‘The best draw that we could have had’: No. 16 women’s lacrosse set to open NCAA tournament against No. 20 Rutgers

“It’s do or die,” Princeton women’s lacrosse senior attacker and captain Jami MacDonald told The Daily Princetonian. 

On Friday afternoon, the No. 16 ranked women’s lacrosse team (11–6 overall, 5–2 Ivy League) will put that mentality to the test when they open NCAA tournament play against No. 20 Rutgers (10–8, 4–4 Big Ten). 

Should the Tigers beat their Garden State rivals, they will advance to play No. 3 Maryland (16–3, 6–2 Big Ten) on Sunday. The Terrapins are one of three teams that received a first-round bye in the 29-team field. Both the Rutgers game and the potential Sunday match will take place in College Park, Md. 

“I think our whole team is really excited. I think we all collectively said this is the best draw that we could have had,” MacDonald said. 

The Orange and Black played both teams earlier this season in late February, beating Rutgers 15–9 but coming up short against Maryland, 16–12. 

“We like that we have a pod with teams we’ve played this season and there’s less of an unknown to the opponent,” head coach Jenn Cook wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “That allows us to ramp up the preparation quickly and focus on ourselves and our game. We’re definitely one game at a time as a team, so we’ll focus on Rutgers first and then hopefully Maryland.”

Since the introduction of Cook in 2023 — who replaced longtime head coach Chris Sailer — the Tigers and Scarlet Knights have played every season. Cook’s squad has dominated the matchup against their state rivals, winning by an average of nearly seven goals. The last time Rutgers beat Princeton was in 2013. 

However, the same cannot be said of Maryland, the Tigers’ potential second-round matchup. The two teams have faced off nearly every year since 1999, with the Terps winning the last 18 games against Princeton, which last beat the 14-time national champions over 20 years ago in 2006. 

Previewing Princeton 

Princeton comes into the tournament as winners of six straight matches, the 11th-longest streak in the nation. Cook’s squad was ranked sixth in the preseason poll, but started 2–3 and dropped as low as No. 24 in the rankings throughout the season.

“Internally, we knew this would kind of be the path we’d take,” Cook wrote. “Our Fall season was limited due to injuries, and we have such a quick start from February 1 to our first game. We appreciated the high ranking early, but always felt we’d likely be at our best in April and May.” 

“We had to make sure we got there, though. I am really proud of how everyone stuck together and trusted that everything we had as goals preseason was still on the table. You want to be your best version of yourself as a team in May, and I think we’re there,” Cook continued. 

Offensively, the Tigers are led by MacDonald, the Ivy League Attacker of the Year. MacDonald has been on a tear in 2026, recording 83 points (47 goals, 36 assists). Alongside her in the attack are senior Haven Dora and junior Meg Morrisroe.

Dora and MacDonald are the only two Tigers in program history to reach 100 career assists. Dora — who broke the Ivy League all-time career assists record earlier this season — was a first-team All-Ivy selection alongside senior captain and defender Dylan Allen and senior goalkeeper Amelia Hughes. 

In midfield, the trio of senior Maggie Molnar alongside juniors Ella Sloan and Colette Quinn lead the Tiger quintet in midfield. Molnar was named the Most Outstanding Player in the Ivy League tournament after scoring four goals in the championship game against No. 18 Yale (13–4, 6–1). 

Sloan has 23 goals in the attacking midfield role and is one of the main draw specialists for the Tigers alongside senior defender Abigail Roberts, Molnar, and Morrisroe. The group struggled to start the season, recording a 39.1 draw control percentage in the first 11 games. However, the group has turned it on, controlling an astounding 60.9 percent in the last six games, including 16 of 21 against Yale in the tournament final. 

“I think we have grown exponentially in that,” MacDonald said. “[The draw unit has] been grinding on that and really working together, so I think that's the main one, and then on the attacking end, we got more chemistry going.”

Hughes, the Ivy League Co-Goaltender of the Year, anchors a Tiger defense alongside Allen, Abigail Roberts, Juliana Williams, and Zoe Bye. Hughes ranks third in total saves, in the top five in saves per game, and sixth in save percentage at a .508 clip en route to a USA Lacrosse All-American third-team selection. 

“In the postseason, it’s a whole new level of playing with love for your teammates, and realizing that we only have so many more games left with this group of seniors,” Hughes said. “It’s always playing for the people around you, and now that we’re seniors, these are our last games together as a group, so continuing to keep that and remembering how much is really on the line when you step on the field.”

Previewing Rutgers and Maryland

Rutgers is one of the youngest teams in the tournament fields. Underclassmen have accounted for 78 percent of the goals for head coach Melissa Lehman, who has guided her squad to back-to-back tournament appearances. 

“Gaining and maintaining possession will be key, and we’ve been making strides in the draw control part of the game at the same time our defense is playing its best,” Cook wrote. “If we can keep that going on Friday, we’ll have a great shot to win a game.”

Playing in the gauntlet of the Big Ten, Rutgers had one of the toughest schedules in the country, playing five of the current top ten teams. The marquee win for the Scarlet Knights came at home on Apr. 9 against No. 6 Michigan (12–6, 5–3 Big Ten), likely securing a tournament bid for them.

“Even though we have beat them before, they have upset other teams that are ranked above them, so making sure we're not taking that for granted,” MacDonald noted.

Senior defender and captain Katie Buck anchors the Scarlet Knights and is one of the best draw specialists in the nation, converting nearly nine a game, which ranks 15th nationally. Sophomore attacker Caroline Ling has 90 points (58 goals, 32 assists) to pace the attack. 

In the first matchup against the Tigers in February, Ling had just one goal on five shots, scoring one or fewer in just four of the team’s 18 games. Alongside Ling, senior Lily Dixon and first-year Kate Theofield are key contributors, with Dixon recording 48 assists and Theofield scoring 43 goals. 

“Our team gets really pumped for the Rutgers game every year. We call it the New Jersey Cup. So having another shot at it is gonna be a lot of fun,” Hughes explained. 

In goal, Simone Koryszewski has struggled with a .438 save percentage, but had her best game of the season against the Tigers when she recorded a season-high 13 saves in the loss. 

Should the Tigers advance to compete against Maryland, they will face arguably the nation’s top goaltender in JJ Suriano. Suriano was named a first-team All-American by USA Lacrosse Magazine and ranks second in total saves, fourth in save percentage, and sixth in saves per game. 

“Once we beat Rutgers, we’re all really excited for a rematch,” MacDonald said. “I think earlier this season, we were a completely different team, and we’ve grown so much since then, so we're definitely ready for that rematch and ready for some revenge.”

Alongside Suriano is a veteran heavy squad highlighted by senior midfielder and fellow first-team All-American selection Kori Edmondson. She does it all for the Terps with 44 goals and 13 assists, while also succeeding in 67 draw controls.

“Playing a clean game against Maryland would be crucial. When we limit turnovers and second chances, it gives us a chance to get to our offense,” Cook wrote.

In attack, junior Lauren LaPointe has 81 points (59 goals, 22 assists) and was a second-team All-American. Alongside her are graduate students Keeley Block and Kristen Shanahan, who have combined for 72 goals. Edmondson, LaPointe, and Suriano were three of the 25 finalists for the 2026 Tewaaraton Award. 

Sophomore Kayla Gilmore — one of the few underclassmen with a regular role — leads the team in draw controls with 106, while graduate student defender Maddy Sterling anchors the Terps’ defense with 16 caused turnovers and 23 groundballs.

Maryland leads the field with 41 NCAA tournament appearances. After making the final weekend every year from 2009 to 2019, the Terps have made it back to the final four just once since, with that appearance coming in 2022. 

The Tigers will take the field at 2 p.m. in College Park and look to extend their season.

“This past weekend, we got to avenge two of our losses from earlier in the season, so it’s another opportunity to prove what we’ve got,” Hughes said. 

Hayk Yengibaryan is a senior Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’ He is from Glendale, Calif. He can be reached at hy5161[at]princeton.edu.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.