Northwestern women's lacrosse advances to NCAA Quarterfinals after beating Michigan
EVANSTON, Ill. (CBS) -- The No. 1-seeded Northwestern women's lacrosse team beat Michigan Sunday to advance to the NCAA Quarterfinals.
The Wildcats' Erin Coykendall was first to put the Wildcats on the board in the NCAA second-round tournament game Sunday – firing to the top of the cage for the bring the score to 1-0, according to Northwestern. It was her eighth goal this season against the Wolverines.
But Michigan fired back to get a shot past Wildcats goalkeeper Molly Laliberty to even the score – and another quick strike afterward brought the score to 2-1 Michigan, Northwestern said.
Attacker Hailey Rhatigan evened the score at before the first quarter was out, and the Wildcats regained the lead soon afterward when Coykendall freed up Izzy Scane, Northwestern said.
Michigan was dominant in the second quarter – with three goals in eight minutes versus just one goal for Northwestern, according to the university.
By halftime, Michigan was up 5-4.
Elle Hansen had one goal to even the score in the third quarter, but Michigan scored once more – and the fourth quarter began with Northwestern down one.
The Northwestern offense woke up in the fourth quarter – as Coykendall tied the game 6-6, Northwestern said. A three-goal run in four minutes followed for the Wildcats – in which Rhatigan and Carleigh Mahoney each scored a goal for the Wildcats. It was Mahoney's first goal of the season.
The Wildcats won 8-7.
"This game is an incredible learning experience," Head Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said in a news release. "And the one thing that we do well at Northwestern lacrosse is we evaluate and we learn. So very excited for us to evaluate and learn and just go forward with incredible fearlessness."
The Wildcats will take on Loyola Maryland Thursday in the Quarterfinals.