‘Cats fans will likely enjoy the James Madison transfer’s ability in the draw circle after Sam Smith’s graduation.
After a run to the national championship, Northwestern women’s lacrosse will lose eight primary starters for the upcoming 2026 season. Undoubtedly, the onus will be on the remaining returners to step up, but the ‘Cats have already received one big boost from the transfer portal.
James Madison incoming senior Maddie Epke is set to join the Wildcats, coming to Evanston after leading JMU to a 14-5 record and NCAA Tournament berth in 2025. Epke was one of 25 Tewaaraton nominees last year. She’ll step immediately into a starting role as the second-most decorated attacker for the ‘Cats, trailing only Tewaaraton finalist Madison Taylor.
Epke was dominant in multiple facets of the game at JMU. First and foremost, she has been nothing short of dominant in the draw circle in her three seasons, especially last year. The Connecticut native tallied a whopping 235 draw controls last season, good for second in the country and well ahead of Sam Smith, Northwestern’s primary draw taker in 2025.
Smith’s 185 draw controls boosted NU tremendously in big games, but Epke’s poise in the circle is unmatched by almost anyone. Under legendary Wildcat head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, it’s very possible we see Epke lead the country in draw controls in 2026. Regardless, it’s highly likely the ‘Cats won’t miss a beat in terms of winning draws, as Epke has already demonstrated her ability to compete with anyone at a good lacrosse school.
But Epke’s impact goes far beyond the circle. She scored 65 goals and added 23 assists last campaign, totals that would’ve been good for second and third on the ‘Cats, respectively, despite JMU playing three fewer games. In her senior season, Epke could end up becoming what Taylor was to Izzy Scane in 2024, when Taylor scored 83 goals and 33 assists to help fortify a squad that nearly won the national championship.
Epke had several impressive big games in 2025, including an eight-goal onslaught against Temple, a trio of six-goal games against Virginia Tech, Georgetown and UCF and a hat trick against lacrosse power Johns Hopkins. Against Florida, who ended up making the Final Four, she racked up 18 draw controls, piling up 10 games with 14 or more draw controls in all.
The addition of Epke will also bring a conundrum for Amonte Hiller, who will now have to decide which four of her five primary attackers will receive the starting nod next season. Taylor and Epke are locks, and incoming senior Lucy Munro, who started 15 games in 2025, figures to be slotted in as well.
With the departures of Niki Miles and Riley Campbell, that likely leaves Aditi Foster and Abby LoCascio to battle for the final spot, a good dilemma to have for NU. LoCascio was solid in three starts last year, and Foster showed immense promise as a first-year off the bench, so it’s fair to expect one of them to step up in a big way in 2026.
There may be more transfers to come, but the ‘Cats should be just fine at attacker, especially if depth options Rachel Weiner, Jenna Soto, Claire Ratke and Alexis Ventresca are able to progress as well. Regardless, Epke is nothing short of a massive transfer portal acquisition. She has upside no Wildcat attacker outside of Taylor provided last year, which should help to take pressure off NU’s returning superstar in her senior season.
Time and time again, Amonte Hiller has demonstrated her ability to pick up elite transfers in the portal. Last year, NU’s coach landed Delaney Sweitzer, Niki Miles, Jaylen Rosga and Riley Campbell, four incredibly impactful transfers in the Wildcats’ 2025 run.
With that kind of track record, it’s fair to assume Epke won’t be the last major transfer joining the ‘Cats. It’ll certainly be exciting to see if anyone else comes in, but either way, the future of Northwestern lacrosse looks bright once again in 2026.