Beating Michigan wasn't difficult, but that doesn't mean it wasn't important.
Big sigh of relief, Wildcat fans.
After a season where at times it looked like Northwestern would be ineligible to make the postseason, a 20-5 win over Michigan in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament officially sees Northwestern clinch a .500 record, and with it, postseason eligibility.
At this point, it would be nothing short of a huge surprise if Northwestern wasn't invited to the NCAA Tournament, even if they were to lose to Penn State in the Big Ten semifinals.
The women's lacrosse NCAA Tournament consists of 26 teams, of which 13 are automatic qualifiers from conference tournaments and 13 are selected as at-large teams.