Here are the local players to know in the NCAA women’s lacrosse Final Four
North Carolina, Northwestern, Maryland, and Johns Hopkins are heading to the Final Four. Each school features Philly-area talent. Let’s get to know those players.
Whether you follow women’s college lacrosse or not, you’ve likely heard the name Chloe Humphrey.
The sophomore attacker at North Carolina, known for her quick, yet difficult shot-making, has garnered recognition as one of the sport’s best players. After breaking the NCAA freshman scoring record with 90 goals last season, the Connecticut native leads the nation in goals per game and has 102 goals this season.
Now, she’ll have the chance to win her second consecutive NCAA championship this weekend.
The No. 2-seeded Tar Heels (18-1) will face No. 3 Maryland (18-3) in the NCAA women’s lacrosse Final Four at 3 p.m. Friday at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Ill. On the other side of the bracket, No. 1 Northwestern (17-3) will take on No. 4 Johns Hopkins (17-4) at 5:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast on ESPNU.
A title-game rematch between Northwestern and UNC on Sunday (noon, ESPN) would be intriguing. The Tar Heels’ only loss this season was to the Wildcats, 17-16 in overtime on March 25.
But beyond the star power of Humphrey and Northwestern’s Madison Taylor, the Big Ten attacker of the year who is second in the nation in scoring, there’s plenty of other names to know, including several locals from each program.
Here’s who will be representing the Philadelphia area in the Final Four:
North Carolina
A pair of local seniors, attacker Darcy Felter and midfielder Kiley Mottice, were key last season to the Tar Heels going 22-0 and winning their fourth national title.
Felter, a graduate of Penn Charter, has 33 goals and 17 assists in 19 games. The Wyndmoor native was an All-American and state champion in high school, where she capped her career with 175 goals and 133 assists. Mottice, an Archbishop Carroll product, also has appeared in 19 games and has snagged 21 ground balls and scored 22 goals. The Downingtown native won a Catholic League championship and two state titles with Carroll and also was an All-American.
The Tar Heels also welcomed a local freshman, midfielder Mairyn Dwyer, who is from North Wales and played at the Agnes Irwin School. Dwyer, a high school All-American and two-time state champion, has played in 15 games and has four goals and three assists.
Northwestern
Sophomore attacker Aditi Foster is Northwestern’s second-leading scorer, with 48 goals. The Penn Charter graduate has started all 20 games and made a leap from last season, when she tailed 12 goals in 19 games. In high school, she was the Inter-Academic League’s MVP and leading scorer as a senior.
Her classmate, Mary Carroll, also plays a key role. In 2025, the defender from Kennett Square started all 22 games, grabbed 25 ground balls, and caused 23 turnovers. This season, she has started every game and has 18 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers.
Junior Alexis Ventresca, a Blue Bell native who attended Episcopal Academy, has appeared in eight games.
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Maryland
The Terrapins’ roster includes five locals, the most among the schools in the Final Four.
Junior defender Annabella Schafer, an Ardmore native and Hill School alumna, has started all 21 games and has 22 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers.
Freshmen Tatum Woods (an attacker from Cherry Hill West) and Catie Holmes (a midfielder from West Chester who graduated from Agnes Irwin) have each appeared in five games.
Mia Raucci, a sophomore attacker from Garnet Valley, and junior defender Fallon George, who played at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, have not seen game action.
Johns Hopkins
The Blue Jays are making their first Final Four appearance as a Division I program. They reached the Division III Final Four in 1997 and moved to Division I for lacrosse in 1999.
Two locals are part of Johns Hopkins’ historical run. Bryn Mawr’s Ella Springer is a sophomore attacker who graduated from Agnes Irwin, and Anya Dunn, a freshman defender, played at Academy of Notre Dame de Namur.
Springer appeared in five games, and Dunn played in four this season.
