As the clock struck zero and Hailey Rhatigan tacked on one final goal in her storied college career, Kelly Amonte Hiller couldn’t hide the euphoria on her face.
Amonte Hiller, the typically stoic, down-to-business coach of Northwestern lacrosse, hugged staff members tightly on the sideline with an ear-to-ear grin across her face. Following the Wildcats’ 18-6 dismantling of Boston College in the National Championship, NU was atop the women’s lacrosse world yet again.
While the ‘Cats have made the Final Four every year since 2019 (void the Covid season), 2023 marked the team’s first national title since 2012 — 4,018 days in the making.