It only took 50 seconds of game time for junior attacker Madison Taylor to break the seal on No. 3 Northwestern’s NCAA Tournament second-round matchup with Michigan.
By halftime, she’d already scored four goals, and by the end of the third quarter, nine of her shots had found the back of the net.
By converting a free-position goal with five minutes left in the contest, Taylor cemented her place in NCAA history, setting the record for most goals scored in an NCAA tournament game with her 10th goal.
The junior’s milestone mark — which outscored Michigan — propelled the Wildcats (17-2, 8-0 Big Ten) to a 15-7 win over the Wolverines (13-7, 5-3 Big Ten), advancing NU to the NCAA tournament quarterfinals.
“I didn’t know I scored that many goals until I got off the field,” Taylor said. “But I just feel really grateful to be here. … I just love this group, I love this team and I love playing this game.”
Taylor wasted no time getting going, charging toward the net and uncurling a shot past Michigan’s Erin O’Grady. After the ‘Cats controlled the draw, she scored her second, wrapping around the goal to score.
Michigan responded with a goal courtesy of Emma Bradbury to trim the deficit to one before Taylor secured a hat trick less than seven minutes into the first quarter.
As time dwindled in the period, Taylor secured a ground ball and passed to sprinting senior midfielder Emerson Bohlig. Bohlig, with breakneck speed, stormed into the fan and connected with senior midfielder Sam Smith. Smith’s shot found nylon to put NU up 4-1.
Freshman defender Mary Carroll caused a turnover as the first quarter expired, a resounding exclamation point on the ’Cats’ defensive domination. Throughout the game, NU caused nine turnovers and snagged 16 ground balls.
Between the pipes, graduate student goalkeeper Delaney Sweitzer stood firm all game, making eight saves and allowing just seven goals. Two Michigan goals came in garbage time.
“(Sweitzer has) a level of confidence, charity, calm, positivity,” ’Cats coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “She really brings all those things to the table, and she lifts up the (defense) in that way all the time.”
The Wolverines scratched a goal back before junior attacker Lucy Munro earned a free position. As she started her motion, Taylor blitzed into the fan, receiving the incoming feed and scoring her fourth goal.
Ahead of halftime, Michigan scored another goal to decrease NU’s lead to 5-3. Sweitzer made a save with just seconds left in the half to keep the ’Cats’ lead at two.
Taylor then turned in one of the most dominant quarters in the history of the NCAA tournament.
She ripped off five consecutive goals in a little more than 10 minutes, extending NU’s lead to 11-4, as she made mincemeat out of the Michigan defense. The Wolverines double-teamed her. They tried a face guard. It made no difference for the Tewaaraton Award finalist.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Taylor said. “Having all that prep all week, and then actually being able to do it on the field is a really good feeling.”
The ‘Cats widened their lead as the second half progressed. Graduate student attacker Niki Miles, redshirt junior attacker Abby LoCascio and sophomore attacker Taylor Lapointe tallied goals to enlarge NU’s control.
The running clock briefly began after Taylor’s 10th goal, and Amonte Hiller slowly began to cycle in her bench players. Michigan’s Jill Smith scored a fourth-quarter hat trick to get the Wolverines to seven goals.
Taylor’s season tally now sits at 99 goals and is tied for the most in a season in Big Ten history with program legend Izzy Scane, who set the record in 2023. The NCAA Division I record is 103, set by High Point’s Abby Hormes in 2022.
After being held to just two goals — tying a season-low — in the ’Cats’ Big Ten Championship game against Maryland, Taylor tied NU’s program record for goals in a game.
“The reason is because of her work ethic,” Amonte Hiller said. “She worked all week for two weeks and prepared herself for this moment.”
NU will take on Penn in the quarterfinal round Thursday, with a first draw time set for 11 a.m..
On the line: a trip to the semifinals in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
“This is a lot of fun, and this is really what we dream about when we’re little,” Amonte Hiller said. “We all dreamed about being part of these types of moments.”
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— Lacrosse: Northwestern earns No. 3 seed in NCAA Tournament
— Lacrosse: No. 3 Northwestern tops No. 7 Maryland in final seconds to win fifth Big Ten Championship
