Northwestern's Madison Taylor aims to lead lacrosse team back to the top

The Wildcats are led by another record-setting superstar, hoping to lead them back to the top.

Apr. 13, 2026 at 5:09am

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A fractured, cubist painting depicting the overlapping movements and trajectories of players and a lacrosse ball on a field, rendered in a geometric, deconstructed visual style that captures the sport's fast-paced action.A cubist, geometric interpretation of the dynamic action and energy of a women's lacrosse game, capturing the sport's intensity and the players' skill through a fragmented, multi-angled visual style.Chicago Today

Northwestern's powerhouse women's lacrosse team has been to three straight national championship games and six straight final fours. The Wildcats are led by senior Madison Taylor, who broke the NCAA Division I record for goals in a single season last year with 109. Taylor recently joined another recent Wildcats superstar, Izzy Scane, as the only two players in program history to score 300 career goals.

Why it matters

Northwestern's women's lacrosse team has been a dominant force in the sport, reaching multiple national championship games in recent years. With another record-setting star in Madison Taylor leading the way, the Wildcats are poised to make another run at the title and cement their status as one of the premier programs in the country.

The details

Taylor, who was not a highly touted recruit out of high school in New York, has secured her spot among the best in the sport. On April 4, she joined Izzy Scane as the only two players in program history to score 300 career goals. This milestone came in front of a record crowd of over 5,800 fans at Northwestern's second annual Lacrosse Day in Chicago, where the Wildcats played a doubleheader with the Notre Dame men's team.

  • On April 4, Taylor scored her 300th career goal.
  • The record-setting crowd of over 5,800 fans attended the second annual Lacrosse Day in Chicago on April 4.

The players

Madison Taylor

A senior on the Northwestern women's lacrosse team who broke the NCAA Division I record for goals in a single season last year with 109. She recently joined Izzy Scane as the only two players in program history to score 300 career goals.

Izzy Scane

A recent Northwestern women's lacrosse superstar who is one of only two players in program history to score 300 career goals, along with Madison Taylor.

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What they’re saying

“I never thought I'd be in this position. I'm super grateful to be here and be playing with this team. It's just been awesome.”

— Madison Taylor, Senior, Northwestern Women's Lacrosse

“It was such a cool environment. We've never done anything like that before, where we had a doubleheader with Notre Dame men's team playing, and then we played after them. So it was super cool. So many fans. So much people helped put into that amazing day, so we're just super grateful for them, and it was just a really cool experience.”

— Madison Taylor, Senior, Northwestern Women's Lacrosse

“Yeah, it was awesome. We've had a lot of ups and downs this year. We've learned to stay calm and consistent. You always learn the most when you go through those hard moments and those losses. We've learned so much from them. It's been able to push us through this season, and we're kind of right where we want to be right now.”

— Madison Taylor, Senior, Northwestern Women's Lacrosse

“At the same time, we're also trying to take it day by day. I think that's when the results will come instead of thinking so far ahead. I think especially for this group right now we're super focused on each practice, just trying to get better and become the best versions of ourself and the team.”

— Madison Taylor, Senior, Northwestern Women's Lacrosse

What’s next

The Wildcats will look to continue their strong season and make another run at the national championship, with Madison Taylor leading the way.

The takeaway

Madison Taylor's record-breaking performances and leadership have the Northwestern women's lacrosse team poised to reclaim their spot among the elite programs in the sport. The Wildcats' focus on taking it one day at a time and becoming the best version of themselves could be the key to their championship aspirations.