Northwestern Wildcats Ready for NCAA Lacrosse Quarterfinal Vs. Penn

The 'Cats are set to face off against the Quakers with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Northwestern attacker Madison Taylor points in an NCAA Lacrosse Tournament game against Michigan on May 11, 2025. | Photo: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics

When Northwestern takes the field Thursday at Martin Stadium, the Wildcats will have the opportunity to reach their sixth consecutive Final Four. Just like 2024, Penn stands in the way in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal.

The 'Cats have two decades of championship-caliber history, but they aren't looking to the past as they gear up for another title run. Instead, they're taking it one game at a time.

“This is such an exciting time of the year," senior midfielder Emerson Boelig said on Wednesday. "We call it Christmas because, like holiday season, you're so excited. Everyone on the team is ready to go for the next game, and you're only guaranteed one game, so why wouldn’t we put everything we can into it?"

Northwestern, the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, enters Thursday with a 17-2 record. The team's only two losses have come to No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Boston College.

The Wildcats played six opponents this season who reached the NCAA Tournament, but the Penn Quakers were not one of them. Madison Taylor, the nation's leading scorer who logged a tournament-record 10 goals against Michigan on Sunday, said the 'Cats relish the challenge that comes with facing a team for the first time.

“It's an exciting opportunity to play a different opponent," Taylor said. "We're all really embracing that, working really hard on the field and watching film off the field... We're really excited just to go out there and play one last game at home this year.”

Boehlig and Taylor were both on the 2023 National Championship team, as well as the 2024 group that fell just short in a rematch with Boston College. While each postseason game gives the players experience in high-pressure moments, Taylor said that coach Kelly Amonte Hiller preaches calmness throughout the game.

It's this calmness that could take the Wildcats all the way to their ninth National Championship. First, though, Northwestern will have to get past the Quakers on Thursday, with the opening draw set for 11 a.m. CT.