The 'Cats clawed back from a deficit in a dogfight, clinching their fourth straight Big Ten title in a thrilling 9-7 win over No. 11 Michigan.
Despite a midseason setback that briefly haunted Northwestern, the Lake Show repeated its conference dominance.
No. 2 Northwestern (13-3, 7-1 Big Ten) clinched the Big Ten regular-season championship Thursday with a hard-fought 9-7 victory over No. 11 Michigan (11-5, 5-3 Big Ten), securing the conference crown for the fourth consecutive year. This marks the program's sixth Big Ten regular-season title, tying Maryland for the most in conference history.
The 'Cats encountered fierce resistance from the Wolverines in a defensive slugfest. Both teams battled through the first half, with Northwestern holding just a 3-1 advantage at intermission. Aditi Foster struck first in the third quarter, but Michigan closed the gap to one goal within three minutes. After a Northwestern timeout, Ava Class helped the Wolverines tie the score at 4-4 at the 5:02 mark. Michigan took a 5-4 lead into the final frame.
But the 'Cats stormed back in the fourth quarter. Senior Lucy Munro stepped up and scored the tying goal. Though the Wolverines extended to a two-goal lead in the next minute, led by Calli Norris' one-goal, one-assist performance, Foster and Madison Taylor answered with consecutive goals to tie the score again. Following strong defensive pressure and Jennika Cuocco's two crucial saves, the 'Cats closed out with the final two goals for the victory.
"We knew Michigan was a great opponent, and we knew it was gonna be hard," Taylor told Big Ten Network postgame. "We just loved every second of it."
Taylor led the way with three goals and an assist, fueling the 'Cats' second-half comeback. The leading senior attacker was selected by the California Palms in the Women's Lacrosse League's inaugural College Draft on Thursday, before the 'Cats thrashed No. 22 Rutgers 18-6 in minutes.
Leading the conference and ranking second nationally with 77 goals, Taylor was selected as one of 25 nominees for the 2026 Tewaaraton Award. Five finalists will be announced in early May, with the winner revealed at the Tewaaraton Ceremony on May 28 in Washington, D.C.
Foster also tallied three goals to share the offensive load. In the low-scoring affair, Cuocco anchored the defense with seven saves on a 50% save percentage. She also recorded two ground balls and a caused turnover.
After clinching the regular-season championship, Northwestern heads to the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 1 seed. The 'Cats will face the winner of No. 4 Michigan and No. 5 Penn State in the second round on April 24 at U-M Lacrosse Stadium.