Just days before she takes the field in the FIL World Cup, Canada’s Danita Stroup got some good news. The Northwestern star, who transferred to the Wildcats two seasons ago, was retroactively granted another year of eligibility by the NCAA, meaning she will return to Chicago for the 2018 season.

A transfer from LIU Brooklyn in 2015, Stroup competed in two “dates” in the fall of 2014, which was a “non-competition” period for the team, according to Northwestern’s press release. However, her participation in fall activities constituted a full year of eligibility under NCAA rules.

But after NCAA Proposal 2017-12 – which was adopted by the NCAA Division I Council last week – went into effect, the rules surrounding fall ball changed. Thus, Stroup was granted, retroactively, that full year of eligibility from the 2014-15 season.

Stroup, a Canadian under-19 gold medalist in 2015, will participate in the FIL World Cup starting on July 12. She’s coming off a 2017 season in which she made 19 starts and finished second on the team with 42 goals. She also had career highs with two assists, 75 shots, 10 ground balls, three draw controls and four caused turnovers.

Stroup will join a Wildcats’ offense with a few of her Canadian teammates, like incoming senior Selena Lasota and sophomore Megan Kinna. Lasota suffered a season-ending injury with Northwestern that eventually held her out of the upcoming World Cup.

The Wildcats will be looking to improve on the 10.71 goals per game they scored last season, a number good for 79^th in the nation. With 64 goals in two seasons with Northwestern, Stroup should help bolster a team that has fallen out of the second round of the NCAA tournament in consecutive seasons.

But first, Stroup will try to lead Canada to an FIL World Cup victory. She scored nine goals and added 11 assists to fuel Canada’s shocking 2015 under-19 world championship, and she’ll be back to try to do the same in Guildford, England.