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Northwestern Pulls Away Late to Defeat No. 18 USC, 17-8

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Box Score

CARSON, Calif. – No. 3 Northwestern (9-2, 3-0) asserted control in the second half, pulling away for a 17-8 win over No. 18 USC (8-4, 1-3) on Sunday afternoon. Madison Taylor led the Wildcats with five goals, while Riley Campbell recorded three goals and three assists in the road victory.

Won Out West ??? #CATSWIN pic.twitter.com/OI639YEDSx

— Northwestern Lax (@NULax) March 30, 2025

Taylor set the tone early, scoring three unanswered goals in the opening 10 minutes, including a setup from Taylor Lapointe. It was her 10th game this season with at least three goals, pushing her season total to 55. Lucy Munro added another to give Northwestern  a 4-0 lead before USC responded with four straight goals to level the score.

Campbell halted the Trojans' momentum, sparking a three-goal run of her own to complete a first-half hat trick. The Wildcats carried an 8-5 advantage into halftime.

USC struck first in the third quarter, but Northwestern responded decisively, rattling off an 8-1 scoring run to close out the game. Niki Miles and Sam Smith each tallied two goals, while Munro and Campbell extended the lead. Lauren Archer punctuated the win with a behind-the-back finish, her fourth goal of the season.

LAUREN ARCHER BEHIND THE BACK ???? pic.twitter.com/2vgu2INHah

— Northwestern Lax (@NULax) March 30, 2025

Northwestern controlled possession, winning the draw control battle 22-7, led by Sam Smith's 13 draw controls. The Wildcats' defense forced 11 turnovers and collected 18 ground balls. Jaylen Rosga recorded four ground balls and two caused turnovers, while first-year Mary Carroll added three ground balls and two caused turnovers. Delaney Sweitzer anchored the unit with nine saves on 17 shots on goal.

Defense holding down the fort ??

16 GB, 10 CT and counting ?? pic.twitter.com/rOkyzumuWi

— Northwestern Lax (@NULax) March 30, 2025

The Wildcats extended their Big Ten winning streak to nine games and held an opponent to 10 goals or fewer for the ninth time this season. They improved to 5-2 all-time against USC, securing their first win over the Trojans as Big Ten opponents.

Northwestern continues conference play Thursday, April 3, with a road matchup against No. 5 Johns Hopkins at Homewood Field. The game is set for 5 p.m. CT and will stream on Centennial Conference TV.