The 2023 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship tournament brought up some exciting upsets, epic wins, and career highs for many players. In the first round, the first 4 seeds did not have to play. They automatically got a ticket to the second round. #1 Northwestern, #2 Syracuse, #3 Boston College, #4 North Carolina. 

First Round

Michigan > Central Michigan 13-6

Stony Brook > Penn State 12-8

Loyola > Fairfield 11-6

Denver > Southern California 10-7

Virginia > UAlbany 16-14

Richmond > Marquette 18-8

North Carolina > Sacred Heart 16-5

John Hopkins > UMass 19-8

James Madison > Army West Point 12-8

Maryland > Drexel 11-6

Florida > Jacksonville 13-7

Norte Dame > Mercer 21-6

Penn > UConn 13-8

This was a pretty standard first round and not a lot of things stood out to me here. The Loyola vs. Fairfield game was very exciting to watch as a Lacrosse fan. Chase Boyle scored 4 goals for Loyola, while Jillian Wilson netted 3 for the Greyhounds. Sydni Black (2), Georgia Latch (1), and Anna Ruby (1) all helped improve the score. The Fairfield Stags put up a great effort to try and come back but the 6 goals weren’t enough to push them over the edge. The Norte Dame vs. Mercer game really showed fans just how powerful the Fighting Irish are. Their 21 goals is a program best for them in the NCAA Tournament, as well as setting a new record of 31 points in a game. Kasey Choma had 10 points in the game against the Bears. The beauty herself Jackie Wolak had her second career “ sock trick” (when a player scores 6 goals in a single game), tying her career-best in goal performance. 

Second Round

Northwestern > Michigan 8-7

Loyola > Stony Brook 9-8

Denver > UAlbany 8-6

North Carolina > Richmond 16-12

Syracuse > John Hopkins 25-8

James Madison > Maryland 15-14

Notre Dame > Florida 16-15

Boston College > Penn 9-7

The second round was filled with what I like to call “Great Lacrosse”. The passes connected, the goals were gorgeous, and the defense was on point. I am a huge Syracuse fan through and through, and their game against John Hopkins showcased why I love them so much. A massive 25-8 win over the Black and Blue sent fans into hysteric cheers. Sisters, Emma and Meaghan Tyrrell combined for a total of 13 goals (17 points). Canada native, Maddy Baxter secured 2 beautiful goals, along with Natalie Smith scoring 4 goals. Syracuse wasn’t the only team that impressed me though. The defense from Penn vs. Boston College was so intriguing to watch. Both of the team’s defenses were very impressive. The Quakers had 18 caused turnovers, while Boston College had 15. Some of the best defense I have seen so far in this tournament. 

Quarter-finals  

Northwestern > Loyola 16-6

Denver > North Carolina 5-4

Syracuse > James Madison 13-7

Boston College > Notre Dame 20-6

Something that I didn’t see coming in the third round was Denver knocking out North Carolina. A close 5-4 win sent them over the Tarheels. Syracuse, Northwestern, and Boston College all destroyed their opponents.

Semi-finals

Northwestern > Denver 15-7

Boston College > Syracuse 8-7

Huge blow-out win for Northwestern and a close call for BC.

Championship Game

Northwestern > Boston College 18-6

BC really fell apart in this championship game. The amount of caused turnovers that led to goals was very uncharacteristic of them. Sloppy passes and missed connections killed them in the midfield. The goaltending from Molly Laliberty gave Northwestern the power boost they needed to destroy the Eagles. Congrats to the Northwestern Wildcats on being 2023 NCAA Champions!!