Northwestern
1-0
Notre Dame
0-1
Wildcats Defeat Notre Dame 13-10 to Open 2025 Season
2/8/2025 12:09:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
EVANSTON, Ill. – The Lake Show opened its 2025 campaign in dominant fashion, defeating Notre Dame 13-10 on Izzy Scane Night in front of a sold-out Ryan Fieldhouse. The Wildcats stormed out of the gates, scoring eight unanswered goals in the first 17 minutes, and withstood a late Irish surge to secure the victory. Junior Madison Taylor scored six goals in her first performance of the season.
Northwestern set the tone early, with Maddy Taylor finding the back of the net just over a minute into the contest. The Wildcats' offense was electric, firing off eight straight goals before Notre Dame finally broke through late in the second quarter. Taylor, a 2024 Tewaaraton finalist, led the charge with a first-half hat trick and an assist, while senior Emerson Bohlig and graduate transfer Riley Campbell added key goals to build a commanding lead.
On the defensive end, Northwestern was relentless, suffocating Notre Dame's attack and forcing multiple turnovers. Making her first career start in goal, Francesca Argentieri delivered a standout performance, recording crucial saves and holding the Irish scoreless for nearly 20 minutes of game action.
Notre Dame fought back, netting a pair of goals before halftime to cut Northwestern's lead to 10-4. They carried that momentum into the third quarter, trimming the deficit to 10-6, thanks to a pair of goals from their attack. However, Northwestern quickly responded, with Taylor and Bohlig each finding the net to restore a comfortable cushion.
Despite a spirited fourth-quarter effort from Notre Dame, Northwestern's defense remained resolute while the offense tacked on three more goals. Graduate transfer Niki Miles dished out her third assist of the night, and Bohlig capped off the win with her third goal, setting a new career high.
Key Performances:
- Madison Taylor: 6 goals, 1 assist, 5 draw controls
- Emerson Bohlig: 3 goals (career high)
- Niki Miles: 1 goal, 3 assists
- Riley Campbell: 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 caused turnovers, 5 ground balls
- Sam Smith: 9 draw controls
- Francesca Argentieri: 8 saves in her first career start
- Draw Controls: Northwestern 22, Notre Dame 5
The Wildcats also received significant contributions from new faces, with graduate transfers Miles, Campbell, and Grace Fujinaga making an immediate impact in their Northwestern debuts. First-year standouts Hannah Rudolph and Mary Carroll earned starting spots, while fellow first-year Aditi Foster notched her first career goal in the fourth quarter.
Now 1-0, Northwestern will aim to build on this strong start when they host Canisius on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT, live on B1G+.
