Stick Season: Rewriting the Narrative
How the remaining NCAA bracket is shaping up to be a love letter to the ‘Cats roller-coaster 2026 season.
Northwestern’s epic 17-5 tromping of James Madison last weekend has placed the ‘Cats in an unprecedented position. But they have some cleaning up to do in order to solidify themselves as the true “best in the nation. ” NU has something to prove, a first for Kelly Amonte Hiller’s squad in the modern era of Northwestern lacrosse.
Year after year, Northwestern has dominated the majority of the lacrosse world. Yes, there will be an “outlier” team from time-to-time (Boston College in 2024 and North Carolina in 2025). But for the most part, Northwestern has been in a league of its own.
Nearly untouchable. Nearly. 2026 disproved that narrative from the jump.
The invincibility of the Wildcats seemed to be a thing of the past when they suffered two losses over the course of a riveting weekend in March. Those cold, gloomy three days would be the first of an anomaly. Not the weather, as that’s common here in Chicagoland.
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