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EVANSTON, Ill. — Before the 2026 season even started, the consensus was that Northwestern and North Carolina would meet again in the NCAA championship game. There were plenty of twists and a handful of turns as the spring developed, but here we are.
Memorial Day weekend his here, and the Wildcats and Tar Heels are ready for the rematch we’ve all been waiting for.
Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s championship game.
Who: (1) Northwestern vs. (2) North Carolina
When: Sunday, May 24, 12 p.m. Eastern
Where: Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill.
Watch: ESPN
Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium sits right on the shore of Lake Michigan and offers arguably the best view in all of college lacrosse. Home to Northwestern football, soccer and lacrosse, the upgraded facility opened in 2024 and has served as the temporary home for football during the construction of a new field that will open in the fall.
The turf venue is also the home of the Chicago Tempest (Women’s Elite Rugby) and Chicago Stars FC (National Women’s Soccer League). It sits 12,023.
It figures to be a typical Chicago-area May day — mostly cloudy with temperatures in the mid-60s. Early morning showers are possible but should subside well before warmups.
The all-time series is nearly even. North Carolina leads 15-14 but dropped the most recent meeting, 17-16 in overtime, on March 25. Since 2022, when this year’s senior class were freshmen, the Tar Heels hold a 4-3 series edge but have lost three of the last five.
2026 record: 18-3
NCAA championships: 8 (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2023)
Last championships: 2023
A: Aditi Foster
A: Maddie Epke
A: Madison Taylor
A: Lucy Munro
M: Jaylen Rosga
M: Madison Smith
M: Lauren Lapointe
M: Noel Cumberland
M: Annabel Child
D: Mckenzie Brown
D: Mary Carroll
G: Jenika Cuocco
Northwestern rolled with the punches that come with playing a chaotic team like Johns Hopkins but ultimately walked away with a 16-11 win.
Read the full game story by Kenny DeJohn.
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: 17-5 over James Madison
Quarterfinals: 13-12 over Colorado (2OT)
Semifinals: 16-11 over Johns Hopkins
12 • NCAA championship game appearances as a head coach by Kelly Amonte Hiller, the most in Division I women’s lacrosse history.
15 • Draw controls by Maddie Epke when Northwestern beat North Carolina on March 25.
19 • Draws controlled by Madisons against North Carolina — nine by Madison Smith, six by Maddie Epke and four by Madison Taylor.
39-0 • Kelly Amonte Hiller’s record in home NCAA tournament games.
180 • Saves by Jenika Cuocco, a single-season program record that can only grow on Sunday.
From Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller on Friday, May 22.
2026 record: 19-1
NCAA championships: 4 (2013, 2016, 2022, 2025)
Last championship: 2025
A: Chloe Humphrey
A: Caroline Godine
A: Addison Patillo
M: Charlotte Corkins
M: Kate Levy
M: Eliza Osburn
M: Kaleigh Harden
M: GraceAnn Leonard
Draw: Charlotte Rathjen
D: Sam Forrest
D: Sophie Straka
G: Betty Nelson
A back-and-forth first quarter gave way North Carolina dominance after halftime, as the Tar Heels enjoyed 15 goals by sophomores or freshmen in a 16-6 win over Maryland.
Read the full game story by Kenny DeJohn.
Round 1: Bye
Round 2: 17-6 over Clemson
Quarterfinals: 14-11 over Stanford
Semifinals: 16-6 over Maryland
5 • Consecutive games with a hat trick for Addison Patillo.
7 • Players with at least 20 goals, including four with at least 30 and two with 60 or more.
10 • Straight wins by the Tar Heels since losing to Northwestern on March 25.
107 • Goals scored this season by Chloe Humphrey, two shy of the NCAA single-season record set last year by Northwestern’s Madison Taylor.
.512 • Team shooting percentage, second nationally behind Clemson (.519).
From North Carolina head coach Jenny Levy on Friday, May 22.
Storylines to watch during the championship game.
Olivia Adamson won’t play for Northwestern on Sunday, though the Wildcats have learned to play without the stretch shooter, who last played April 4 against USC.
The bigger injury questions rest on the other sideline. Brooklyn Walker-Welch hasn’t seen significant action since the ACC title game, and Sarah Gresham started all year on the draw but didn’t start Friday. She wore a bulky brace on her leg and only entered when the game was well in hand.
In her stead, Charlotte Rathjen took the draw. Rathjen struggled, with Maryland holding a 15-7 draw edge, but UNC made up for it by causing turnovers between the 30s.
Seven of North Carolina’s starters in the semifinals were sophomores. All of them played big roles in last year’s NCAA championship season. Underclassmen in classification only, they played like experienced veterans.
Annabel Child came to Northwestern this year as a defender but has made her mark anywhere and everywhere. A member of the Ivy League’s first team on defense in 2025 while at Harvard, Child has earned starts in the midfield this season and has scored 12 goals. She took on more of a defensive role against Maryland with three ground balls, one caused turnover and three shot attempts.
Maybe it’ll matter. Maybe it won’t. But North Carolina was able to rest most of its starting lineup in the fourth quarter against Maryland and already runs multiple midfield lines deep. Northwestern also played the second semifinal on Friday, meaning a couple hours fewer of rest leading into Sunday.
For the past 11 games, North Carolina has split time evenly in the cage. Betty Nelson always starts and plays the first 30 minutes, then Lexi Zenk comes in to finish things off. This trend started, ironically, against Northwestern on March 25.
Jenny Levy has a history of utilizing two goalies to win a national championship. In 2016, Caylee Waters and Megan Ward split time, won a title and earned co-goalie of the year honors. Nelson and Zenk aren’t quite at that level, at least not yet, but the arrangement is working just fine.
Madison Taylor is two points behind Izzy Scane’s all-time NCAA tournament points record. She’s also seven points behind Scane’s all-time program points record of 483. It’ll take a big performance Sunday to break the record, but Taylor has eight points in two of her last three games. Scane was in the stands Friday and will most certainly be there Sunday.
Kenny DeJohn has been with USA Lacrosse since 2019, first as the Digital Content Editor and now as the Content Strategist. First introduced to lacrosse in 2016 as a Newsday Sports reporter on Long Island (yes, ON Long Island), DeJohn specializes in women's game coverage. His search for New York quality pizza in Baltimore is ongoing.
