Izzy Scane now stands alone atop the NCAA women’s lacrosse record books.
The graduate student attacker scored her 359th career goal –– the most by any player in Division I history –– six minutes into No. 1 Northwestern’s 17-4 romp of Denver in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Sunday.
She eclipsed former Duke and Boston College standout Charlotte North’s previous tally of 358 goals.
“I always wanted to go to Northwestern,” Scane said. “Seeing my family after the game, having my dad tear up, it’s really hard to put into perspective because it’s just been a long, awesome journey.”
Scane’s goal was the first of a game-high five scores for the newly-crowned record holder, who also tallied an assist in the Wildcats’ (16-2, 5-1 Big Ten) victory over the Pioneers (16-4, 5-0 Big East).
Domination in the draw circle by junior midfielder Samantha Smith yielded NU possession nine straight times in the first quarter, boosting the hosts to a 5-0 lead in the first seven minutes of game time. Smith garnered seven draw controls Sunday and coach Kelly Amonte Hiller labeled the junior “the ultimate competitor.”
“When you get to this point in the season, you don’t want to leave anything on the table,” Amonte Hiller said. “(Winning the draw) is a huge asset because the offense gets more chances to do their thing.”
Denver pulled a goal back via attacker Julia Gilbert, who was responsible for half of the Pioneers’ offensive production Sunday, but goals from sophomore attacker Madison Taylor, graduate student attacker Erin Coykendall and Smith extended the ’Cats’ lead to 8-1 by the end of the first frame.
Although a pair of Denver goals trimmed NU’s advantage to five, the ’Cats staved off the Pioneers’ pursuit courtesy of a spirited performance between the pipes from graduate student goalkeeper Molly Laliberty, who secured four saves in the second quarter.
As the NU defense stood pat, the offense went to work, scoring five consecutive goals in the final eight minutes of the half to secure a running clock heading into the break.
“One thing we came into this game with was, ‘Attack, attack, attack,’” Scane said. “We have so many girls that are willing to go hard to the cage, to go hard 24/7 … we were able to stick with that mentality, which is hard to do.”
The running clock truncated the second half, which saw little offense from Denver and a ’Cats squad adding to its lead. With a majority of the fourth quarter remaining, Amonte Hiller pulled her veterans, allowing some of her younger players to get some NCAA Tournament playing time.
The clock ticked away in the fourth to finalize NU’s win and a quarterfinal matchup with No. 8 Penn.
The Quakers, who finished second in the Ivy League tournament, defeated Richmond 16-5 in their first-round matchup and Loyola Maryland 12-9 in the second round.
Penn’s strongest attribute is its defense, something coach Karin Corbett cited as a factor that could potentially generate an upset.
“I don’t think Northwestern has seen a defense like this,” Corbett told USA Lacrosse Magazine following the Quakers’ win against Loyola Maryland. “I know they play a really tough schedule, but this is a little bit different defense than what they have seen.”
That may be potential bulletin board material for NU, which is now three wins away from repeating as national champions. For now, it’s a day off Monday, followed by practices up until the quarterfinal tie.
“Our tactic is to prepare to the best of our ability like we did for this week and just really savor the moments that we have together,” Amonte Hiller said.
The ’Cats will play their final game at Martin Stadium Thursday at 6:30 p.m. On the line: a trip to Cary, North Carolina, and the Final Four.
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Twitter: @HenryFrieman
Related Stories:
— Lacrosse: Epstein: Izzy Scane’s legacy extends far beyond any goal tally
— Lacrosse: Northwestern’s Erin Coykendall nears storied college career’s conclusion
