Jen Adams is 209-73 as the head coach of the Loyola women’s lacrosse program since taking over ahead of the 2009 season … and 88-17 since the start of the 2018 campaign.
However, for all of their success, the Greyhounds haven’t made it to the Final Four since 2003. Now, they have a chance to change that. No. 8 seed Loyola meets No. 1 Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in Evanston, Ill., at 7:30 p.m. on May 18 on ESPNU.
The Wildcats have been to 13 Final Fours and have won seven national championships since 2005. They have been to the three previous Final Fours dating back to 2019 but are looking for their first national championship since 2012. They’re 18-1 overall this year, with their lone loss coming all the way back in February.
Northwestern boasts Big Ten Attacker of the Year Izzy Scane (82 goals, 28 assists) and a plethora of other high-end scorers: Erin Coykendall (50, 44), Hailey Rhatigan (54, 11) and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Taylor Madison (46, 17), among others. The defense is backed by goalie Molly Laliberty, who has posted a 9.06 goals-against average and .468 save percentage.
“What is it going to take to beat Northwestern? Pretty simple — to be one goal up on the scoreboard at the end of that game,” Adams said on Glenn Clark Radio May 15. “I think that’s going to take tough defense, keeping their powerful offensive unit to limited goals, and it’s going to take us putting the ball in the back of the net. They’re both things we’ve done all season, so we’re confident in going in and playing Loyola lacrosse and throwing it up in the air and hoping it sticks.”
