WLL Preview: Charging, Charm Set for Rematch in Chicago

The Women’s Lacrosse League is back to games that count toward postseason play this weekend. This Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern, the New York Charging take on the Maryland Charm for the second time this summer at Northwestern’s Medicine Field at Martin Stadium — the site of this past season’s NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse championship.

LIKE SHE NEVER LEFT

Jenika Cuocco won a national championship with Northwestern on May 24, making 11 saves to stop North Carolina. After that, she became part of the Charm’s goalie rotation.  

It didn’t take her long to get back to her alma mater. She has only played two games in the Red and Yellow, and now she gets a chance to play where she earned a ring.  

The last time Cuocco played against the Charm, it was her first professional lacrosse appearance. That’s not to say she looked like a rookie out there — she had five saves as part of Maryland’s two-goalie rotation with Caylee Waters.

NOTHING NEW

The last time these teams faced off against each other, neither had lost a game. Well, someone had to win and someone had to lose. The Charging dealt the Charm their first loss of the season, 12-10.

A big problem for the Charm was a lengthy scoring stall. Maryland had a stretch of more than 17 minutes before the ball saw the back of the net.

Attacker Ashley Humphrey was completely shut down from X as well. She only managed to have one assist and went 0-for-3 shooting the last time the Charging planned for her.  

The Charm must break the New York defense and generate offensive looks to win the rematch this weekend.

PURPLE PERENNIALS

Part of the WLL’s strategy to gain viewership as an emerging pro league is to group certain players that attended the same colleges together so that fans can continue to root for familiar faces. It’s the same way the Premier Lacrosse League kicked off its inaugural season.

This weekend, Northwestern fans get a treat on their home turf.  

On the Charging, the Wildcats are in double digits. Ten players are heading back to their old stomping grounds: Izzy Scane, Emerson Bohlig, Riley Campbell, Erin Coykendall, Madison Doucette, Grace Fujinaga, Lauren Gilbert, Kendall Halpern, Sam Smith, Delaney Sweitzer and Sammy White.  

On top of that, the coaching staff has roots at NU. Head coach Colleen Magarity was a three-time national champion at Northwestern, and assistant coach Charlie Leonard was a part of Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller’s staff from 2023-25.  

Cuocco is the sole Wildcat on the Charm.

TEAM SCANE AND THE ALL-STARS

The WLL is coming off its All-Star weekend. Team Scane, naturally captained by Izzy Scane, won the game after California Palms midfielder Marie McCool scored a no-angle twizzler with about 45 seconds left to play in Annapolis.

Emily Hawryschuk, who won the fastest shot challenge registering 85 mph, Meg Carney, Katie Goodale, Halpern, Doucette, Coykendall, Sydney Scales, and Smith represented New York along with Scane.

Humphrey, of course the captain of Team Humphrey, Sydni Black, Waters, Brigid Duffy, Abby Bosco, Sam Apuzzo, Ally Kennedy and Cassidy Spilis represented Maryland as All-Stars.

SCOREBOARD WATCHING  

Looking at the standings going into the game, the Charm need to win in order to have a serious shot at making it into the postseason, as they are third out of the four teams.  

The Charging have the same 2-1 record as the No. 1 squad in the WLL, the Palms, but with their plus-eight score differential, the Palms are on top. Saturday could shake things up. Remember: each team gets four regular-season games to make its case for the playoffs.

1. Palms, 2-1 (Score Differential: +8) 
2. Charging, 2-1 (SD: 0) 
3. Charm, 1-1 (SD: -1) 
4. Boston Guard, 0-2 (SD: -7)