation the starting nod Sunday.
“Alia has the competitiveness and she’s like a seasoned athlete,” Amonte Hiller said. “She knows how to perform under pressure … but she was really kind of learning the tactical skills of the game, and it’s taking her a little time. She had a great day today and is going to continue to improve as we go.”
Marshall missed the fall ball season as she and graduate student midfielder Lindsey Frank came one game shy of national field hockey hardware in Chapel Hill. She said the team welcomed her and Frank to January workouts with open arms, and she’s made fast friends with her new teammates.
The Rehoboth Beach, Delaware native said hearing her name in Sunday’s starting lineup was an exciting surprise.
“It’s definitely had its moments where it’s been a little tough to find ways where some skills and some stuff I know translates over and some stuff I just have to start new and learn new,” Marshall said. “But, I’m really grateful to my teammates and coaches. They’ve been so helpful throughout the whole process, and I’m always learning from them.”
The ’Cats will face a familiar foe in their Big Ten opener next Saturday when No. 15 Johns Hopkins enters Evanston looking to kick off conference play on the frontfoot after knocking down No. 12 Stony Brook.
The Blue Jays’ coaching staff has deep NU ties, as Johns Hopkins coach Tim McCormack spent six seasons as Amonte Hiller’s assistant coach from 2014 to 2019. McCormack’s new assistant coaching hire is another name ‘Cats fans are especially familiar with — NU’s single season draw control record holder Jill Girardi.
After taking a year off from the collegiate game, Blue Jay goalkeeper Madison Doucette will also make her return to Ryan Fieldhouse. Doucette started between the pipes for two seasons during her four-year career with the ’Cats.
“Madison’s having an awesome season at Hopkins — really happy for her,” Amonte Hiller said. “She’s a true competitor and is really stepping up, looking like she’s having a lot of fun over there. I think it’s gonna be fun to play against her, the rest of the team and Tim as well. We’re really excited for the opportunity.”
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