IAAM Lacrosse Coaches 'Light the Fight' to Support Natalie Wills' Cancer Battle

Coaches from the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland — the preeminent private high school girls’ lacrosse league in the country — are putting aside their rivalries to rally for one of their own.

And one of our own.

Natalie Wills, who created and launched USA Lacrosse’s National Team Development Program and has been with the organization since 2014, has stage 4 metastatic breast cancer.

To help fund her treatment and cancer research at Johns Hopkins, IAAM coaches have teamed up to host a “Light the Fight” clinic.

Designed for girls’ lacrosse players of all experience levels in grades 1-8, the clinic is Saturday from 9-11 a.m. at McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland, where Wills is a varsity assistant coach.

Coaches from several IAAM schools — including nationally ranked Maryvale Prep (Md.), McDonogh (Md.) and St. Paul’s (Md.) — are running the event.

There is no admission fee, just a request for cash donations to support Wills’ cause. McDonogh head coach and NTDP goalie coach Megan Nicotra started a “Light the Fight” GoFundMe page in August that has raised more than $52,000. Participants can also contribute there.

Wills, 35, was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. She underwent surgery to remove a lump and began treatment that proved effective that year. The cancer returned, however, and has spread to her bones, lungs and brain.

Still, Wills remains optimistic about her treatment.

“The beautiful things about breast cancer is so many women have done years and years of fundraising to fund research around breast cancer,” she told WMAR-TV, an ABC affiIiate in Baltimore. “I know there is a cure just around the corner.”

Wills was a four-year starting goalie at Vanderbilt, finishing her career with 426 saves and leading the Commodores to wins over perennial top-20 teams Duke, Stanford, Boston College and Johns Hopkins as a senior in 2012. She also played for the U.S. National Team in 2009-10.

Willa was an assistant coach at Boston University and Maryland before joining the staff at USA Lacrosse, where she’s currently an account manager for corporate partnerships and business development.

Below is an article that originally appeared on the IAAM website and is republished here with permission.

IAAM Lacrosse Rallies for McDonogh Coach in Upcoming 'Light the Fight' Clinic Event

IAAM lacrosse is known for setting a high bar for stellar play in the greater Baltimore region. Conference head-to-head contests are often steeped in rivalry and competitive spirit.

Beyond the intense matchups, the sportsmanship and mutual respect woven through the close-knit lacrosse community runs deep.

So when it became known in the local lacrosse world that McDonogh assistant lacrosse coach Natalie Wills was in a battle, taking on metastatic breast cancer, several IAAM schools didn’t hesitate to heed the call to raise their sticks in a rally cry of support.

Those sticks will come together for a “Light the Fight” fundraising youth clinic hosted at McDonogh on Sept. 27 from 9-11 a.m. 

“Natalie has been such a gift to our program, and you would never know from the outside looking in that this is the battle she’s fighting right now because she is just sunshine,” said event organizer and McDonogh head lacrosse coach Megan Nicotra. “She’s always smiling, she’s always positive, and she’s always focused on how she can help everyone else.”

Wills’ roots with the IAAM go back to her high school playing days at St. Mary’s, where she was an Under Armour All-American and a two-time first-team All-County honoree.

After high school, Wills excelled as a goalie at Vanderbilt, earning three-time SEC Academic All-American nods. During her time on the pitch, one of her college teammates was Ally Carey, a current assistant lacrosse coach at John Carroll. Wills, Carey and a core of Commodore teammates have remained close throughout the years.

“Getting to know Nat better through our time at Vandy, she is the ultimate hype woman and most supportive friend. She would do anything for you,” praised Carey, who noted that Wills’ nickname is “Natlax” because of her unyielding passion for the game. “Her infectious smile and laugh make her perfect for coaching, and her drive to win mixed with her love of the game is the balance all high school players need. She brings another level of energy that kids just gravitate towards.”

Wills’ success didn’t stop in college. She continued to devote herself to the sport she loved, playing goalie on the U.S. National Team, excelling as an assistant coach in high-profile collegiate programs at Boston University and the University of Maryland, and then transitioning to full-time work for USA lacrosse where she made her mark in a developmental pipeline program she credits as being “a great celebration of the game”.

When her cancer diagnosis required Wills to scale back on her work to focus on treatments, self-care and engaging in things that bring a level of enjoyment, Nicotra asked her if she found coaching fun. With an emphatic yes for an answer, Nicotra jumped at the chance to offer Wills an assistant position knowing that her friend would bring “the type of personality we want around the McDonogh program”.

“I think we struggle sometimes with the high school kids to help them see beyond the competition, beyond the stats, and just put into perspective how lucky we are that we get to play this game we love,” emphasized Nicotra. “Now we have a great opportunity for our conference to come together as at the heart of it, this is so much greater than our sport.”

As a former goalie, it was fitting that Wills began making an immediate impact last spring with the Eagles’ goalies, including Reagan O’Donovan and Brianna Mentzer.

“My favorite thing about Natalie is her supportive and caring attitude as she really wants us to be the best players and the best people, and her positivity does not go unnoticed,” said Mentzer, a senior. “For me personally, her dedication to us despite having this hardship that she’s going through speaks louder than words.”

“This event means so much to me because of who Nat is. She’s a person who never quits,” added O’Donovan, a senior committed to Penn State. “Last season she showed up to every practice with so much energy and joy — always smiling, cheering, and even dancing — regardless of what treatment she had earlier that day. She’s one of those coaches that you can relate to. Just a true warrior and leader.”

Nicotra anticipates “Light the Fight” could draw hundreds of youth lax players 1st through 8th grade, and welcomes every level of play. Participants can register via the QR code on the flyer.

To date, nine additional IAAM schools beyond McDonogh are offering their lax program’s assistance in helping with the fundraiser. They include Archbishop Spalding, Bryn Mawr School, Garrison Forest School, John Carroll School, Maryvale Prep, Notre Dame Prep, Roland Park Country School, St. Mary’s, and St. Paul’s School for Girls.

Proceeds will benefit Wills, but Nicotra adds on the GoFundMe page that “it is also Natalie’s goal to not just fuel her own battle, but to make an impact on those treating, researching, and working towards a cure. A portion of all money raised will be donated to Johns Hopkins and their pursuit of finding a cure.”

“Natalie has given so much to this game, dedicated her life to growing it, and this event opens the door for lacrosse to give back to her,” stressed Carey. “She is extremely strong and has an incredibly positive perspective on life. Natalie’s community will not let her fight this alone.”

A few years back, in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, Wills was interviewed by USA Lacrosse to reflect on the importance of sports for females. Her words profoundly resonate today as the sport she’s devoted her life to, and the people she’s touched along the way, link arms to battle with her.

“Often, a woman’s greatest strength is the tribe surrounding her. Sports allow women to raise each other up,” cited Wills. “I hope that I can play my part to lift the women around me and continue to do more, speak up, go further, and reach higher. May every arena, gym, rink, pool, playground, court, and field of play be a sanctuary for every woman and girl to find their voice, be brave, build their strength, and call home.”