Northwestern beats Florida to move to the DI women's lacrosse title game
🏆 Northwestern heads back to the national title game
The defending champion Wildcats end Florida's magical run with a 15-11 win in the national semifinal.
Northwestern owned just a one-goal lead after the first, second and third quarters, but found their groove after a weather delay, outscoring Florida 5-2 in the fourth.
This is the ninth national title game appearance for Northwestern. They will play the winner of Boston College and Syracuse on Sunday, May 26.
🌧️ Weather delay pauses the start of the fourth quarter
After an approximately 45 minute weather delay, the teams have taken the field to start the fourth quarter. Northwestern leads, 10-9.
👀 END 3: Northwestern holds one goal lead
Friday's first semifinal continues to deliver as Northwestern and Florida exchange goals through the third quarter. The 'Cats lead 10-9.
Northwestern started off the third frame hot with two goals in the first five minutes. But Florida's physical defense helped the Gators claw back into the game.
🟣 HALFTIME: No. 1 Northwestern leads 7-6
Izzy Scane's first half hat-trick helps top-seeded Northwestern head to the break with a lead.
Maggi Hall also notched a first half hat-trick, including two goals in the second quarter, to keep Florida in the game against the defending champs.
A late yellow card on Northwestern will have the Gators open the third quarter a player up with a chance to even the score.
END 1: Northwestern leads 3-2
Northwestern and Florida alternated the first four goals until Izzy Scane capitalized on a power play with less than 30 seconds left to give the defending champs their first lead of the afternoon.
Florida goalie Elyse Finnelle made four saves in the opening 15 minutes, as Northwestern outshot Florida 9-5.
🔥 We are underway in the 2024 DI women's lacrosse final four
Northwestern meets Florida for a spot in Sunday's national championship game. Live now on ESPNU.
It's Final Four gameday 🥍
Top-seeded Northwestern takes on Florida for a spot in the national championship. Live from Cary, NC at 3 p.m.
Northwestern, the defending champs, are looking to be the first repeat champion since Maryland in 2014 and 2015, while Florida hunts for its first national championship appearance in program history.
Both teams enter Friday's game with just two losses. Northwestern hasn't lost since March 22 against Penn State, while Florida enters on a 20-game winning streak after losing its first two games of the season.
Stay tuned here for live updates, or watch live on ESPNU.
📺 How to watch Northwestern vs. Florida
No. 1 Northwestern will look to continue its path toward its title defense when it takes on Florida in the 2024 DI women's lacrosse national semifinals on Friday, May 24 at 3 p.m. ET. Here's how to watch:
- Date: Friday, May 24
- Time: 3 p.m. ET
- TV channel: ESPNU |
- Location: WakeMed Soccer Park| Cary, North Carolina
- Live stats
🧐 How they got here
Northwestern and Florida have taken uniquely different paths to the semifinals. Northwestern, the No. 1 overall seed, cruised past its two opponents by a combined margin of 37-11. Meanwhile, Florida had to fight out of the first round and then notch upsets over No. 5 Virginia and No. 4 Maryland to make it to Cary.
Here's a look at each team's complete path to the national semifinals:
| Northwestern | ROUND | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| BYE | First Round | North Carolina 17-8 |
| Denver 17-4 | Second Round | (5) Virginia 13-8 |
| (8) Penn 20-7 | Quarterfinals | (4) Maryland 15-9 |
👀 What the stats say
Here's how the statistics break down between the Wildcats and the Gators.
| Northwestern | Stats | Florida |
|---|---|---|
| 17-2 | Record | 20-2 |
| 326-188 | Goals for-against | 394-181 |
| .493 | Shot percentage | .553 |
| .462 | Free position % | .635 |
| .879 | Clear percentage | .960 |
| Izzy Scane, 79 | Goals leader | Maggi Hall, 60 |
| Madison Taylor, 107 | Points leader | Maggi Hall, 114 |
| Molly Laliberty, 15-2 (10.41 GAA) .432 save % |
Goalkeeping | Elyse Finnelle, 9-2 (8.7 GAA) .540 save % |
📚 Championship history
Below is every NCAA DI women's lacrosse championship winning team since 1982.
| 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.