The NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship drew record crowds for the semifinals and final at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in suburban Chicago. Announced attendance was 6,242 for Friday’s semifinals and 8,316 for Sunday’s final as Northwestern beat North Carolina 14-11. The NCAA men’s lacrosse Final Four returned to a campus site for the first time since 2002, and an announced crowd of 24,396 attended Princeton’s 16-9 victory against Notre Dame in the national title game at Scott Stadium at the Univ. of Virginia (SBJ).
Northwestern beating UNC to win the NCAA Championship was the first time a team has lifted the trophy outside the Eastern Time Zone. It also is the first time a team won on their home soil since Maryland in 1986. A “raucous, purple-clad” 8,316 fans packed Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium to witness the championship (INSIDE LACROSSE, 5/24).
