Northwestern University Athletics
Thursday, March 12
Evanston, Ill.
7 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
#14 Syracuse
No. 4 Northwestern to Host No. 14 Syracuse in Thursday Night Tilt
3/11/2026 12:40:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
EVANSTON, Ill. — No. 4 Northwestern lacrosse will renew its storied rivalry with No. 14 Syracuse on Thursday night inside Ryan Fieldhouse. Opening draw in the 2026 season's final home non-conference game is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on B1G+.
The Wildcats (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) enter the matchup on the back of a four-game winning streak, having knocked off a pair of ranked opponents in that span. The Orange (4-3, 3-2 ACC) are also winners of four consecutive games.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
The Wildcats rank second in the NCAA in scoring offense (18.33 GPG), points per game (28.33), and assists per game (10). Northwestern leads the Big Ten in draw control percentage (.645), scoring margin (10 GPG) and scoring offense.
Attacker Madison Taylor leads the Big Ten in goals (30). She is second in the NCAA in goals per game (5) and points per game (7). The senior's 12 assists rank No. 7 in the Big Ten. Taylor's 386 career points rank first among all active NCAA Division I players, and the Wantagh, N.Y., native sits 97 points behind two-time Tewaaraton Award winner Izzy Scane's program record of 483.
Redshirt sophomore midfielder Madison Smith averages 7.33 draw controls per game, the No. 5 figure in the Big Ten.
Sophomore attacker Aditi Foster ranks No. 8 in the Big Ten in goals (19) and is second on the team with 25 points.
Jenika Cuocco ranks second in the Big Ten in save percentage (.531) and saves per game (8.5).
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern stormed back from a two-goal fourth-quarter deficit to defeat No. 18 Stony Brook 13-12 on Saturday, Feb. 28, at LaValle Stadium.
Taylor (four goals) and Foster (two goals, three assists) combined for nine points to fuel the Wildcats (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) in a back-and-forth battle on Long Island. NU scored three unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to complete its comeback.
Junior attacker Taylor Lapointe buried three goals, including the game-winner on a free-position shot with 99 seconds remaining. Lapointe, who converted all three of her shots into finishes, extended her season goals tally to 10.
Graduate student attacker Olivia Adamson opened the scoring and finished with a pair of goals in the win. Senior attacker Maddie Epke and first-year midfielder Gabriella McCollester each chipped in a goal.
Cuocco posted nine saves, seven of which came in the second half. She made four stops in the final 15 minutes to record a fourth-quarter shutout.
Smith pulled down a team-high six draw controls, while Taylor added three. On the defensive end, first-year midfielder Kate Ratanaproeksa recorded two ground balls, two caused turnovers and a pair of draw controls.
SCOUTING THE ORANGE
After an 0-3 start against the top three teams in the IWLCA poll, Syracuse has caught fire as of late, winning four consecutive games. The Orange, led by first-year head coach Regy Thorpe, have won their past two games over California and Virginia Tech by a combined margin of 26-6.
Syracuse ranks No. 71 in the NCAA in scoring offense (10.57 GPG) and No. 13 in scoring defense (7.57 GPG). The Orange have one of the nation's top takeaway defenses, averaging 11.86 caused turnovers per game.
Midfielder Molly Guzik leads the Orange in goals (17) and points (20). Mackenzie Rich and Ashlee Volpe have each tallied a team-high seven assists.
Daniella Guyette backstops the Syracuse defense, ranking second in the ACC in save percentage (.463).
SERIES STUFF
Thursday will mark the 27th all-time meeting between the two programs, dating back to the 2003 season. Northwestern has won the past two contests and leads the all-time series 18-8. The Wildcats are 10-1 against the Orange in Evanston.
NEXT UP
The Wildcats will celebrate Senior Day and open their Big Ten slate against Ohio State on Saturday, March 15, inside Ryan Fieldhouse. The game is scheduled for noon CT on B1G+.
The Wildcats (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) enter the matchup on the back of a four-game winning streak, having knocked off a pair of ranked opponents in that span. The Orange (4-3, 3-2 ACC) are also winners of four consecutive games.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
The Wildcats rank second in the NCAA in scoring offense (18.33 GPG), points per game (28.33), and assists per game (10). Northwestern leads the Big Ten in draw control percentage (.645), scoring margin (10 GPG) and scoring offense.
Attacker Madison Taylor leads the Big Ten in goals (30). She is second in the NCAA in goals per game (5) and points per game (7). The senior's 12 assists rank No. 7 in the Big Ten. Taylor's 386 career points rank first among all active NCAA Division I players, and the Wantagh, N.Y., native sits 97 points behind two-time Tewaaraton Award winner Izzy Scane's program record of 483.
Redshirt sophomore midfielder Madison Smith averages 7.33 draw controls per game, the No. 5 figure in the Big Ten.
Sophomore attacker Aditi Foster ranks No. 8 in the Big Ten in goals (19) and is second on the team with 25 points.
Jenika Cuocco ranks second in the Big Ten in save percentage (.531) and saves per game (8.5).
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern stormed back from a two-goal fourth-quarter deficit to defeat No. 18 Stony Brook 13-12 on Saturday, Feb. 28, at LaValle Stadium.
Long Island Dub ?? #CatsWin pic.twitter.com/mswcWXWOIE
— Northwestern Lacrosse (@NULax) February 28, 2026
Taylor (four goals) and Foster (two goals, three assists) combined for nine points to fuel the Wildcats (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) in a back-and-forth battle on Long Island. NU scored three unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to complete its comeback.
Junior attacker Taylor Lapointe buried three goals, including the game-winner on a free-position shot with 99 seconds remaining. Lapointe, who converted all three of her shots into finishes, extended her season goals tally to 10.
Graduate student attacker Olivia Adamson opened the scoring and finished with a pair of goals in the win. Senior attacker Maddie Epke and first-year midfielder Gabriella McCollester each chipped in a goal.
Cuocco posted nine saves, seven of which came in the second half. She made four stops in the final 15 minutes to record a fourth-quarter shutout.
Smith pulled down a team-high six draw controls, while Taylor added three. On the defensive end, first-year midfielder Kate Ratanaproeksa recorded two ground balls, two caused turnovers and a pair of draw controls.
SCOUTING THE ORANGE
After an 0-3 start against the top three teams in the IWLCA poll, Syracuse has caught fire as of late, winning four consecutive games. The Orange, led by first-year head coach Regy Thorpe, have won their past two games over California and Virginia Tech by a combined margin of 26-6.
Syracuse ranks No. 71 in the NCAA in scoring offense (10.57 GPG) and No. 13 in scoring defense (7.57 GPG). The Orange have one of the nation's top takeaway defenses, averaging 11.86 caused turnovers per game.
Midfielder Molly Guzik leads the Orange in goals (17) and points (20). Mackenzie Rich and Ashlee Volpe have each tallied a team-high seven assists.
Daniella Guyette backstops the Syracuse defense, ranking second in the ACC in save percentage (.463).
SERIES STUFF
Thursday will mark the 27th all-time meeting between the two programs, dating back to the 2003 season. Northwestern has won the past two contests and leads the all-time series 18-8. The Wildcats are 10-1 against the Orange in Evanston.
NEXT UP
The Wildcats will celebrate Senior Day and open their Big Ten slate against Ohio State on Saturday, March 15, inside Ryan Fieldhouse. The game is scheduled for noon CT on B1G+.
Players Mentioned
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