Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
16-3
#10 Colorado
16-4
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | OT 1 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Northwestern | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 13 |
Cardiac ’Cats Down Colorado 13-12 in Double Overtime, Punch Ticket to NCAA Semifinals
5/14/2026 5:22:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
EVANSTON, Ill. — Junior midfielder Noel Cumberland stepped up to the eight-meter arc, collected her breath and buried a golden goal to secure a 13-12 double-overtime victory for top-seeded Northwestern over No. 8 seed Colorado on Thursday afternoon at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
"Just really proud of my team. This was a really hard road to the home Final Four, and it's just really exciting that we were able to do it tonight," Combe Family Head Lacrosse Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. "Credit to Colorado. They're an incredible team — so well coached. It really could have gone either way, and I'm just pleased our girls made plays."
NOEL. CLUTCH. ??
— Northwestern Lacrosse (@NULax) May 14, 2026
Championship Weekend is calling, and the 'Cats are staying home! pic.twitter.com/6VE2l294Sq
With the win, the Wildcats (17-3, 7-1 Big Ten) have advanced to their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament Semifinals — the longest streak in the country. NU is the only team to record double-digit goals against the Buffaloes (16-4, 4-1 Big 12) this season.
Senior attacker Madison Taylor and junior attacker Taylor Lapointe combined for 10 points to help the 'Cats come back from a three-goal second-half deficit. Maddie Shoup spearheaded Colorado's attack with a game-high eight points.
"Their zone is honestly the best we've seen all season," Taylor said. "To play that zone, you need athletes. We're running around trying to get to the net, but it's really hard when they're pressing out that far. We just did a good job of prep. We had a lot of good looks from our scout team, so credit to them. That really helped when we stepped out on the field."
Taylor recorded five points (four goals, one assist), two caused turnovers, two ground balls and four draw controls. Taylor is 15 points behind Izzy Scane's program record of 483 career points.
MADISON TAYLOR, FOR THE LEAD! ?? pic.twitter.com/YVz8whZy7T
— Northwestern Lacrosse (@NULax) May 14, 2026
Lapointe posted three goals and a pair of assists. The junior shot an efficient 75% in the win.
"It's something that we've all been working toward, and I'm very proud that I can be making those contributions," Lapointe said. "My teammates are the ones who prepare me for them and get me into those opportunities. I'm just really grateful that the people around me believe in me."
Senior attacker Maddie Epke tallied two goals and pulled down six draw controls. She and redshirt sophomore defender Madison Smith formed a dominant draw tandem, with Smith racking up a game-high seven draw controls. NU outdrew Colorado 20-8 in a clinic inside the circle.
Sophomore attacker Aditi Foster and Cumberland each recorded three points. Redshirt junior attacker Abigail LoCascio and first-year midfielder Kate Ratanaproeksa both added goals.
After a back-and-forth first half, the Buffaloes built an 8-6 halftime lead. This marked Northwestern's first halftime deficit since April 9 at then-No. 1 Maryland.
Colorado opened the scoring following the break, but the 'Cats leveled the score at 10-10 entering the final 15 minutes. NU has played in six games this season in which it has been tied or trailing at the start of the fourth quarter. The Wildcats are 5-1 in those games.
While Northwestern pulled ahead on a Taylor goal with just over three minutes remaining, the Buffaloes sent the game to overtime in the waning moments of the fourth quarter.
One five-minute overtime period wasn't enough to separate the two teams, setting up the Wildcats' first-ever sudden-death double-overtime game in school history. Despite facing a player-down scenario for two minutes, NU outshot Colorado 6-0 across the extra frames, including Cumberland's decisive free-position goal.
"She's like a different human being this year," Amonte Hiller said of Cumberland. "She worked really hard over the summer into the fall, not just on her physical game, but even more so on her mental game. It's made all the difference to see her believe in herself. I'm just really proud of what she was able to do in that moment, and all season long."
Northwestern will face No. 4 seed Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Semifinals on Friday, May 22, at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
