Northwestern lacrosse 2026 position previews: Defense and goalkeepers

With Feb. 6 approaching rapidly, it’s time to take a deeper dive into the squad Northwestern lacrosse head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller is working with this spring.

In 2026, Northwestern will be without some key pieces on the defensive end of the ball, namely goalie Delaney Sweitzer and defender Jane Hansen, who both ran out of eligibility in May 2025.

With that rises a defensive room full of youth, most of whom haven’t seen many opportunities to get on the field in years past, but will most likely have their opportunities to make an impact for the ‘Cats.

Let’s dissect the Northwestern defense and what’s to come for these players.

Defense

Mary Carroll | So.

Coming off a Big Ten All-Freshman Team nod, Carroll is set to take an even bigger step as the leader of the defense.

As the only first-year to start every game in 2025, Carroll recorded 25 ground ball pickups — which tied for 17th in the conference — and 23 caused turnovers. Her play only improved with age, with one of her best strings of performances coming in the Final Four in Foxborough, where she totaled two ground balls, four caused turnovers, an assist and a draw control.

This season will be quite the test for Carroll, as names like North Carolina’s Chloe Humphrey and Boston College’s Molly Driscoll both seek to give her as much trouble as possible. Carroll could likely fill the shoes of Jane Hansen and bear the responsibility of guarding each team’s no. 1 scorer.

Kathryn Welch | Sr.

Although we haven’t seen much from Welch in her three seasons in Evanston, year four could be one where she undertakes a major role on defense. In 10 appearances last season, she totaled three ground balls and four caused turnovers, which doesn’t catch the glancing eye, but her performances against Canisius and Niagara were especially eye-opening.

It’s important to note that in nine of Welch’s 10 appearances, only one (vs. Notre Dame) was decided within a three-score margin. Her play this coming season with a possible uptick in meaningful minutes is something to watch.

Camille Grieve | R-Fy.

Here’s a wild card for ‘Cats faithful.

Grieve is a former all-state team honoree who was held out in 2025 due to injury, but her resolve is unmatched.

During her high school career, Grieve competed for STEPS, based in San Francisco, meaning most weekends would be a two-hour flight (or 12-hour drive) from her native Bellevue to the Bay Area for her to compete.

It’ll be interesting to see how Amonte Hiller will manage Grieve’s minutes in her first appearances in collegiate lacrosse.

Talia Reading | Jr.

Reading has only appeared in six games since her arrival at Northwestern, all of which came in 2025. The junior has bided her time with the ‘Cats, and with youth being of the essence in this year’s defensive group, Reading could leap into being a crucial piece for NU.

Goalies

Jenika Cuocco | Gr.

The three-time CAA Goalie of the Year is finally making the leap to one of the nation’s most decorated programs after a storied career at Drexel.

Cuocco has quietly been a force between the pipes, finishing top-10 nationally in save percentage three seasons in a row, last year taking the top spot, and ranking fourth in 2023 — in her debut season, nonetheless. She also helped the Dragons toward back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2023 and 2024.

The best performance of Cucco’s college career came in last year’s CAA Championship game against Stony Brook, where she tied her career-high 18 saves. After flirting with the transfer portal before the 2025 season, the Long Island native returned to provide an All-American caliber season for the Dragons en route to a second-place finish in the conference, narrowly missing a fifth straight appearance in the national tournament. Now, she looks to complete yet another decorated season, this time on the national stage at Northwestern.

Cara Nugent | Gr.

Nugent has firmly been a second or third option between the pipes for Hiller in the past two seasons. She totalled nearly 14 minutes during NU’s 2024 NCAA Tournament run, spanning across three of its four games.

2025 gave Nugent two fewer appearances than she saw in 2024, with her only start coming against Canisius, where she allowed three goals while making three saves. Her .412 save percentage is much more impressive and meaningful than it appears, and it seems as though she’s prepared to inject herself into the action a bit more this year.

Francesca Argentieri | R-Jr.

After redshirting 2024, Argentieri saw action in eight contests last season, starting one, and ended her season with a .595 save percentage.

That one start was in the season opener against Notre Dame, where Argentieri faced 27 shots and made eight saves in a winning effort. She spent the full 60 minutes between the pipes.

Argentieri could see herself in the early-season mix once again, as she did last season with Sweitzer slowly factoring herself into action.

Kate Keller | R-Fy.

Keller spent her first-year season under the learning tree that is Sweitzer, Nugent and Argentieri. It’s quite possible that she’ll make her collegiate debut early on in the season.

The Massachusetts native was an all-state standout, leading Newburyport to back-to-back state final appearances in her high school career, winning it all in 2023. She participated in tryouts for the 2024 U.S Women’s National Team.