lines up for title defense, 9th national win

By JAKE EPSTEIN daily senior staffer @jakeepste1n

After securing its first national title since 2012, Northwestern enters the preseason primed for another shot at the game’s ultimate crown.

The Wildcats, who capped a 21-game winning streak with an 18-6 thrashing of Boston College in the National Championship, return many of the key pieces that propelled coach Kelly Amonte Hiller’s team atop the collegiate landscape.

Graduate student attacker Izzy Scane, the 2023 women’s Tewaaraton Award winner, provides the nation’s most potent scoring presence.

But, the Michigan native won’t be left on an island. Carrying one of the most well-rounded supporting casts in the NCAA, the Cats pack starpower at every position.

Alongside Scane, graduate student attacker Erin Coykendall possesses a patented behindthe-back ability and game-altering vision, leading the most feared offense in the Big Ten — if not nationwide.

Sophomore attacker Madison Taylor’s clever crashing acumen helped her take home Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, and the former