As Northwestern lacrosse hoisted the 2026 NCAA Championship trophy on Sunday afternoon, the plaque beaming brown and gold reflected all of the Wildcats’ efforts this season — the adversity, resilience and endurance required to battle the most talented teams.
But despite coming out on top, the plaque often felt secondary in the way NU spoke about its goals for this tournament.
During the team’s press conference preceding the Final Four, Madison Taylor was asked about the Wildcats’ mindset entering the weekend.
“We’re super excited to go out there this weekend and just have as much fun with each other and just keep fighting for more time together,” Taylor said.
There’s no doubting Taylor’s desire to compete hard and earn victories. But her answers never centered around a trophy, but rather a desire to continue sharing the field with her teammates.
The Wildcats did indeed take home hardware, beating North Carolina 15-11 in the NCAA Championship game. But throughout this illustrious run, it’s become clear that the ‘Cats compete for more than just accolades. They compete mainly for the people they get to share them with.
Several players delivered standout performances in NU’s victory, but each ensured that the spotlight be shared among the team.
One example was Gabriella McCollester. Entering Sunday’s title game, the first-year had scored six goals on the season, and her single-game career high was two goals against Marquette on Feb. 20. When Lucy Munro went down with an injury in the first quarter, McCollester was asked to step up and take on a larger role in the most high-stakes game of the year.
McCollester rose to the challenge, putting together a game-high four goals, becoming just the third Wildcat to earn a hat trick in an NCAA Championship contest.
This outing was not only historic but likely essential to NU’s victory. McCollester had every reason to celebrate her accomplishment. However, when the spotlight finally found her afterward, McCollester redirected it toward the players around her.
“It wasn’t my goals that won the game, it was the team and everyone around me,” McCollester said.
Goalkeeper Jenika Cuocco echoed that humility. Facing one of the country’s most potent offenses, Cuocco was outstanding all afternoon, earning 11 saves on a 50% stop rate and shutting out the Tar Heels in the fourth quarter.
When asked what this outing meant to her, Cuocco also credited her supporting cast.
“It’s not me, it’s my defense,” Cuocco said. “They gave me the shots I wanted to see, they put the bodies on the line to get a call overturned … that is a reflection of them and all the hard work they’ve done all season.”
The two Wildcats who shined brightest on the sport’s biggest stage both used their platforms to praise others. That is a testament to how unified and selfless this Northwestern group is, two traits that paid dividends throughout its title campaign.
NU made sure to give these players the flowers they deserve. Taylor said she wasn’t surprised by McCollester’s breakout game, having seen in practice that she was capable of embracing and capitalizing on any opportunity sent her way. Meanwhile, Kelly Amonte Hiller described Cuocco’s performance as “incredible” and touted her leadership on the defensive end.
Players and coaches uplifting each other’s achievements is a norm on this Wildcat squad. They embrace a culture built not on individual goals but collective ones where teammates are just as happy with each other’s success as they are with their own.
When prompted to recall a moment from this season where Northwestern believed it could once again win it all, Cuocco’s answer echoed that sentiment.
“I think we just took a second to ask ourselves, what do we need to do better for the person next to us and not so much ourselves,” Cuocco said. “That’s why we continued to fight, even when we’re down or when we’re up, we’re doing it for each other and not just ourselves.”
These Wildcats also compete for the teammates who can no longer play alongside them. After Munro’s injury, Taylor said the team immediately rallied around her with a clear message.
“We told her, ‘we’re going to do this for you,’ and we did,” Taylor said. “That’s what we’re saying all game long, in every huddle, every timeout — we’re doing it for people who can’t right now.”
That support runs both ways. Even when injuries removed players from the field, they never truly separated from the team itself. Olivia Adamson, who suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the year, remained a constant presence throughout Northwestern’s tournament run. Amonte Hiller said the Wildcats never truly “lost” Adamson because of the leadership and engagement she continued to provide from the sideline.
Throughout Sunday’s championship battle, Adamson could be seen fully engaged with the game — high-fiving teammates and participating in huddles despite wearing a cast on her left leg and sitting beside a pair of crutches.
Togetherness is the hallmark of this NU squad. It directly correlated with the championship-level team chemistry and trust in each other seen on the field, all of which led to Northwestern’s ninth NCAA title.
“This group really stuck together and were resilient through thick and thin,” Amonte Hiller said. “I just could not be more proud of them.”
