Box Score EVANSTON, Ill. – Rutgers women's lacrosse (5-6, 0-4) lost to No. 3 Northwestern (10-2, 2-1), 22-11, on Saturday night in Evanston, Illinois. Playing their fifth consecutive ranked opponent and second straight top-three foe on the road, the Scarlet Knights forced the Wildcats into 19 turnovers. However, NU used a 42-27 shot advantage and 23 draw controls to earn the Big Ten Conference win.
 
Graduate student Cassidy Spilis produced five goals in the loss to the Wildcats, marking the seventh time the Tabernacle, New Jersey, native posted five or more goals in a game this season. Spilis is now 16 points away from passing assistant coach Taralyn Naslonski for the most points in program history.
 
Senior Ashley Moynahan added two goals, junior Victoria Goldrick and sophomore Lily Dixon produced two points a piece, while sophomore Ava Chiarella and rookies Reese Robinson and Payton Tini added goals. Senior Lauren Messinese caused a career-high three turnovers, and sophomore Kimberly Greenblatt secured three draw controls. Along with her five goals, Spilis finished with three caused turnovers, three ground balls and two draw controls.
 
RU went back and forth with the Wildcats to open the game, as Goldrick found Spilis with 9:39 to go in the first quarter for the team's first goal of the night. Goldrick followed with a score on a free position attempt to make it 2-2 with 7:15 left before the quarter break. Spilis' second goal after a quick NU scoring run brought Rutgers within 5-3 at the end of the first quarter.
 
Northwestern used a 6-0 scoring run to begin the second quarter to take control of the game before Moynahan netted her first to return the Scarlet Knights to the scoreboard. Spilis would then score her third down the stretch before the Wildcats took a 14-5 lead into the locker room.
 
Dixon opened the second half with a highlight goal, as the Maryland native stick checked NU's goalkeeper and finished for her first of the night. RU added several goals down the stretch, including scores from Robinson and Tini, but Northwestern closed out the conference win with eight goals in the final 30 minutes of action.
 
Up Next
Rutgers returns home to host Hofstra on Wednesday, April 3 in Piscataway. First draw from SHI Stadium is set for 6 p.m. and will stream on Big Ten Plus.