EVANSTON, Ill. — For the second straight season, Northwestern is bound for the  Final Four.

The Wildcats defeated Duke 22-10 in an NCAA quarterfinal on Saturday, powered by six goals from senior attacker Lauren Gilbert and five goals from junior attacker Izzy Scane.

Northwestern battled back from a 6-1 deficit just over 11 minutes into the first half to lead 12-8 by halftime. The Wildcats initially struggled against the Blue Devils’ backer defense, dropping passes and misfiring on free-position shots.

Duke was clicking on the offensive side as well, powered by sophomore midfielder Olivia Carner, who scored four of the team’s eight goals during the first half.

“She’s a beast,” Duke coach Kerstin Kimel said of Carner. “She gets it done on both ends of the field, and on the draw circle as well.”

The Wildcats took the media timeout in the first half as a chance to regroup. Northwestern coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said she encouraged the team to “compete for every play” as they stared down the five-goal deficit during the break. She said the team’s experience falling behind during previous games was “helpful” for giving the team confidence, even despite the scoreboard.

Scane, the Division I leader in goals and points, hadn’t scored once prior to the break. By the end of the half, she had a hat trick. The Michigan native credited the team’s calm mentality as helping the Wildcats climb back.

“Our team does a good job of staying calm in situations like that,” Scane said. “There’s never a second where we doubt that we’re going to end up back on top. Having a group of girls who can stay calm and know what’s going to happen if we keep doing the right things is super helpful.”

Even as Duke led, Northwestern had the edge on the draw, winning four to the Blue Devils’ three at the timeout. By the end of the first half, the Wildcats had won 15 to the Blue Devils’ six. Northwestern had little trouble against Duke junior attacker Maddie Jenner, who ranks third among Division I players in draw controls per game. The Wildcats held her to seven draw controls — two fewer than her performance against Maryland last weekend.

Amonte Hiller previously coached Jenner on the U.S. U19 women’s team in 2019, which Kimel said was one advantage for Northwestern.

Gilbert played a key role for Northwestern on the draw, winning six against the Blue Devils. She said Amonte Hiller often tells the team that “the draw is the best defense,” and the Wildcats felt confident executing their plan during the game.

“We have such a strong draw team, and our draw girls put in so much work,” Gilbert said. “We had really good communication with the circle [during the game].”

The momentum shifted as the Wildcats dominated the draw, laying the foundation for more offensive opportunities. Northwestern scored 21 of the next 25 goals during the contest and finished the game with 21 draws to Duke’s 13.

Nine different Northwestern players scored throughout the matchup, overwhelming Duke’s defense en route to a double-digit margin of victory. Gilbert said Northwestern’s wealth of strong offensive players makes their attack “deadly,” saying that no matter the defense they face, they will always find a way to open up.

The victory marked Northwestern’s second non-conference win in 2021, the first coming over Denver in last weekend’s NCAA second round. Amonte Hiller said the team was “pumped” to face their first ACC team of the season and is already looking forward to facing Syracuse in the Final Four.

Scane said Northwestern has tried not to pay attention to conversations about the strength of the ACC and Big Ten, calling both conferences “amazing.” She said the team’s internal focus played an important role in their victory.

“We did a good job of not letting that get to our heads and focusing on ourselves as a team and proving what we had to prove,” Scane said. “I think it panned out really well in the game. Duke’s a great team, and I think we just played a really, really good game.”

The victory secured Northwestern’s second consecutive trip to the Final Four. In their last appearance in 2019, the Wildcats fell to Maryland 25-13 after they had previously defeated the Terrapins for the 2019 Big Ten tournament title.

Amonte Hiller said the team was “disappointed” with their 2019 performance, but it played an important role in leading them to book another trip to the Final Four.

“We could not be more excited,” Amonte Hiller said. “I feel ready for this moment, and we’re grateful for the opportunity.”