Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
#4 Johns Hopkins
No. 1 Northwestern Set for Friday NCAA Semifinal Matchup with No. 4 Johns Hopkins
5/20/2026 10:57:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
EVANSTON, Ill. — No. 1 Northwestern returns to the NCAA Tournament Semifinals for the seventh consecutive season and will face No. 4 Johns Hopkins on Friday, May 22, at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. Opening draw is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU.
Jay Alter (play-by-play), Sheehan Stanwick-Burch (analyst), Charlotte North (analyst) and Annabelle Hasselbeck (sideline) will be on the call.
The Wildcats (17-3, 7-1 Big Ten) are the first team to host a Championship Weekend game since Penn did so in 2007. They're looking to become the first school to win a national title on its home field since Maryland in 1986.
Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium is situated on the shores of Lake Michigan and is the home of Northwestern lacrosse and soccer — as well as the primary home of Wildcat football in 2024 and 2025. It will be the first venue outside of the Eastern Time Zone to host an NCAA DI Women's Lacrosse National Championship.
NU boasts the nation's longest-active winning streak, with 12 consecutive victories dating back to March 21 at Oregon.
'CATS SEMIFINAL HISTORY
A perennial Championship Weekend fixture, Northwestern has won three consecutive NCAA Tournament Semifinal games. Under Combe Family Head Lacrosse Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, the Wildcats are 61-13 all-time in NCAA Tournament games. NU is 11-5 in semifinal games, each of which has occurred in the Amonte Hiller era.
HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE
Under Amonte Hiller, Northwestern is 38-0 all-time in home NCAA Tournament games — a streak dating back to the 2004 season. The Wildcats have won 27 consecutive games at their outdoor home facility, dating back to April 18, 2019.
NU could become the first team with home-field advantage in an NCAA Championship game since Princeton in 2004. The 'Cats are the seventh team in NCAA history to play a home Championship Weekend game, joining Trenton State (1982), Maryland (1986, 1993, 1994), Princeton (2004) and Penn (2007).
NU TIES
Amonte Hiller has long boasted one of the nation's most decorated coaching trees. This season's NCAA Tournament field exemplifies her transcendent impact on the game's growth, with three of the final eight teams helmed by former Northwestern assistants (Stanford, Colorado and Johns Hopkins). The Wildcat and Blue Jay coaching staffs share significant links.
Johns Hopkins head coach Tim McCormack served as an assistant coach at Northwestern from 2014 to 2019. He worked extensively with the team's defenders and goalkeepers, playing a pivotal role in the early-career development of multi-year starter Madison Doucette.
During McCormack's six-year tenure in Evanston, Northwestern made six NCAA Tournament appearances, two semifinal trips and won the 2019 Big Ten Championship.
Blue Jays assistant coach Jill Girardi played for the Wildcats from 2018 to 2022. Girardi was one of the nation's most prolific draw takers, pulling down 267 career draw controls — a figure that ranks No. 6 in program history. Girardi works with Johns Hopkins' draw team and has helped develop sophomore specialist Laurel Gonzalez.
LAST TIME OUT
Noel Cumberland buried a double-overtime dagger on a free-position shot to lift Northwestern to a 13-12 victory over No. 8 seed Colorado on May 14 at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium.
Madison Taylor and Taylor Lapointe combined for 10 points as the Wildcats became the only team to score double-digit goals against the Buffaloes in 2026. NU erased a three-goal second-half deficit to defeat Colorado.
The Wildcat draw team put forth a dominant display in the circle, pulling down 20 draw controls to the Buffaloes' seven.
Jenika Cuocco became the program's single-season saves record holder (174), posting six stops in the win.
SCOUTING JOHNS HOPKINS
The Blue Jays (17-4, 6-2 Big Ten) defeated No. 5 seed Stony Brook in a 13-12 thriller on May 14 at Homewood Field to advance to their first-ever NCAA Tournament Semifinals as a Division I program. McCormack's squad has netted 55 goals in three NCAA Tournament games.
Ava Angello, the leading goal scorer in Johns Hopkins program history, has recorded 78 goals and 28 assists this season. Big Ten Midfielder of the Year Lacey Downey has tallied 57 goals, 46 assists, 70 ground balls, 49 caused turnovers and 43 draw controls this season. Joining Angello and Downey in the 100-point club, Taylor Hoss has recorded 102 points in 2026.
Tewaaraton Award finalist Reagan O'Brien — a 2024 U20 Women's World Lacrosse Championship gold medalist under Amonte Hiller — has racked up 83 caused turnovers and 70 ground balls this season. The NCAA's all-time caused turnover leader is a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.
Laurel Gonzalez has pulled down a team-high 151 draw controls this year. Gonzalez is Johns Hopkins' career draw controls leader (317).
Ashley Langdon backstops the Blue Jay defense. The goalie has recorded 117 saves with a 38.6% save percentage this year.
SERIES HISTORY
Friday will mark the 29th all-time matchup between the two teams. Northwestern leads the all-time series and has won 12 consecutive games against Johns Hopkins. The Wildcats defeated the Blue Jays 16-12 at Ryan Fieldhouse on March 29.
Northwestern vs. Johns Hopkins (Since 2022):
Date W/L Score
4/16/22 W 19-12
3/23/23 W 19-5
3/16/24 W 14-9
5/2/24 ` W 13-12
4/3/25 W 18-5
4/25/25 W 16-15
3/29/26 W 16-12
NEXT UP
The winner of Friday's semifinal will advance to the national title game on Sunday, May 24, at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. They'll take on the winner of No. 2 seed UNC and No. 3 seed Maryland. Opening draw is scheduled for 11 a.m. CT on ESPN.
