Minnesotan and Northwestern defender Jaylen Rosga on the cusp of women's lacrosse history

Jaylen Rosga is a trailblazer by nature.

In high school, the St. Paul native played for the Long Island Yellow Jackets, one of the best girls lacrosse club organizations in the country.

In 2020, the Two Rivers/Gentry Academy grad became the first Minnesotan to commit to the University of Maryland's women's lacrosse program, which has won an NCAA-best 14 national titles.

Now a redshirt sophomore defender at Northwestern University, Rosga is in line for another historic feat. On Friday, Rosga will likely become the first Minnesotan since at least 2005 to start in an NCAA Division I women's lacrosse Final Four, where the No. 3-seed Wildcats will take on No. 2 Boston College at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'm just grateful I even get to be here," Rosga said. "I just want to be able to soak up every second and stay present."

After two seasons with the Terrapins, Rosga entered the transfer portal this past summer. She cited being closer to home as her primary motivation. It was one of the toughest decisions she'd ever made.

A former five-star prospect and Inside Lacrosse's seventh-ranked player in the 2022 recruiting class, Rosga didn't know what to expect as she entered her second recruiting process.

"It's scary," she said. "You throw your name in the portal and have no idea what is going to come from it. Is anybody going to call? What's that going to look like?"

She soon heard from Wildcats coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, who gave Rosga a midnight phone call almost four years prior when the then-high school junior's recruiting window opened. This time, one of the Midwest's highest-ever ranked recruits landed back in the region.

"I knew right away this was the place [where] I wanted to be," Rosga said. "To be able to come back and see what I saw [here] when I was 14 was just magical. This is my favorite place, hands down, in the entire country to play."

Although she primarily played as a midfielder during her high school career and Maryland tenure, Rosga shifted into a starting defensive role eight games into the Wildcats' season. She enters the semifinals with 24 ground balls and 17 caused turnovers for a program playing in its sixth consecutive Final Four.

"I've always been a player that whatever the team needed, I'd be willing to do," Rosga said. "If that means putting on the goalie pads and getting in net, I'd be like, 'Okay, coach.'"

Rosga's younger brother, Jeffrey, who has Down syndrome, has also become a core member of the Wildcats. He routinely sports Rosga's No. 2 jersey on the team sideline, and he engaged in on-field celebrations when Northwestern captured the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles.

It's a familiar role for Jeffrey, who had his own locker in the University of Denver men's basketball locker room when his older brother Joe played for the Pioneers. He's also the team manager for the Cretin-Derham Hall girls lacrosse team, where the youngest Rosga sibling, Jordin, is a freshman attacker.

"He's my hero," Rosga said of Jeffrey. "He's my biggest inspiration and to have him on the sidelines and welcomed with open arms by every single person makes me emotional thinking about it."

Eden Prairie girls lacrosse coach Brooke Jones, who won a national championship with Northwestern alongside her twin sister Paige in 2012, said the value for local players to see a Minnesotan star at the college game's grandest stage is "immeasurable."

It's all the more valuable with Rosga's name announced among the starters, Jones added.

"It's really exciting to be able to see something that's a little more visible," Jones said. "It's great for the kids playing here, who certainly have what it takes to play at the next level. Seeing that representation just shows them that there's no reason they can't make that a goal."

Rosga will have a dozen family members and friends in her personal cheering section on Friday. For Rosga, the full-circle moment is validation of her love for the sport.

"It's been the best decision of my life," Rosga said. "I could not be more grateful for the family I've created, not only on the field with the girls, but the support from my family that's going to be in the stands."