Northwestern lacrosse’s ninth NCAA title came from a battle-tested roster filled with experience and leadership. However, one downside to winning with a squad that contains numerous veterans is having to watching key contributors depart after a championship.
Inside NU paid tribute to those Wildcats and the legacies they left behind. Now, it’s time to evaluate the players returning from the 2026 championship team looking to build on that standard. The future does appear bright; in the NCAA Championship
win over UNC, no graduating player scored until halfway through the third quarter, with Gabriella McCollester, a rising sophomore, leading all NU scorers in that game with four goals.
Here’s a look at Northwestern’s biggest contributors from this past season, including analysis of their performance and what it could mean for their future roles heading into next year:
Primary contributors
Taylor Lapointe (Rising senior, attacker)
Taylor Lapointe has steadily improved into one of the Wildcats’ most dangerous offensive weapons, increasing her goal total from 23 goals in 2025 to 36 in 2026. However, the junior proved this season she is more than just a scorer. Playing in all 22 games, she finishing with 22 assists which was second best on the team, while also garnering 63 draw controls.
Lapointe also had a knack for rising up in big moments. Three goals and two assists in Northwestern’s double-overtime NCAA Tournament win over Colorado, followed by two goals and a season-high five assists in the Final Four against Johns Hopkins, and a hat trick in the national championship victory over UNC.
Those results reflect Lapointe’s growth as a playmaker who can bring her skills to bear on the biggest stage and make a meaningful impact against the nation’s top teams.
As a senior next year, expect Lapointe to become one of the primary options for this Wildcat squad, leading as a top facilitator who can be counted on when the stakes are highest. She may spearhead the new group alongside Aditi Foster, as both continue to grow together while also helping lead incoming players.
Aditi Foster (Rising junior, attacker)
Aditi Foster blossomed into a premier scorer during her sophomore season. She posted 54 goals, which ranked sixth in the conference and second on the team behind Madison Taylor. She also tallied four game-winning goals and recorded hat tricks in both the Final Four and the National Championship game, earning the go-ahead goal in the latter contest that gave the ‘Cats their first lead since the second quarter, one they wouldn’t relinquish.
Foster is arguably the strongest pure scorer in Northwestern’s lineup next season. Given how much she’s grown over the past two years, Foster likely reached her ceiling as a player, and there is significant potential as she continues developing her offensive prowess and becomes the chief attacker.
Gabriella McCollester (Rising sophomore, attacker)
As noted regarding Lapointe above, hallmarks of valuable players are ones that aren’t afraid in big moments. Gabriella McCollester might be the best example on this squad. For most of the season, the first-year had modest contributions. But in the NCAA title game, McCollester exploded in for an eye-popping, career-high four goals that powered the Wildcats to a trophy and enshrined her in the NU history books forever. She joined Taylor and Katrina Dowd as the only Wildcat first-years to score a hat trick in a national title game.
Carrying momentum from her strong National Championship performance, McCollester proved she is capable of reaching levels that could put her among the team’s strongest assets next year, including someone that could fill in certain gaps on offense.
Two Upperclassmen that continue to grow
Abby LoCascio (Rising senior, attacker)
A redshirt junior this season, Abby LoCascio appeared in all 22 games, achieving nine goals this season, including two in the championship battle. She was an effective role player for this ‘Cats squad and made her mark through consistency and doing the little things, including picking up critical ground balls in the NCAA Second Round and Final Four.
Noel Cumberland (Rising senior, midfielder)
After three years in purple, Noel Cumberland has shown remarkable resilience and development in her two-way midfield role, one that requires her to be present on both ends. She recorded 21 goals, 10 draw controls and seven assists this season, a performance that earned her a First Team All-Big Ten selection, the first all-conference honor of her career.
Two promising first-years
Kate Ratanaproeksa (Rising sophomore, attacker)
Known as the midfield “workhorse,” Kate Ratanaproeksa had an excellent start to her Wildcat career. She earned a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team and was an effective postseason contributor, a goal and a draw control in the Second Round and scoring a season-high two goals in the the Final Four. She also finished fourth on the team in draw controls and showed strong tenacity while undergoing a position change to a more defensive-minded role.
McKenzie Brown (Rising sophomore, defender)
McKenize Brown was known for her disruptive defense that creates turnovers in big moments, with examples being the two giveaways she caused against Johns Hopkins. Brown also excelled through her speed and ability to locate players in transition, as reflected by her sprint across the field to find Foster for her go-ahead goal in the title game. Both of those skills will prove invaluable as she continues to develop into one of the ‘Cats’ strongest defenders.
