Northwestern University Athletics
Patience, Confidence Fuel Noel Cumberland’s All-Conference Ascension
4/23/2026 9:47:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
EVANSTON, Ill. — Noel Cumberland fielded simple instructions from her teammates as Northwestern formulated its plan of attack ahead of a March 25 matchup with top-ranked UNC.
"My teammates told me to just use my speed and go," Cumberland said. "I really just went with that. With the way we believe in each other, I think we can all do amazing things. It gave me a lot of confidence that we can do this against any team, no matter what."
Cumberland heeded her pregame advice, posting two goals, an assist, a ground ball and a caused turnover in the first of two Wildcat wins over No. 1 ranked opponents in 2026. But the junior midfielder's impact extended far beyond the box score.
She wreaked havoc between the restraining lines, with the coaching staff fully entrusting Cumberland in a two-way midfield role. As Cumberland battled against some of the nation's top players in her position, she helped command the transition game.
"Watching her, it's insane how fast she is and how hard she goes on the field," graduate student midfielder Annabel Child said. "That's something that's really intangible about her. Off the field, she's just really come into her own and matured as a player and a person. She's able to withstand any mistake she may make, not letting that affect her game."
After she recorded 17 goals, five assists, six ground balls, 10 draw controls and a pair of caused turnovers in 16 regular season games, Cumberland earned a First Team All-Big Ten selection on Tuesday.
It's the first all-conference honor for Cumberland, who is on a career-best 14-game points streak dating back to Feb. 14 against Army West Point.
"I was actually pretty surprised, but it just felt really good to see my name there," Cumberland said. "I just owe it all to my teammates for pushing me. I've worked really hard on both my mindset and my game — just focusing on being positive and realizing gratitude every single day."
For Combe Family Head Lacrosse Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, Cumberland's on-field ability was always there. It earned the midfielder a spot on the U-20 United States Women's National Team, where she and five current Wildcat teammates took home at the 2024 World Lacrosse Women's World Championships in Hong Kong.
But Amonte Hiller knew belief would help transcend Cumberland's presence. The two dedicated significant offseason work to building up the junior's mental game.
"She's just a warrior," Amonte Hiller said after Cumberland netted a career-high three goals against Rutgers on April 15. "She's been working for several years to get to this point on all aspects of her game — physical, mental, everything. It's just really cool to see her find that confidence."
A Fallston, Md., native, Cumberland competed in lacrosse, soccer and track & field at Maryvale Preparatory High School. There, she played for Brian Reese, the husband of longtime Maryland Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Cathy Reese.
As she navigated her recruiting process, Cumberland struck up a quick connection with the NU coaching staff. She committed to the Wildcat program on Sept. 29, 2021.
"Something that made Northwestern so appealing to me was just Kelly's coaching style and [assistant coach Scott Hiller's], how much they love the game and how positive they are," Cumberland said. "I just knew they create amazing people."
"The legacy Northwestern had, not just winning championships, but the people that come out of here and the style of play was just something that really drew me to Northwestern."
When Cumberland first arrived at Northwestern, midfield spots were at a premium. Former Wildcat standouts Sam Smith and Emerson Bohlig logged the lion's share of minutes at two-way midfield during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Cumberland stepped into defensive roles as she battled for playing time. She leaned on veterans like Sammy White, a fellow Skywalkers (Md.) alum at the club level, as she found her footing in Evanston.
Cumberland tallied 10 points across 34 games played as a first-year and sophomore. She learned the fine margins between wins and losses at the highest level in NCAA Championship action.
"Coming in as a freshman, I didn't really know what my role was," Cumberland said. "Kelly put me on defense, and I just tried to embrace that and really learn because I knew that was not necessarily a strength of mine. I adapted on defense those first few years and was able to work in practices on my offense."
While Cumberland has taken on a more expansive role in the Wildcat offense in 2026, the foundations she laid in years of defensive repetitions have remained at the forefront this season.
Senior attacker Madison Taylor, who joined Cumberland as a First Team All-Big Ten selection, said she was ecstatic to see her longtime teammate garner recognition.
"My teammates told me to just use my speed and go," Cumberland said. "I really just went with that. With the way we believe in each other, I think we can all do amazing things. It gave me a lot of confidence that we can do this against any team, no matter what."
Cumberland heeded her pregame advice, posting two goals, an assist, a ground ball and a caused turnover in the first of two Wildcat wins over No. 1 ranked opponents in 2026. But the junior midfielder's impact extended far beyond the box score.
She wreaked havoc between the restraining lines, with the coaching staff fully entrusting Cumberland in a two-way midfield role. As Cumberland battled against some of the nation's top players in her position, she helped command the transition game.
"Watching her, it's insane how fast she is and how hard she goes on the field," graduate student midfielder Annabel Child said. "That's something that's really intangible about her. Off the field, she's just really come into her own and matured as a player and a person. She's able to withstand any mistake she may make, not letting that affect her game."
After she recorded 17 goals, five assists, six ground balls, 10 draw controls and a pair of caused turnovers in 16 regular season games, Cumberland earned a First Team All-Big Ten selection on Tuesday.
It's the first all-conference honor for Cumberland, who is on a career-best 14-game points streak dating back to Feb. 14 against Army West Point.
"I was actually pretty surprised, but it just felt really good to see my name there," Cumberland said. "I just owe it all to my teammates for pushing me. I've worked really hard on both my mindset and my game — just focusing on being positive and realizing gratitude every single day."
For Combe Family Head Lacrosse Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, Cumberland's on-field ability was always there. It earned the midfielder a spot on the U-20 United States Women's National Team, where she and five current Wildcat teammates took home at the 2024 World Lacrosse Women's World Championships in Hong Kong.
Unselfish play from Ally Reilly to set up Noel Cumberland for the score ??#WLWU20C | #HongKong2024 pic.twitter.com/WCmgJROPTp
— World Lacrosse (@WorldLacrosse) August 22, 2024
But Amonte Hiller knew belief would help transcend Cumberland's presence. The two dedicated significant offseason work to building up the junior's mental game.
"She's just a warrior," Amonte Hiller said after Cumberland netted a career-high three goals against Rutgers on April 15. "She's been working for several years to get to this point on all aspects of her game — physical, mental, everything. It's just really cool to see her find that confidence."
A Fallston, Md., native, Cumberland competed in lacrosse, soccer and track & field at Maryvale Preparatory High School. There, she played for Brian Reese, the husband of longtime Maryland Women's Lacrosse Head Coach Cathy Reese.
As she navigated her recruiting process, Cumberland struck up a quick connection with the NU coaching staff. She committed to the Wildcat program on Sept. 29, 2021.
"Something that made Northwestern so appealing to me was just Kelly's coaching style and [assistant coach Scott Hiller's], how much they love the game and how positive they are," Cumberland said. "I just knew they create amazing people."
"The legacy Northwestern had, not just winning championships, but the people that come out of here and the style of play was just something that really drew me to Northwestern."
When Cumberland first arrived at Northwestern, midfield spots were at a premium. Former Wildcat standouts Sam Smith and Emerson Bohlig logged the lion's share of minutes at two-way midfield during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Cumberland stepped into defensive roles as she battled for playing time. She leaned on veterans like Sammy White, a fellow Skywalkers (Md.) alum at the club level, as she found her footing in Evanston.
Cumberland tallied 10 points across 34 games played as a first-year and sophomore. She learned the fine margins between wins and losses at the highest level in NCAA Championship action.
"Coming in as a freshman, I didn't really know what my role was," Cumberland said. "Kelly put me on defense, and I just tried to embrace that and really learn because I knew that was not necessarily a strength of mine. I adapted on defense those first few years and was able to work in practices on my offense."
While Cumberland has taken on a more expansive role in the Wildcat offense in 2026, the foundations she laid in years of defensive repetitions have remained at the forefront this season.
Senior attacker Madison Taylor, who joined Cumberland as a First Team All-Big Ten selection, said she was ecstatic to see her longtime teammate garner recognition.
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