WLAX Set for Road Battle at No. 4 Northwestern Friday

The Marquette University women’s lacrosse team will take on their first road contest of the season this Friday, facing off against No. 4 Northwestern. Opening draw control is set for 7 p.m. CT from Ryan Fieldhouse in Evanston, Ill., and will be broadcast live on B1G+.

LAST TIME OUT
Marquette surged past Central Michigan, 19–6, on Feb. 13 behind a dominant second half that featured a 7–0 third‑quarter run. Freshman Dani Serrano led the way with a program freshman‑record nine points (six goals, three assists), including four straight goals that blew the game open. Tess Osburn added five goals for her third consecutive four-plus goal outing, while Eileen Dooley and Hanna Bodner each scored twice. MU controlled all phases of play, outshooting the Chippewas 36–21, forcing 21 turnovers, and holding a 20–8 edge on ground balls as the Golden Eagles improved to 3–0 for the second straight season.

HISTORY VS. NORTHWESTERN
Northwestern leads the all‑time series 10–0, with every matchup coming against a nationally ranked Wildcat team. The programs first met in 2014, and Marquette has faced a top‑five Northwestern squad in most recent meetings, including a 19–9 result at Valley Fields in 2025.

SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
Northwestern enters the matchup as one of the nation’s top teams, ranking No. 4 nationally by the IWLCA, and coming off dominant wins over Central Michigan and No. 20 Army last weekend. Led by All‑American attacker Madison Taylor and bolstered by high‑impact transfers on offense, the Wildcats bring elite scoring depth, pace, and pressure on both ends of the field.

BODNER, SERRANO EARN BIG EAST HONORS
Marquette swept two of the BIG EAST’s weekly honors following its win over Central Michigan, with Hanna Bodner being named Midfielder of the Week for the second-straight week and Dani Serrano earning Freshman of the Week.

Bodner delivered a complete two‑way performance, scoring twice while adding four draw controls, a ground ball, and a caused turnover to help MU control possession throughout the night. Serrano erupted for a freshman‑record nine points on six goals and three assists, putting all eight of her shots on goal and scoring four times in the decisive third quarter.

NATIONS NO. 1 SCORING OFFENSE
Marquette enters the week with the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation, averaging 18.67 goals per game through its first three contests. The Golden Eagles have piled up 56 goals on 102 shots, converting at an elite .549 shooting percentage, which ranks inside the national top 10. Their efficiency, pace, and depth have also propelled them to the second‑best scoring margin in Division I at +10.33.

OSBURN & SERRANO LEAD THE WAY OFFENSIVLEY
Few pairs in Division I have been more productive than senior Tess Osburn and freshman Dani Serrano, who share the team lead with 17 points each, ranking 10th nationally. Osburn’s 13 goals represent the sixth‑highest total in the country, while Serrano’s seven assists lead Marquette and place her among the nation’s most effective facilitators. Their combined efficiency (27 goals on 32 total shots) anchors what has quickly become one of the country’s most dangerous offensive tandems.

IMMEDIATE IMPACT FROM THE CLASS OF 2029
Marquette’s freshman class has been instrumental in the team’s 3–0 start, highlighted by the emergence of attacker Dani Serrano, who leads all MU newcomers with 17 points and set a program freshman record with nine in the win over Central Michigan. Fellow freshmen Ella Mautz and Gabby Windesheim have also stepped into key roles, with Mautz contributing eight early points and Windesheim already securing 10 draw controls to strengthen MU’s possession game.

SECOND QUARTER SURGES
Marquette has set the tone early in all three of its victories, outscoring opponents 33-16 in first halves, including a staggering 18-4 differential in the second quarter alone. MU’s quick-strike offense has also generated 60 first‑half shots compared to opponents’ 30.

DEFENSIVE PRESSURE FUELING IDENTITY
Defensively, Marquette has established itself as one of the premier takeaway teams in the nation, ranking eighth nationally with 12.67 caused turnovers per game. Through three contests, MU has forced 38 total caused turnovers, more than doubling the 15 caused against them. Senior defender Sofia Santana (7 CT) and junior Mary Velner (6 CT) headline the unit, both ranking among Division I’s top disruptors.

OFFENSIVE DEPTH THROUGHOUT THE ROSTER
Marquette has showcased some of the best offensive depth in the BIG EAST, with nine players already recording at least four points or more. Beyond Osburn and Serrano, freshman Ella Mautz (8 points) and junior Riley Jenkins (7) have emerged as reliable secondary scoring options, while junior Sarah Beth Burns has contributed four goals in just two appearances. Complemented by steady contributions from Isabelle Casucci, CJ Meehan, McKenna Farrell, Emily Couri, and Eileen Dooley, MU fields a multi‑layered offense that forces opponents to defend far more than just its top line.

MU WINNING THE SPECIALTIES
Through three games, Marquette is outperforming opponents in every specialty category: Free‑position goals (10–3), Ground balls (50–37), Caused turnovers (38–15), and Draw controls (48–36).

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.