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Holbrook’s Hailey Rhatigan scored four goals and Wantagh’s Madison Taylor scored two goals to lead top-seeded Northwestern to a 15-7 win over No. 5 seed Denver in an NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse semifinal on Friday afternoon at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina.

Northwestern (20-1) will play for its eighth national title Sunday afternoon against No. 3 seed Boston College, an 8-7 winner over No. 2 seed Syracuse in Friday’s other semifinal.

Kayla Martello of Rockville Centre, who played at Sacred Heart Academy, scored on a free position shot with 3:31 to go to give the Eagles the win. It was Martello’s 58th goal of the season. Garden City’s Jenn Medjid scored five goals for Boston College (18-3).

Northwestern won its last national title in 2012. Only Maryland has won more Division I national titles in women’s lacrosse with 14.

“Just really proud of the team,” Northwestern coach Kelly Amonte-Hiller said. “I think they fought hard against a great Denver team. Denver really showed an incredible amount of heart this year and just fought every step of the way, proved themselves. … It just really feels super grateful to be in the championship game. We’re really excited.”

Denver, which came into Friday’s game unbeaten at 22-0, was making the first appearance in the Final Four in program history.

Denver had a 4-2 lead after the first quarter, but Northwestern, which was making its fourth straight appearance in the Final Four, took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Pioneers 4-0.

Rhatigan, who played at Sachem North High School, tied the game at 4-4 on a free position shot at 7:30 of the second quarter. Taylor, who played at Wantagh High School, put the Wildcats in the lead with her 48th goal of the season at the 6:53 mark. Rhatigan added another goal at the 4:16 mark to give the Wildcats a 6-4 halftime lead.

“I think we kind of got settled in,” said Northwestern’s Izzy Scane, who had six goals and two assists. “I think we knew that Denver’s defense was going to come out really aggressive so it kind of took us a second to kind of punch back with them. Our plan going in was to be just as aggressive going at them as they came at us.”

Denver cut Northwestern’s lead to 6-5 at 12:09 of the third quarter, but Rhatigan answered with her third goal of the game at the 9:45 mark. Taylor added her second goal and Rhatigan scored her fourth goal – her 59th of the season – as part of a 5-1 advantage in the third quarter to give Northwestern an 11-5 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

Kendall Halpern of Woodbury, who played at Syosset High School, helped to anchor the Northwestern defense and had three ground balls.

The second semifinal was a rematch of the 2021 national title game, which Boston College won, 16-10. Boston College lost last year’s national title game to North Carolina, 12-11.

Babylon’s Emma Ward, who played at Babylon High school, scored two goals – her 37th and 38th of the season – to give Syracuse a 3-2 lead after the first quarter. Medjid, who played at Garden City High School, scored and Bayport’s Cassidy Weeks, who played at Bayport-Blue Point High School, scored her 33rd goal of the season for Boston College in the first quarter.

The Eagles tied the score at the 7:56 mark of the second quarter, but Mount Sinai’s Emma Tyrrell, who played at Mount Sinai High School, put Syracuse back in the lead with her 52nd goal of the season. Medjid tied the score at the 2:47 mark.

Port Washington’s Natalie Smith, who played at St. Anthony’s High School, gave Syracuse the lead at 5-4 with a goal at the 11:11 mark of the third quarter. Syracuse (18-2) increased the lead to 6-4 before Medjid scored to pull Boston College to within 6-5. The Orange answered with a goal and led 7-5 heading to the fourth quarter.

Medjid’s fourth and fifth goals of the game – 21 seconds apart – tied the game at 7-7 at the 9:12 mark of the fourth quarter, setting up Martello’s winning goal. Medjid now has 82 goals this season.

Long Islanders in the Women's Lacrosse Final Four:

Boston College: Courtney Weeks (Bayport-Blue Point HS), Cassidy Weeks (Bayport-Blue Point), Sophia Taglich (Cold Spring Harbor HS), Hollie Schleicher (Westhampton HS), Jenn Medjid (Garden City HS), Kayla Martello (Rockville Centre/Sacred Heart Academy), Hunter Roman (Saint James/St. Anthony's HS)

Syracuse: Jordan DeBlasio (Mount Sinai HS), Katie Goodale (Riverhead HS), Natalie Smith (Port Washington/St. Anthony's HS), Meaghan Tyrrell (Mount Sinai HS), Emma Tyrrell (Mount Sinai HS), Meghan Rode (Garden City HS), Hallie Simkins (Harborfields HS), Emma Ward (Babylon HS), Jenny Markey (Mount Sinai HS)

Denver: None

Northwestern: Abby LoCascio (Lindenhurst/St. Anthony's HS), Kendall Halpern (Syosset HS), Madison Taylor (Wantagh HS), Hailey Rhatigan (Sachem North HS)

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