“Another game, another No. 1 to take down.”
That was the subheadline of my piece on Wednesday, and the Wildcats followed the script to the letter. It really was that simple. On Thursday night, Northwestern knocked off top-ranked Maryland in the hostile environment of College Park. In doing so, it became the first Division I program since 2012 to beat two No. 1 teams in a single season.
The road there was anything but smooth. The Wildcats trailed 3-0 early and 5-3 at halftime. They lost the first-quarter
draw battle 5-0, marking the first time all season they failed to win a single draw in an opening frame. The Terrapins were faster, hungrier and more physical in those early minutes.
Northwestern won anyway, as they do.
Here are three takeaways.
1. Madison Taylor delivered in the moment that mattered most
The senior attacker played with the poise you expect from a star. She finished with four goals and one assist to lead all scorers, while adding a team-high five draw controls. But one mattered more than the rest.
With 58 seconds left on the clock, the atmosphere at SECU Stadium was deafening and Maryland had cut the Northwestern lead to 11-10 after scoring two goals in under three minutes. The momentum was very much in favor of the Terrapins. Taylor stepped into the circle, stared down her defender and won the draw cleanly. The Wildcats ran out the clock, and the comeback was silenced.
Too often, fans highlight the flashy goals while ignoring the gritty, small plays. This was a masterclass in game management. It was the ‘Cats’ superstar who owned the most high-pressure moment of the night. It won’t make a highlight reel, but it decided the game.
Taylor now has 427 career points, the most among active NCAA players, and sits 56 shy of Izzy Scane’s program record of 483. When the moment demanded control, she took it, and Maryland had no answer.
2. The draw circle flipped, and the offense finally found its rhythm
The first 15 minutes were a nightmare for Northwestern. The Terrapins’ dominance in the circle led to a massive shot advantage in the first half. Jenika Cuocco was the only reason the game stayed within reach. She made seven massive saves in the first half, including multiple back-to-back stops on Maryland’s best shooters. Without her composure, the halftime deficit could have been an insurmountable mountain rather than a manageable 5-3 gap.
The second half flipped. After the 5-0 first-quarter hole, Northwestern went 8-5 in the draw the rest of the way, and the offense followed. Suddenly, it had the oxygen it needed to breathe, and from there? The game was on the Wildcats’ terms.
Taylor tied the contest at 5-5 midway through the third quarter. Aditi Foster added her third goal of the night with a clinical finish. Then, the depth pieces began to shine. Taylor Lapointe gave the Wildcats their first lead with 11 minutes left. Shortly after, first-year midfielder Kate Ratanaproeksa provided the highlight of the night. She ignited a dead sprint past two defenders, firing a shot past JJ Suriano for her first goal of the game. This pushed the lead to 11-8 which she punctuated with a stick slam celly on the sideline.
3. The fourth quarter belongs to this team
The game took a dramatic turn with 13:15 left. Maryland’s Lauren LaPointe, who entered the night with a team-leading 67 points, had just scored to put the Terrapins back on top 8-7. On the very next possession, she collided with Madison Smith and limped off the field toward the locker room.
The shift was instantaneous. Northwestern sensed an opening and ripped off four straight goals. It was a 4-0 run that turned a late deficit into a three-goal cushion. While Maryland made it interesting at the end with goals from Kristen Shanahan and Kori Edmondson, the Wildcats refused to blink.
This is the identity of the program. They take advantage of opportunities when they come up, and they do so especially in crunch time. They came back from a 6-2 halftime deficit against these same Terrapins in last year’s Big Ten Championship. They beat North Carolina in overtime after trailing late. They do not fold, and they do not panic — they just win.
The Bottom Line
Northwestern has now won six straight against Maryland, its last loss coming in 2022. By taking down two different No. 1 opponents on the road in the same season, this team has proven that rankings are just numbers on a screen. They did it after a 5-0 draw deficit. They did it with their best player making the biggest play. Following this recent stretch, the Wildcats have verifiably re-entered the title conversation.
A shaky start to the season aside, it is hard to argue that they haven’t planted their flag firmly at the head of the table. Next, they head to No. 18 Penn State, but for now, they have earned the right to enjoy a historic plane ride home.
