Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Kailey Zagst/Northwestern Athletics
‘The Deepest Level of Respect’: Northwestern, Johns Hopkins Face Off in Semifinal Rife with Familiarity
5/22/2026 8:44:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
EVANSTON, Ill. — When No. 1 Northwestern and No. 4 Johns Hopkins face off for the second time this season in Friday's NCAA Tournament Semifinal, the game will extend beyond a meeting of Big Ten foes at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
The two coaching staffs are intrinsically linked. Combe Family Head Lacrosse Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and Scott Hiller brought on Tim McCormack, now the Blue Jays' head coach, as an assistant in 2013.
McCormack spent six seasons on the Wildcat staff, mentoring NU's goalies and defensive units. Now, he's guided Johns Hopkins to the program's first ever Division I Championship Weekend appearance.
"Tim is my family, right," Amonte Hiller said at Thursday's pregame press conference. "My kids were in his wedding. We're very very close. I seem to be going up against all my friends. Last round it was Ann [Elliott Whidden]. Now it's Tim."
McCormack, who took the job in Baltimore ahead of the 2023 season, credits Amonte Hiller and her husband with taking a career-altering gamble on him more than a decade ago.
"Kelly and Scotty gave me the opportunity that changed the entire course of my life," McCormack said. "For someone who didn't know much about the women's game, to take a chance on me and put me in that position, I'm forever grateful. Kelly was there for the birth of my son. Her daughters were our flower girls. I'll never forget any of that."
He has leaned on countless lessons learned from his time in Evanston. He's even drawn upon several Northwestern connections in forging his team's culture.
Former Wildcat goalkeeper Madison Doucette played one season at Johns Hopkins and spent last year as a student assistant coach. Jill Girardi, a First Team All-American at Northwestern in 2022, has spent the last three seasons on McCormack's staff.
"The biggest thing that comes to mind is love of the game," McCormack said of how his Hopkins team reminds him of prior NU squads he coached. "You have to have a love and a passion for this sport like no other to be successful. That's something I took from my time here watching the players and the locker room. The best groups we had truly loved the game."
McCormack has guided the Blue Jays to NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his first four seasons. But Johns Hopkins has reached new heights in 2026, earning a top four seed and securing a trip to Evanston with a stunning 13-12 win over No. 5 Stony Brook.
"I'm just so happy for him," Amonte Hiller said. "I'm not surprised in the character of person he is and how he's gotten his young women to just love the game, love each other and compete hard for Johns Hopkins. He'd done an amazing job. But obviously tomorrow we're going to compete like crazy, and so are they. We know that there will be the deepest level of respect between us."
Reagan O'Brien, a senior captain for Johns Hopkins and the NCAA's single-season and career caused turnovers leader, carries another connection between the two schools.
She played under Amonte Hiller when Team USA captured a U20 Women's Lacrosse World Championship in Hong Kong, China in 2024. Current Wildcats Francesca Argentieri, Noel Cumberland, Maddie Epke, Hannah Rudolph, Madison Smith and Madison Taylor were on the gold medal winning roster.
The granddaughter of George Stump, a Northwestern football and baseball alum, O'Brien said the Northwestern campus holds countless memories for her family.
"It's amazing, I can recall the amount of times I've been here," O'Brien said. "It's always been a great experience, and I'm hoping to make it an even better one this time. But I just love ending my career here. Hopefully it comes out with a huge win, or a couple of wins."
When the teams last faced off, Northwestern won 16-12 inside Ryan Fieldhouse on March 29. That regular-season meeting followed a week of cross-country travel for the 'Cats — as well as a 700-plus-mile bus ride for the Blue Jays due to TSA staffing shortages.
"It will be cool to see a fresh Hopkins and a fresh Northwestern on a week's rest and see us battle it out," Amonte Hiller said. "I know they improved a ton. They have incredible personnel from top to bottom, and we've been finding ourselves too. We're really battle-tested, and I hope that proves tomorrow night."
Opening draw of Friday's Semifinal is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
The two coaching staffs are intrinsically linked. Combe Family Head Lacrosse Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller and Scott Hiller brought on Tim McCormack, now the Blue Jays' head coach, as an assistant in 2013.
McCormack spent six seasons on the Wildcat staff, mentoring NU's goalies and defensive units. Now, he's guided Johns Hopkins to the program's first ever Division I Championship Weekend appearance.
"Tim is my family, right," Amonte Hiller said at Thursday's pregame press conference. "My kids were in his wedding. We're very very close. I seem to be going up against all my friends. Last round it was Ann [Elliott Whidden]. Now it's Tim."
McCormack, who took the job in Baltimore ahead of the 2023 season, credits Amonte Hiller and her husband with taking a career-altering gamble on him more than a decade ago.
"Kelly and Scotty gave me the opportunity that changed the entire course of my life," McCormack said. "For someone who didn't know much about the women's game, to take a chance on me and put me in that position, I'm forever grateful. Kelly was there for the birth of my son. Her daughters were our flower girls. I'll never forget any of that."
He has leaned on countless lessons learned from his time in Evanston. He's even drawn upon several Northwestern connections in forging his team's culture.
Former Wildcat goalkeeper Madison Doucette played one season at Johns Hopkins and spent last year as a student assistant coach. Jill Girardi, a First Team All-American at Northwestern in 2022, has spent the last three seasons on McCormack's staff.
"The biggest thing that comes to mind is love of the game," McCormack said of how his Hopkins team reminds him of prior NU squads he coached. "You have to have a love and a passion for this sport like no other to be successful. That's something I took from my time here watching the players and the locker room. The best groups we had truly loved the game."
McCormack has guided the Blue Jays to NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his first four seasons. But Johns Hopkins has reached new heights in 2026, earning a top four seed and securing a trip to Evanston with a stunning 13-12 win over No. 5 Stony Brook.
"I'm just so happy for him," Amonte Hiller said. "I'm not surprised in the character of person he is and how he's gotten his young women to just love the game, love each other and compete hard for Johns Hopkins. He'd done an amazing job. But obviously tomorrow we're going to compete like crazy, and so are they. We know that there will be the deepest level of respect between us."
Reagan O'Brien, a senior captain for Johns Hopkins and the NCAA's single-season and career caused turnovers leader, carries another connection between the two schools.
She played under Amonte Hiller when Team USA captured a U20 Women's Lacrosse World Championship in Hong Kong, China in 2024. Current Wildcats Francesca Argentieri, Noel Cumberland, Maddie Epke, Hannah Rudolph, Madison Smith and Madison Taylor were on the gold medal winning roster.
The granddaughter of George Stump, a Northwestern football and baseball alum, O'Brien said the Northwestern campus holds countless memories for her family.
"It's amazing, I can recall the amount of times I've been here," O'Brien said. "It's always been a great experience, and I'm hoping to make it an even better one this time. But I just love ending my career here. Hopefully it comes out with a huge win, or a couple of wins."
When the teams last faced off, Northwestern won 16-12 inside Ryan Fieldhouse on March 29. That regular-season meeting followed a week of cross-country travel for the 'Cats — as well as a 700-plus-mile bus ride for the Blue Jays due to TSA staffing shortages.
"It will be cool to see a fresh Hopkins and a fresh Northwestern on a week's rest and see us battle it out," Amonte Hiller said. "I know they improved a ton. They have incredible personnel from top to bottom, and we've been finding ourselves too. We're really battle-tested, and I hope that proves tomorrow night."
Opening draw of Friday's Semifinal is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
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