Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Gear Up to Take on No. 5 Syracuse in Season Opener
2/9/2024 11:29:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
EVANSTON, Ill. — The reigning National Champions will take on #5 Syracuse in their home opener this Saturday, marking the 25th all-time meeting between Syracuse and Northwestern. The 'Cats will take on the Orange in Ryan Fieldhouse at 12 p.m. CT and the game will be available for stream on B1G+.
10 Things to Know
1. Before the home opener begins, a special gift from The Ryan Family will be revealed inside Ryan Fieldhouse. New banner signage will commemorate two decades of success under head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller.
2. Saturday's game is sold out. Season tickets are still available for purchase, which would ensure access to the home opener.
3. Syracuse and Northwestern meet in the season opener for the second-straight year. The Wildcats lead the series with the Orange, 16-8. When at home, the 'Cats hold a record of 9-1 against the Orange and 4-5 when away.
4. Last time out against Syracuse, Izzy Scane, who missed the entire 2022 season with an injury, scored her first goal in over 600 days with 13:34 left to go in the second quarter off an assist from Erin Coykendall. She tied for the game-high with five goals and added two assists.
5. Madison Taylor became the first Wildcat since at least 2007 to score five goals in their first collegiate game in her debut against Syracuse (2/11/2023).
6. May 28th, 2023 marked the program's eighth national title and first since 2012 when Amonte Hiller's No. 1-ranked Wildcats throttled No. 2 Boston College 18-6.
7. Scane's score with 10:44 remaining in the title game was one for the record books, as she set the school's career (288) and single-season (99) goal record on the same goal.
8. Izzy Scane ended the season as a finalist for the 2023 ESPYs award for the Best College Athlete, Women's Sports category. Alongside the Tewaaraton Award, Scane was tabbed as the unanimous Big Ten Attacker of the Year, earned unanimous first team All-Big Ten selection honors, secured the IWLCA Player of the Year award and a first team All-American nod, along with winning the Honda Sport Award for Lacrosse.
9. Northwestern ended 2023 with the nation's highest scoring offense, averaging 16.95 goals per game. The 2021 Northwestern Wildcats (20.12) hold the all-time single-season record, and are the only team to average more than 20 goals per game in the sport's history.
10. The Wildcats add new faces with Graduate transfers Lindsey Frank (Richmond) and Mary Schumar (Marquette) this season. During her time at Richmond, Frank was named 2023 RVA Sports Awards Female Athlete of the Year and tallied a total of 234 points and 164 goals. Schumar here she leaves the Marquette program as its career leader in assists (115) while ranking fifth in points (169).
