For senior attacker Madison Taylor, the holiday season starts in May.
The month rings in the beginning of the NCAA DI Women’s Lacrosse Championship, where No. 1 seed Northwestern is looking for its first national title since 2023.
“It’s the best time of the year,” Taylor said during Friday morning’s media availability.
Taylor, who has played in the tournament in each of her four seasons with the Wildcats (15-3, 7-1 Big Ten), said the holiday mindset takes some of the pressure off first-time players and allows the team to focus on the fun of playing together. Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller echoed Taylor’s sentiment, emphasizing how the relationships her players build pay off when the postseason rolls around.
But for the eight-time national champion ringleader, the season didn’t start off with such positivity.
Through eight games, NU had a record of 5-3, with two losses to unranked opponents at home.
“Is what we’re doing working?” Amonte Hiller recalled asking herself early in the season. “You kind of question yourself when you have that many losses early on.”
Three losses may not stand out for most programs, but it was a stark rarity for the ’Cats, who have lost three or fewer total games in each of the past three seasons.
After Amonte Hiller looked at the team’s belief and methodology, the season flipped on its head.
NU won all 10 of its games following the subpar start, winning the Big Ten Tournament and regular season titles in the process. Two of the wins came against teams ranked No. 1 at the time in the IWLCA Coaches Poll, a set of victories last accomplished by Florida in 2012.
Amonte Hiller emphasized the importance of scheduling tough opponents.
“If you trip up, there’s always opportunities to prove yourself,” she said. “It gives our team confidence that they can really fight in any given situation.”
After wrapping up the Big Ten Championship on April 26, the ’Cats earned automatic qualification to the NCAA Tournament and a two-week break before their next game. During the rest period, Taylor said the experience of just playing with her team again allowed them to channel an “us versus us” mentality.
When NU was given the top seed in the tournament, it also earned a first-round bye and Evanston was named a regional host site. While the ’Cats were forced to prepare for two opponents, they were able to observe the teams play on their home turf at Martin Stadium.
James Madison defeated Notre Dame 13-12 Friday afternoon to advance to the second round. Before the game, Amonte Hiller showed her respect for the ’Cats’ soon-to-be foe.
“James Madison has really competed toe-to-toe with everyone they’ve gone up against this year,” Amonte Hiller said.
In the first game of the Evanston regional, which NU watched from the balcony of Walter Athletics Center, the Dukes (14-6, 6-1 AAC) dominated for three quarters of the game. Over the first, third and fourth periods, they outscored the Irish (12-6, 6-4 ACC) 9-4. Notre Dame won the second quarter 8-4.
In the final 30 minutes, James Madison held its opponent to just three goals on 13 shots. Goalkeeper Abigail Beattie corralled 10 saves in the contest. Coach Shelley Klaes applauded her defense’s toughness.
“We’ve been a strong defensive unit since the beginning of the year,” Klaes said postgame Friday. “Nine times out of 10, our attack walks away from our practice environment frustrated.”
Klaes said her team probably played in five different defensive formations, which disrupted Notre Dame’s momentum and made life difficult for the opposing shooters. The ’Cats, who boast the 12th-best scoring offense in the country, will be tasked with breaking through James Madison’s No. 34-ranked scoring defense.
Possession of the top overall seed gives NU home-field advantage through the quarterfinals, and the NCAA previously named Martin Stadium as the site for the semifinals and finals. But Taylor isn’t looking past the team’s opening contest.
“All we have is Sunday,” Taylor said.
First draw between the ’Cats and the Dukes is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.
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