Boston College defeats Northwestern to win the 2024 NCAA women’s lacrosse championship
Boston College wins the 2024 DI women's lacrosse championship
Boston College won the 2024 DI women's lacrosse championship, defeating Northwestern 14-13. Click or tap here for stats from the game.
Boston College rallied from a 6-0 first quarter deficit to win the game. Kayla Martello led the second quarter rally with four of her game-leading five goals, and overall, four Eagles scored multiple goals. Defensively, sophomore goalie Shea Dolce stepped up huge after a rough opening to the game, finishing with nine saves. When Dolce wasn't stopping shots on goal, she was jump-starting transition attempts, pushing the ball down field. It was an impressive effort from the team as a whole, never giving up despite trailing for the first three quarters.
CHAMPIONS. 🤩
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX)
📺 ESPN x
In the win, the Eagles avenged its title game loss to Northwestern last year (2023) and avoided losing three straight national championships (lost to North Carolina in 2022). It's a bookend championship for Boston College's seniors, previously winning the national title in 2021. In total, the Eagles have played in the last seven DI women's lacrosse games since 2017, winning two titles.
🏆 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 🏆 makes an incredible comeback to defeat the reigning champions, Northwestern, 14-13, to become the 2024 Division I National Championship! 🦅
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX)
One goal game! 55 seconds to play — BC 14, NW 13
Izzy Scane! The Northwestern star scored her 88th goal of the season — 5th of the game — with 55 seconds to play. Boston College leads 14-13. It all comes down to this.
OMGMGGGGMGMGMGGMGM
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX)
📺 ESPN x
Back and forth we go! — BC 14, NW 12
The Northwesterns all-time leading goal scorer Izzy Scane cut the lead to 13-12 with 4:56 to play and then had a chance to tie it up. However, Boston College's goalie Shea Dolce made the save on Scane's shot then kick-started a fastbreak that led to a transition goal from Mckenna Davis.
IZZY!
— Northwestern Lax (@NULax)
NU trails by 1
After all that, Boston College still leads by two goals, 14-12, with 4:02 to play.
Dolce 🤯
— BC Women's Lacrosse (@BCwlax)
Clark 💨
Davis ☄️
Boston College adds insurance — BC 13, NW 11
Not 1, Not 2, Not 3, Not 4, but 5 goals for Boston College's Kayla Martello. Martello's first goal since the second quarter put the Eagles up 13-11 with 5:55 to play.
THIS IS MARTY MANIA
— BC Women's Lacrosse (@BCwlax)
📺 ESPNU
Boston College takes the lead — BC 12, NW 11
The fourth quarter opened with a power-play goal from Northwestern's Izzy Scane — her third of the day — to put the Wildcats back up two scores. Yet, Boston College answered with a goal from Rachel Clark after a defensive three second penalty.
Turned on the Jets 🌬️
— Northwestern Lax (@NULax)
NU:11
NC:9
Rachel Clark's scoring didn't end there; a transition goal with 11:05 to play gave Boston College its first tie of the game.Then a missed shot led to a rebound for Andrea Reynolds that she scooped up and shot to take BC's first lead of the game. Boston College is on a 5-1 run with 9:39 left to play.
AND WE ARE TIED!
— BC Women's Lacrosse (@BCwlax)
📺 ESPN
THE EAGLES.
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX)
📺 ESPN x
Third quarter: One score game — NW 10, BC 9
A last-second goal from Boston College's Mckenna Davis cut Northwestern's lead to one point, 10-9. The score capped off an exciting period that saw five goals scored.
This is just too filthy 😱
— BC Women's Lacrosse (@BCwlax)
That's how you end the quarter!
Northwestern pulled in front by three goals after Madison Taylor and Izzy Scane scored their third and first goals of the game, respectively. However, Emma LoPinto's second goal cut the deficit back to two.
IZZY DOING IZZY THINGS
— Northwestern Lax (@NULax)
10-7, 'Cats lead by three 🚂
One quarter remains between Northwestern and Boston College for a national championship.
Halftime: Boston College rallies — NW 8, BC 6
It was the Kayla Martello show in the second quarter as Boston College rallied from an 0-6 first quarter deficit. Martello scored four goals during the second quarter with Boston College scoring six goals in that quarter alone.
Don't let Marty get hot!
— BC Women's Lacrosse (@BCwlax)
Her third goal cuts the lead to three.
📺 ESPN
Northwestern's offense cooled off from its hot start only scoring two goals in the period from Lindsey Frank and Izzy Scane.
I LIKE IT LINDS 🤌🤌🤌
— Northwestern Lax (@NULax)
Boston College on the board! NW 6, BC 1
Boston College scored its first points of the game with a beautiful behind-the-back goal from Emma LoPinto.
LoPinto with the BTB 🤯
— BC Women's Lacrosse (@BCwlax)
She gets the Eagles on the board!
First quarter: Northwestern dominates 6-0
Northwestern dominated the first quarter against Boston College in the national championship game, leading 6-0 after the first frame. The Wildcats starting things off with a goal from Erin Coykendall less than four minutes into the game. From there it was an on slaught with goals from Dylan Amonte, Madison Taylor and Mary Schumar to go up 4-0.
EVERYBODY EATS 😤
— Northwestern Lax (@NULax)
Mary adds one! 'Cats lead 4-0
Taylor and Coykendall, respectively, each added another goal as Northwestern converted on six of its 11 shots on goal. The Wildcats gave Boston College its largest deficit of the season in the first quarter.
Erin Coykendall. Masterclass. 📚
— Northwestern Lax (@NULax)
'CATS ARE UP 6-0
Defensively, goalie Molly Laliberty had two saves on three shots on goal.
Northwestern strikes first — NW 1, BC 0
Northwestern scored the first goal of the women's lacrosse national title game. Watch the goal below.
WIND IT UP... FIRE 🔥
— Northwestern Lax (@NULax)
ERIN PUTS THE 'CATS UP FIRST
👀 What the stats say
Here is a statistical breakdown comparing the Fighting Irish and the Pioneers.
| Northwestern | STATS | Boston College |
|---|---|---|
| 18-2 | Record | 19-3 |
| 344-199 | Goals for-against | 358-181 |
| .493 | Shot percentage | .484 |
| .467 | Free-Position percentage | .520 |
| 358-245 | Draw Controls for-against | 326-281 |
| Izzy Scane, 83 | Goals leader | Rachel Clark, 76 |
| Madison Taylor, 112 | Points leader | Rachel Clark, 95 |
| Molly Laliberty, 16-2 (10.45 GAA) .435 save % |
Goalkeeping | Shea Dolce, 19-3 (8.53 GAA) .474 save % |
📖 Championship History
The NCAA DI women's lacrosse national championship dates back to 1982, skipping 2020 due to COVID-19, with the first national title going to UMass after defeating TCNJ 9-6. Maryland holds the most national titles at 14.
Northwestern won the 2023 national title by dominating Boston College 18-6. This was Northwestern's and head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller's first title since winning seven out of eight championships between 2005-12. Here is a list of every DI women's lacrosse national champion:
| YEAR | CHAMPION | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 18-6 | Boston College | Cary, N.C. |
| 2022 | North Carolina | Jenny Levy | 12-11 | Boston College | Baltimore, Md. |
| 2021 | Boston College | Acacia Walker-Weinstein | 16-10 | Syracuse | Towson, Md. |
| 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | -- | -- | -- | -- |
| 2019 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 12-10 | Boston College | Baltimore, Md. |
| 2018 | James Madison | Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe | 16-15 | Boston College | Stony Brook, N.Y. |
| 2017 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 16-13 | Boston College | Foxborough, Mass. |
| 2016 | North Carolina | Jenny Levy | 13-7 | Maryland | Chester, Pa. |
| 2015 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 9-8 | North Carolina | Chester, Pa. |
| 2014 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 15-12 | Syracuse | Towson, Md. |
| 2013 | North Carolina | Jenny Levy | 13-12 (3OT) | Maryland | Villanova |
| 2012 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 8-6 | Syracuse | Stony Brook |
| 2011 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 8-7 | Maryland | Stony Brook |
| 2010 | Maryland | Cathy Reese | 13-11 | Northwestern | Towson |
| 2009 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 21-7 | North Carolina | Towson |
| 2008 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 10-6 | Penn | Towson |
| 2007 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 15-13 | Virginia | Penn |
| 2006 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 7-4 | Dartmouth | Boston University |
| 2005 | Northwestern | Kelly Amonte Hiller | 13-10 | Virginia | Navy |
| 2004 | Virginia | Julie Myres | 10-4 | Princeton | Princeton |
| 2003 | Princeton | Chris Sailer | 8-7 (OT) | Virginia | Syracuse |
| 2002 | Princeton | Chris Sailer | 12-7 | Georgetown | Loyola (Md.) |
| 2001 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 14-13 (OT) | Georgetown | Johns Hopkins |
| 2000 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 16-8 | Princeton | TCNJ |
| 1999 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 16-6 | Virginia | Johns Hopkins |
| 1998 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 11-5 | Virginia | UMBC |
| 1997 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 8-7 | Loyola (Md.) | Lehigh |
| 1996 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 10-5 | Virginia | Lehigh |
| 1995 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 13-5 | Princeton | TCNJ |
| 1994 | Princeton | Chris Sailer | 10-7 | Maryland | Maryland |
| 1993 | Virginia | Jane Miller | 8-6 (OT) | Princeton | Maryland |
| 1992 | Maryland | Cindy Timchal | 11-10 (OT) | Havard | Lehigh |
| 1991 | Virginia | Jane Miller | 8-6 | Maryland | TCNJ |
| 1990 | Harvard | Carole Kleinfelder | 8-7 | Maryland | Princeton |
| 1989 | Penn State | Susan Scheetz | 7-6 | Harvard | West Chester |
| 1988 | Temple | Tina Sloan Green | 15-7 | Penn State | Haverford |
| 1987 | Penn State | Susan Scheetz | 7-6 | Temple | Maryland |
| 1986 | Maryland | Sue Tyler | 11-10 | Penn State | Maryland |
| 1985 | New Hampshire | Marisa Didio | 6-5 | Maryland | Penn |
| 1984 | Temple | Tina Sloan Green | 6-4 | Maryland | Boston University |
| 1983 | Delaware | Janet Smith | 10-7 | Temple | Penn |
| 1982 | Massachusetts | Pamela Hixon | 9-6 | TCNJ | TCNJ |
Note: Before 2001, this championship was a national collegiate championship.
🤔 How they got here
The top two seeds in the tournament square off. Both teams earned an opening round bye, then beat each of their three opponents by 3+ goals on the way to the title game.
Here's the full tournament breakdown for each team:
No. 1 Northwestern
- First Round: Bye
- Second Round: 17-4 win vs. Denver
- Quarterfinals: 20-7 win vs. No. 8 Penn
- Semifinals: 15-11 win vs. Florida
No. 2 Boston College:
📺 How to watch: Northwestern vs. Boston College
No. 1 Northwestern and No. 2 Boston College meet in the 2024 NCAA DI women's lacrosse national championship. Here's a look at how to watch:
- 👀 Who: No. 1 Northwestern vs. No. 2 Boston College
- 🗓️ When: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, May 26
- 📍 Where: WakeMed Soccer Park | Cary, NC
- 📺 TV: ESPN
- 📈 Live Stats