Northwestern women's lacrosse looks to repeat as national champs

• They'll play Florida in the Final Four on Friday at 2pm. It will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Why this is a BFD: Not only did Northwestern win the national championship last year, this year marks the fifth straight Final Four appearance.

Zoom out: It's rare that a Midwest team has success in college lacrosse, which has long been dominated by Ivy League and East Coast schools.

Yes, but: Northwestern has disproven that under coach Kelly Amonte Hiller. She has won eight national championships, made 15 Final Four appearances and amassed a 331-88 record since taking over the program in 2002.

In other words: It's not just a winning program; it's a dynasty.

State of play: During the second-round win vs. Denver, team star Izzy Scane became the Division I all-time leader with 367 goals.

The bottom line: With Chicago sports in the doldrums, what's happening along the lake in Evanston should be front-page news. It's truly incredible.