It’s never too early to start recruiting in the offseason.
Just over a week after losing to North Carolina in the NCAA championship game, Northwestern lacrosse is already making offseason moves.
The Wildcats earned a commitment on Monday from former James Madison attacker and 2025 IWLCA First Team All-American Maddie Epke, arguably one of the biggest names in the transfer portal. Epke currently has Northwestern in her Instagram bio and comes to Evanston with one year of eligibility remaining.
In 2025, Epke recorded 65 goals, 23 assists and 235 draw controls, propelling James Madison to American Athletic Conference championships — both regular-season and tournament — and an NCAA tournament appearance. Her 88 points led the Dukes, while her 12.37 draw controls per game ranked second in the nation. Epke’s season earned her first team All-American honors across the IWLCA, Inside Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse Magazine, as well as a place in the final 25 Tewaaraton Award nominees.
Despite only playing with the program for three seasons, Epke already holds James Madison’s all-time draw control record with 485.
Epke comes to Evanston as a crucial piece for Northwestern’s bid to remain at the top of the lacrosse world in 2026. The Wildcats lose eight of their 12 starters from 2025, including attackers Niki Miles and Riley Campbell, their second and third-leading scorers respectively. With another All-American-caliber attacker by her side, rising senior Madison Taylor will have more support on the offense as Epke is expected to take some of the pressure off the two-time Tewaaraton finalist.
Epke and Taylor already have some experience playing together, as they were both on the Team USA roster for the 2024 U-20 World Championship in Hong Kong, which Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller led. Also on that team were Northwestern’s Hannah Rudolph, Fran Argentieri, Abby LoCascio, Noel Cumberland and Madison Smith.
Epke’s abilities in the draw circle make her an ideal replacement for Sam Smith, who was Northwestern’s primary draw taker for the past three seasons and is now out of eligibility.
Northwestern’s 2025 roster included six different transfers — its largest class ever in that category. Epke’s commitment indicates the Wildcats could also be defined by major portal additions in 2026.