Northwestern women's lacrosse hosting Final Four, taking 12-game win streak into matchup vs. Johns Hopkins

This year, the road to the Final Four was literally short for Northwestern women's lacrosse. This weekend's NCAA semifinals and national championship game are being held on the Wildcats' turf along the lakefront.

The Wildcats are hoping home field advantage can help them bring home their second national championship in the last four years.

For head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, it's a moment 25 years in the making.

"I'm speechless, to be honest. I never would've ever imagined this, just knowing what you go through as a lacrosse person. You always have to travel for the East Coast," she said.

Sophomore midfielder Madison Smith said she feels lucky to have this opportunity

"We're going to have so many alumni back in town," she said. "We can't stop smiling. We're just walking around, and we can't take the smile off our face. It's just incredible."

They might not have hosted a Final Four before, but the Wildcats have played in plenty of them. This is their 7th straight appearance in the national semifinals.

"I feel so lucky to be a part of playing in that last weekend in May. When you think about it as there's only four teams in Division I that are playing right now, like, we should be so lucky instead of putting so much pressure on yourself."

Northwestern faces a familiar Big Ten foe on Friday in Johns Hopkins – which is an affiliate member of the Big Ten for lacrosse only. The Wildcats beat the Blue Jays 16-12 in Evanston in late March, as part of the 12-game winning streak Northwestern brings into the Final Four.