Five Wildcats will join Kelly Amonte Hiller in Hong Kong

In less than two months, five Wildcats will head to Hong Kong with Kelly Amonte Hiller for the 2024 World Lacrosse U20 Championship.

Junior goalkeeper Francesca Argentieri, junior midfielder Maddy Taylor, sophomore midfielders Madison Smith and Noel Cumberland and incoming first-year Hannah Rudolph made the 22-woman roster.

The five selections are the most of any school, with Boston College having four.

Amonte Hiller announced the finalized roster following a June training camp that saw 32 players compete for spots. This included three other Northwestern players: junior attacker Abby LoCasio and sophomore midfielders Alex Blake and Alexis Ventresca.

Of these eight Northwestern players, Taylor and Smith have had the greatest impact on Northwestern’s roster so far, but the rest of the cohort will surely play a greater role in the 2025 season following numerous departures of key players like Izzy Scane and Erin Coykendall.

Taylor has been a key member of Northwestern’s offense across her first two seasons. But in 2024, she truly solidified herself as one of the best players in the country, scoring 83 goals for the third most in the nation, becoming a Tewaaraton Finalist in the process.

Smith appeared in every game in her first season in 2024 and was a huge contributor on the draw.

Roster selection has been underway since July 2023, when 42 players were initially named. The players were able to play together in the USA Lacrosse Fall Classic and then were evaluated throughout their 2024 seasons.

Amonte Hiller previously led the team to a world championship in 2019, becoming the only individual to win gold as both an athlete and a coach with the program.

The 22 athletes will have two more training camps before heading to Hong Kong for the Championship on August 15-24.