How will the ‘Cats respond after another cruise to Cary for the championship?
The Lake Show is back tonight! After a gut-wrenching loss in the national championship game to Boston College last May, Kelly Amonte Hiller’s squad returns to action as the No. 2 squad in the nation (behind only the Eagles, of course). However, this year’s iteration of Northwestern lacrosse is going to look slightly different from previous years. The Wildcats will be going to war without program icons like Izzy Scane, Erin Coykendall, Carleigh Mahoney, Kendall Halpern and Molly Laliberty. Before the season opener against No. 13 Notre Dame, Brendan Preisman, Sophia Vlahakis and Yanyan Li sat down to discuss some of the most pressing questions for Northwestern as the 2025 season gets underway.
What are the biggest games on the schedule?
Yanyan: To me, the biggest games on the schedule are Boston College and Michigan. Boston College is big because that will be the only game where Northwestern isn’t coming in as the preseason favorite — a position that the ‘Cats haven’t been in two years. It will be interesting to see how the team fares as the underdogs, while also trying to keep together a home win streak that has lasted since 2020. Meanwhile, Michigan is the No. 3 ranked team in preseason polls and will be NU’s biggest Big Ten threat. Northwestern has also been pushing really hard to set a lacrosse attendance record for that game, which will take place on a Thursday night at the outdoor Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium venue.
Brendan: Yanyan snatched up both of mine, so I’m going to focus on two road games. The first one is Syracuse on February 25 — it’s the second-to-last game before conference play begins, and it’s always tough to win in the Carrier Dome. The second game is Johns Hopkins on April 3. That game is really intriguing because the Bluejays are the seventh-ranked team in USA Lacrosse’s preseason poll, and they’re also one of just two preseason top-20 teams the Wildcats play on the road (USC is the other). We know Northwestern will be competing for Big Ten and national titles. Those games will be good measuring sticks for where they are in this competition.
Sophia: As already pointed out, Boston College and Michigan are easily the biggest competition on the schedule, and Syracuse is always one to watch for. But another one worth circling on the calendar is North Carolina. The Tar Heels last made it into the Final Four when they won the championship in 2022. Although recent seasons have not seen North Carolina reach its typical echelon of success, it has a wealth of talent in its freshman class and is ranked at No. 4 behind Boston College, Northwestern and Michigan. The Tar Heels are looking for a resurgence, and a win over Northwestern in Evanston would fit that narrative.
What are the biggest questions surrounding Northwestern lacrosse?
Yanyan: I’m curious about how well this new roster will adjust and get used to each other. We know that Northwestern has been practicing with each other for months now, but playing in games is a much different situation. I expect things to be a little bit shaky in the first few games just out of sheer inexperience, but how long it will take for the team to become comfortable will determine its level of success this season.
Brendan: Who’s the second banana on offense going to be? Madison Taylor is the top dog (or top ‘Cat), but that’s never been in question. If I had to guess, I would assume that a transfer — most likely Niki Miles or Riley Campbell — but Kelly Amonte Hiller typically builds her offense in more of a homegrown fashion. If the key transfers are slow to adjust, then the offense could be slow to get going.
Sophia: An offense without Izzy Scane and Erin Coykendall is hard to imagine, but how is the defense going to look? Kelly Amonte Hiller returns Sammy White, who is arguably the most valuable player on the team, but she also lost two staples in Kendall Halpern and Carleigh Mahoney. Northwestern is adding graduate defender Grace Fujinaga from Penn which will add depth and experience, but nonetheless, Halpern and Mahoney left large shoes to fill.
Which returner is going to make the biggest leap?
Yanyan: Sophomore midfielder/defender Madison Smith. She got progressively more playing time throughout last season and eventually became a full-time starter — the only freshman starter on the team. With more high-stakes competition under her belt, I see her having an increased presence on defense and in the draw, taking the same freshman-to-sophomore starter leap that both Madison Taylor and Sammy White had in previous years.
Brendan: Sophomore attacker Alexis Ventresca. She only appeared in seven games last season, but provided a lot of offensive pop when she did see the field. Ventresca scored five goals on just seven shots, including a pair of goals against Central Michigan. With Izzy Scane, Erin Coykendall, Dylan Amonte and Mary Schumar gone, there’s a pretty big hole in Northwestern’s attack. Ventresca could help fill it.
Sophia: This may be cheating, but senior midfielder Emerson Bohlig. Bohlig has more than proved herself with her speed, her ability to move the ball up the field and her shooting ability. But without Scane and Coykendall, there’s a lot more opportunity for her to rack up assists and goals. Expect a jump in her already respectable statistics.
Which transfer (non-Delaney Sweitzer division) is going to make the biggest impact?
Yanyan: Graduate student Niki Miles out of Penn. She’s obviously a phenomenal attacker, having racked up 54 goals and 24 assists last season. But she was also the primary draw-taker at Penn and will be expected to split that role with Samantha Smith this season. Northwestern hasn’t had one of its top attackers also be a draw-taker since Jill Girardi’s final season in 2022, so it will be interesting to see how much Miles’ role shifts the formation of the team’s offense.
Brendan: How about a different Penn transfer? I’ll go with graduate defender Grace Fujinaga, who was somehow left off the All-Ivy League teams despite putting up 33 ground balls and causing 23 turnovers in 2024. She comes to Northwestern with 92 career ground balls, 54 caused turnovers and back-to-back 30-20 seasons. With Carleigh Mahoney and Kendall Halpern off to the WLL, Northwestern’s defense desperately needs veteran production. Fujinaga will provide that.
Sophia: Penn gives Northwestern two great options, but I’ll go with Niki Miles. The ‘Cats are used to having a powerhouse attack, affording it one of the best scoring offenses in the country in recent years. Between Madison Taylor and Miles, that is a possibility again this year. Taylor will obviously be leading the Wildcat offense, but when teams try to shut her down, Miles will be next to step up.
Who will be the MVP?
Yanyan: The obvious choice, but I’m going to go with Madison Taylor. I know there are a lot of questions about whether she can replicate her numbers from last season, especially as the No. 1 target of opposing defenses. But this is a player who has gotten better year after year (just look at the jump in her numbers from 2023 to 2024), and I do not doubt that she will rise to the occasion and step up for this Northwestern team.
Brendan: Once again, I’m going to focus on the defense here. Senior defender Sammy White went ballistic in 2023, making Second Team All-American and earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the NCAA Tournament. But an offseason injury marred her 2024, and she missed five games in the middle of the season. Despite the missed time, White still tallied 24 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers and made Second Team All-Big Ten. If she’s fully healthy and back to her 2023 form, White could seriously contend for a spot on the All-America First Team.
Sophia: It’s very likely Madison Taylor ends this season as the best player in all of collegiate lacrosse, but I’m going with Sammy White. White is an integral part of this program. You can’t tell the story of the 2023 title team without reflecting on White becoming a full-time defender during the season and being named the MVP of the national championship game. She has been valuable since the very beginning of her tenure as a first-year, and she is going to be valuable until her last day. She’s expected to have a great season, and she deserves one.
What is the expectation for Northwestern lacrosse in 2025?
Yanyan: Northwestern has been consistently ranked No. 2 in the preseason polls, indicating an expectation for the ‘Cats to continue as a national championship contender despite losing superstar talent. I can understand this sentiment — after all, NU still returns a Tewaaraton finalist, multiple All-Americans and adds many high-caliber transfers and recruits. However, you never know how a new team will mesh together, and how well teams with less roster turnover have progressed since last season. So I will err on the conservative side of the predictions and say that Northwestern will at least be a top-two team in the Big Ten and earn a top-four seed for the NCAA tournament.
Brendan: As fun as it is to prognosticate about a third straight trip to the national championship, this Northwestern team still has a lot more questions than answers. Last year’s team was a known commodity — Izzy Scane, Erin Coykendall, Madison Taylor, Kendall Halpern, Carleigh Mahoney, Sammy White and Molly Laliberty had all played critical roles on a title-winning team. Five of those seven names are no longer at Northwestern. I’m confident in Kelly Amonte Hiller to get the best out of this team, and I’m confident in the returning stars to continue shining. But teams like Michigan and Boston College — the Wildcats’ toughest tests, in my opinion — got better this offseason. I can’t definitively say the same for Northwestern. Much like Yanyan, though, I’m not foolish enough to doubt a motivated Lake Show team. The Wildcats finish second in the Big Ten before winning the conference tournament and making it back to the Final Four.
Sophia: Northwestern lacrosse is always going to have the potential to go all the way, but like Brendan and Yanyan pointed out, this isn’t the same team from two years ago and it’s not the same team as last year. I have no doubt that the team has its eyes on the title, but I’m just going to predict a trip to the Final Four for now. Northwestern is without its superstars, but it is still ranked No. 2 for a reason. It’s easy to want to be cautious given the departures of staple players, but I do believe the ‘Cats are where they need to be and that they will consistently stay at the top of the rankings this season.