For the first time in more than a decade, Northwestern’s powerhouse women’s lacrosse program will play for a national championship.
The Wildcats defeated Denver 15-7 behind six goals and two assists from Izzy Scane in the Final Four on Friday in Cary, N.C.
Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller’s team will take on Boston College at 11 a.m. Sunday on ESPN for its eighth national title — and first since 2012.
Starting in 2005, Northwestern won five consecutive championships and seven in eight years, losing to Maryland in the title game in 2010. But despite qualifying for five more Final Fours — including the last three before this season — the Wildcats hadn’t returned to the championship game.
Hailey Rhatigan added four goals Friday and Erin Coykendall had two goals and three assists. Goalkeeper Molly Laliberty made eight saves.
Boston College beat Syracuse 8-7 in Friday’s second semifinal.
Danielle Williams gave up a run on six hits with six strikeouts, Angela Zedak hit a solo home run and No. 12 seed Northwestern beat fifth-seeded Alabama 3-1 on Friday night in Game 1 of the best-of-three Tuscaloosa Super Regional.
Northwestern (42-11), which has won eight games in a row, can secure its second straight trip to the Women’s College World Series with a win in Game 2 on Saturday.
Zedak hit a two-out solo homer in the top of the second to open the scoring, Nader singled to open the third and scored on Jordyn Rudd’s infield single and Zedak scored on a single by Nader in the fourth to give Northwestern a 3-0 lead.
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Kristen White hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the fourth for No. 5 seed Alabama (43-20), but Williams (23-1) allowed just one hit — and faced the minimum batters — from there.
Nader finished 2-for-2 with a walk and a run.
Coach Mike Small’s Illini opened play in the NCAA championships at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Ariz., with a 5-over-par 285 total to sit in a tie for ninth, five strokes behind leader Georgia Tech.
Adrien Dumont de Chassart shot a 2-under 68, tied for sixth in the individual competition.
The field is cut from 30 teams to 15 after three rounds of stroke play, then the top eight teams after the fourth round advance to match play.
The Illini have won 13 of the last 14 Big Ten titles under Small but still are seeking their first national championship.
Associated Press contributed.