Northwestern vs Johns Hopkins |NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship Semifinal Highlights May 22, 2026

Added: 2026-05-23

[00:00:00]in blue in an all Big Ten battle is underway in our second semi >> defense. You've got to attack with space and speed.

[00:00:07]>> Paige Willard, the fearless freshman opens the scoring.

[00:00:15]What a start.

[00:00:20]First possession of the game, they go to the freshman Willard and she delivers.

[00:00:26]41st goal of the season for the freshman. She loves this left side.

[00:00:30]She's a great lefty. She's got >> told you about Reagan O'Brien, but this zone has been tough to go against. That ever national semi brings it off the pipe. We've had two pipes in the Taylor wanted it back, gets it back. A give and go and Taylor >> [cheering] >> cashes in.

[00:00:53]Can't do it much better than that in transition, defense to offense for the equalizer.

[00:01:00]Madison Taylor, a bonafide star for this Northwestern team.

[00:01:05]Pushing the pace. She's got a >> Great ball movement. And another goal.

[00:01:09]What a start for the wildcats.

[00:01:35]She's so key.

[00:01:37]Taylor spins free. Everything but the finish. Second we've seen some just errant passes and some turnovers. They got to make sure that they make the easy Let's go. Feeds to the doorstep.

[00:01:49]Contact and a whistle. One on one with Kuokkanen. Beats her.

[00:01:53]Perfectly placed.

[00:01:56]Two freshman goals in this semi-final for Johns Hopkins.

[00:02:02]And they are not backing down against number one Northwestern.

[00:02:08]It's the freshman on Both teams have been quick to attack and that's why it's all offense so far. Maddie Epley fires Northwestern back in front.

[00:02:28]That's an excellent transition play off the draw control win. Maddie Epley >> Northwestern after scoring the goal.

[00:02:33]Here's Madison Taylor. Oh my!

[00:02:36]Madison Taylor on a mission.

[00:02:42]11 seconds between goals. Don't blink, you might miss it.

[00:02:47]This is Northwestern Lacrosse.

[00:02:54]And settling now.

[00:02:57]>> [cheering] >> Those are the top That gives us an opportunity >> at the right time. And it was announced a little more than a year ago that they would host and she felt like they need And those players they they alluded to those losses as really >> Willard wins it back.

[00:03:13]The freshman have been the stars for Hopkins so far and it leads to a goal.

[00:03:18]Ava Angelo who assisted the game-winning goal finds Craig. That's her second. All three goals scored in this first quarter by Hopkins have been scored by freshman.

[00:03:33]Sixth multi-goal game this year for Mackenzie Craig.

[00:03:38]And this is a great defensive effort getting those extra possessions. Willard with a check and ground ball. first quarter they've got five of them.

[00:03:48]Hopkins wants to bait you to feed it into the inside and that's when those collapse come up with some of those checks. Evangelo, great pass. Taylor Haas denied. This program, he has been on the brink of this moment, being in championship weekend and First free position, Monroe went with high heat, missed it.

[00:04:08]When you look at Ashley's play, she operates as the backer of their zone defense.

[00:04:12]Langdon got a piece, but not enough to keep it out.

[00:04:16]Kate Retana Prosper, the freshman from Portland, Oregon. Her seventh goal of the season.

[00:04:24]Gutsy effort, and Northwestern leads by two.

[00:04:29]What a freshman campaign Retana Prosper has had.

[00:04:34]Who affectionately goes by Rat.

[00:04:36]>> I mean, you got to embrace it.

[00:04:37]>> [laughter] >> Lapointe on his zone defenses, and that style of defense forces you to work together.

[00:04:45]Foster scores.

[00:04:50]>> [cheering] >> Foster's able to draw the shooting space within within When a defender gets into that path to cage, and it would be dangerous to shoot, you get put on the 8-m when the whistle blows. Madison Taylor and Amalie Foster just balancing out this field. Great save. Late in the second quarter, so they're confident in both. Madison Taylor again.

[00:05:17]A first half hat trick for Taylor.

[00:05:22]It's a 5-1 Northwestern run, and they've scored all three goals in this second quarter.

[00:05:33]The senior attacker, you've got to think she's comfortable here on her Haas trying to split Amalie Foster. All gas, no brakes. Took a lot of contact.

[00:05:47]for any goalie.

[00:05:50]Taylor Taylor is has a great conversion rate.

[00:05:56]Too much on that. and dictate to contain the ball movement.

[00:06:04]Here's Angelo. We just said a moment ago she's been quiet. Three nothing in it.

[00:06:10]Foster, too much on it.

[00:06:14]Foster, this time she scores. Although she lands in the crease, they give her the goal.

[00:06:22]The only way that is given a goal is if she was pushed into the crease and that's what the officials have decided.

[00:06:32]Costly turnover.

[00:06:35]Sam Smith, one of the best draw takers in the world right now.

[00:06:39]Great ball movement. Taylor trying to shake free.

[00:06:44]Feeds it back inside.

[00:06:46]>> [cheering] >> Can't do it much better than that. Lucy Munro, the beneficiary of some great team offense.

[00:06:53]And Northwestern is rolling with a minute left in this first half.

[00:07:02]Madison Taylor conducted this entire play with the First quarter.

[00:07:08]But a six nothing run now for Northwestern.

[00:07:12]>> [cheering] >> They have separated in this second quarter.

[00:07:16]Unstoppable.

[00:07:23]Maddy Epke Hands right there on the crease.

[00:07:28]>> Northwestern not satisfied. They still want another. Athena gets a chance.

[00:07:32]Rockets it home. Ava Angelo, that's more like it for Hopkins.

[00:07:40]Ava Angelo, the senior at 6 ft tall, is such a weapon on offense with the Northwestern attack, but not allow them to move the ball so easily.

[00:07:51]>> [cheering] >> Just because it's hard check, doesn't make it foul. It's because the stick did not release back on that stick check.

[00:07:57]So, if it will be a foul.

[00:08:01]And oftentimes goalie comes up with a save in that position. It's a risk of of the zone.

[00:08:07]Great pass and an even better finish.

[00:08:11]Threading the needle, Lacey Downey.

[00:08:14]And it's back-to-back Blue Jays goals to start this third quarter.

[00:08:21]After being held scoreless for over 20 minutes, Hopkins has responded in this Northwestern has won 10 straight draws.

[00:08:28]Madison Taylor goes right into contact.

[00:08:31]This year as you watch Madison Taylor come in, the check and it's possible extended side like what is an embellishment.

[00:08:40]Great opportunity leads to a goal.

[00:08:43]Samantha De Carlo cashes in. Make it three straight goals for Hopkins.

[00:08:50]They've cut the lead to four.

[00:08:56]Keeping the foot on the gas in transition, dodging from Haas kicks out Angelo who scores.

[00:09:03][screaming] >> [cheering] >> It's already been a program best season for a Hopkins team playing in their first ever champ weekend, and they are not backing down. Make it four straight goals. Ava Angelo, 80th goal this season. Hopkins has flipped the script in this second half. They've come out with a lot of fire and energy. Haas to Angelo.

[00:09:31]>> Northwestern still looking for their first goal since halftime.

[00:09:35]Taylor right on cue, Mackenzie Brown, the freshman, pries it free. Could be perfect.

[00:09:43]And they get a lapse there defensively.

[00:09:45]Northwestern cashes in. Maddie Epke a hat trick for the transfer from James Madison who told us she picked Northwestern to play in games like these and she's delivered.

[00:10:02]Passing against the grain.

[00:10:05]Finds Angelo. Suffocated.

[00:10:11]Beautiful ball movement and it's LaPoint who scores. She's been the feeder all day with five assists. Now she notches her first goal of this semi-final and it's back-to-back Northwestern strikes.

[00:10:26]After four straight Hopkins goals, Northwestern's responded with two straight scores and this transition look was just too easy here. Epke, beautiful job with the inside, the unselfishness, in tight to goal.

[00:10:39]Monroe just whizzed it wide. You're in the fire and the belief that they've had. Hopkins believing at the start of this fourth quarter. The Blue Jays not going away.

[00:10:51]Ava Angelo, who was quiet in the first half, has picked it up in this second half. A hat trick for her.

[00:11:00]And Johns Hopkins back within four.

[00:11:03]Northwestern goes back to their man-to-man here again.

[00:11:07]Big save, Kowalczyk.

[00:11:14]They do just that.

[00:11:16]Right on cue, Rutana Pruszkowski again.

[00:11:20]The freshman buries her second goal of this semi-final.

[00:11:25]And Northwestern back up by five.

[00:11:29]Rutana Pruszkowski, the freshman, she plays a little bit of everything. Been on attack, defensive middie, two-way player, on the circle. Getting in on the scoring action. It starts with the save.

[00:11:40]Cuoco gets it down.

[00:11:42]And look at the face dodge here.

[00:11:44]>> Player of the year award, the Tewaaraton. You have to consider how much Taylor impacts the game at the draw. And Taylor with an assist there to find LaPoint for the finish.

[00:11:55]And Northwestern back up by six, in control in this fourth quarter.

[00:12:02]Taylor LaPoint is the glue of this offense. We've seen what she can do with her vision.

[00:12:07]>> Her face off 50/50 balls have gone Northwestern's way today. Taylor gets to push hard behind the cage.

[00:12:12]>> It ricochets.

[00:12:16]Monroe putting over Haas on the run.

[00:12:21]Scores! Hopkins Taylor Haas was attempting a pass, but it finds its way to the back of the net.

[00:12:30]They count all the same. And Hopkins pulls one back. Um Hopkins just with 15 shots, Northwestern's generating 37.

[00:12:38]Haas! This one, she went to the goal within 10 and scores!

[00:12:43]Back-to-back goals for Taylor Haas.

[00:12:48]The first one was an attempted pass.

[00:12:50]That one she meant. 31 seconds between the two Taylor Haas goals.

[00:12:56]And the Blue Jays Haas feeds it inside to Carola through contact.

[00:13:03]>> Here, she's continued her stride, her senior year with this finish.

[00:13:07]Northwestern can score in multiple different ways, off the 8-m, inside the 8.

[00:13:12]Causes a >> lone Big Ten loss.

[00:13:17]The Blue Jays keep battling. Paige Willard, the freshman who started the scoring in this semifinal, pulls one back. It's a four-goal game with just under 6 minutes to play.

[00:13:32]Paige Willard showing her up and is not afraid of the big moment.

[00:13:39]Geron.

[00:13:42]Behind the back.

[00:13:45]Epke bounces it home.

[00:13:51]>> [cheering] >> And that should do it.

[00:13:58]With a little more than 2 minutes remaining, Northwestern a five-goal lead. How good has Epke And you can feel that when you talk to the players, when versus number two.

[00:14:09]It'll be Northwestern and North Carolina on Sunday.