Answering all your questions about the 2026 Northwestern lacrosse season

Northwestern begins its 2026 season on Friday with a 4 p.m. CST matchup at Boston College, which will also air on ACCX. Before that, Inside NU wanted to preview everything and anything related to The Lake Show for this coming season.

Staffers Yanyan Li, Kevin Lu, Anya Weerapana, Matt Campbell, Pierson Strandquist, Brendan Preisman, Calvin Kaplan and Bryan Boanoh all participated in this roundtable, answering all the questions you have about Northwestern lacrosse.

Which game are you looking forward to the most on the 2026 schedule?

Yanyan: April 4 vs. USC. I don’t expect Northwestern’s actual match against USC to be super competitive, but the game will be a very cool initiative, as it’s the second part of a double-header dubbed as “Lacrosse Day in Chicago” with Notre Dame and Richmond men’s lacrosse. Northwestern did an incredible job hosting “Lacrosse Night in Chicago” against Michigan last year, shattering its old home attendance record, and I expect that to break again with the addition of a very large Notre Dame traveling fanbase. I’m upset I won’t be here in the spring to witness that game, but those in Evanston will get the cool opportunity to watch the most decorated women’s and men’s teams in the Midwest.

Kevin: Feb 6 vs. No. 3 Boston College. The season opener against a top-ranked opponent, which Northwestern made a cardiac 12-11 comeback over during the Final Four last year, would set the tone immediately and provide an early measuring stick for Northwestern’s championship aspirations. BC is a perennial power, making this a statement game that could define Northwestern’s trajectory from day one.

Anya: Coming from Boston myself, I feel obligated to say the matchup against Boston College will be an amazing season opener. The Eagles have a lot of local talent coming out of the Northeast, and they’re always super competitive. It will be an interesting way to start the season out for Northwestern, whose schedule quality drops off pretty quickly after the season opener. The ‘Cats have something to prove early on, which is a tough task, but I think they’re up for it. 

Matt: March 25 vs. No. 1 North Carolina is the matchup that’ll tell us the most about this group. UNC returns essentially the core of its roster, with the only outlier being Ashley Humphrey graduating. For NU to have a real shot at winning it all this season, beating the No. 1 team in the nation is a must. The ‘Cats will have several games against valiant opponents under their belt, giving them time to gel and grow cohesive as a unit. This matchup will determine if that unit is primed to contend on the national stage.

Pierson: April 9 vs. No. 8 Maryland. As a large chunk of my family is from the DMV, I initially fell in love with lacrosse because of the Terps, so I’d be remiss if that wasn’t my pick. But sentimental value aside, this matchup is a heavyweight clash. Maryland is the only other Big Ten team seeded in the preseason top 8, and it’ll be hungry for revenge after the ‘Cats pulled off that thrilling comeback in last year’s Big Ten Championship on UMD’s home field.

The individual battle is what really gets me: we’re seeing the reigning Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, Kori Edmondson (who netted four goals in that title game), go head-to-head with the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, Madison Taylor (who scored a brace in her own right). With the atmosphere in the stands likely to be electric, this feels like it could be the definitive preview for the conference tournament, and it will be back at the same venue that brought us the instant classic last year.

Bryan: Late-season matchups between quality opponents always catch my eye, so NU’s game against No. 15 Michigan in its last matchup of the regular season is my pick. It’ll be the final time we see the ’Cats in action before the Big Ten Tournament, and should be a good way to gauge the rosters’ strength before the business end of the season begins. 

Calvin: I’ll also go with the matchup against North Carolina. Northwestern and UNC are undoubtedly the nation’s two best teams entering 2026, and it’ll be electric to see yet another rematch between the two rivals. This time, the Tar Heels hold home-field advantage, but will it be enough to stop Madison Taylor? Only time will tell.

Brendan: Dare I say the March 12 matchup against Syracuse? Remember, Olivia Adamson was second on the Orange in goals and assists back in 2024, including six goals against Northwestern in the season opener. She was a third-team All-American that year, but injuries held her to just three games in 2025. A month into the season, it’ll be quite exciting to see how close to her full form Adamson is against her former squad. 

Northwestern gains four high-impact transfers in Maddie Epke, Olivia Adamson, Jennika Cuocco and Annabel Child and several first-years, including top-10 defensive recruit Mckenzie Brown. Which newcomer are you most excited to watch in purple and white?

Yanyan: It’s got to be Maddie Epke. I expect her to be Northwestern’s main draw taker and *at least* the Wildcats’ second option on attack, but she’d be a first option on most teams in the country. Epke has first-Team All-American accolades and experience starring for Team USA’s U-20 team in 2024, and she recorded 65 goals, 23 assists and a whopping 235 draw controls for James Madison in 2025. I’ve watched her highlights and am impressed by her skillset — I think she can have a Tewaaraton finalist-caliber season if she finds a fit with Northwestern.

Kevin: I pick Olivia Adamson. Her comeback narrative is compelling—a senior season cut short by injury means she has unfinished business. Coming to a program like Northwestern gives her a redemption arc and a legitimate shot at ending her college career on her terms.

Matt:Maddie Epke adds so much versatility to the Northwestern offense that we haven’t seen since the Izzy Scane days of the Lake Show. The Achilles’ heel for NU a season ago was the lack of a true No. 2 to Maddy Taylor. In comes Epke, a seasoned attacker who’s cemented herself as one of the best JMU players of the past decade, to add a 1-2 dynamic on the attack that’s bound to give defenses headaches this season.

Anya: I think a lot of the attention is going to be focused on Maddie Epke, but Drexel transfer goaltender Jennika Cuocco also deserves attention. Her accolades speak for themselves (in fact, you need to scroll on her roster profile to see them all): three-time CAA Goalie of the Year and all-CAA first team member, two-time nominee on the Tewaaraton Watch List, and multiple All-American nominations, among many others. Given that Northwestern’s primary goalkeeper in 2025, Delaney Sweitzer, has since graduated, Cuocco will provide solid experience — at the very least — to supplement Northwestern’s offensive prowess. 

Bryan: I’m also going to go with Jennika Cuocco. Delaney Sweitzer was a top-10 keeper in the nation last year in terms of save percentage and notably had +.500 save percentages in big wins against Michigan and Maryland last year. Replacing a Big Ten All-Tournament Team member is a big responsibility, but Cuocco’s CV speaks for itself. She’s proven that she can elevate her play against quality competition, having a combined 29 saves in two games during the CAA Championships. That sort of big-game credibility will help on a NU team that is eyeing another Natty appearance. 

Pierson: I’m going to make it a trio of votes for Jennika Cuocco. While the attack gets the headlines, the defensive end is where championships are actually secured. Replacing a Big Ten Tournament Team member like Delaney Sweitzer is a massive undertaking, but Cuocco’s resume is virtually bulletproof. 

A three-time CAA Goalie of the Year with a track record of elevating her game against ranked opponents is exactly what this roster needs. If she can replicate the +.500 save percentages we saw from this position last year, she’ll be the anchor that allows the offense to play with total freedom.

Calvin: Definitely Maddie Epke. The Wildcats’ offense should be far better than it was in 2025, and Epke is arguably the biggest reason for that. She’s prolific as a scorer, passer and draw-taker and should be just what the ‘Cats need in terms of consistency behind Madison Taylor. This group of NU attackers is unbelievably deep, but fans should still expect the JMU transfer to highlight the Wildcats’ group of newcomers.

Brendan: I’ve already mentioned her once, so I’ll stick with Olivia Adamson. The main reason for that is that she can serve as either a scorer or distributor, depending on what the team needs from her. She even took the draw in 2023 and led Syracuse with 107 draw controls. Whatever Kelly Amonte Hiller asks Adamson to do, the graduate student will be more than capable of achieving it. 

Excluding Madison Taylor, which returning player do you have your eye on to step up this coming season?

Yanyan: Sometimes, there are players that you look at, and you can instantly tell they are superstar material. Aditi Foster was one of those players as a freshman last season, and she proved it especially later on — notably scoring the game-winner of the Big Ten Tournament final, but also in the fourth quarter of both of Northwestern’s Final Four games. Foster was one of the few players on last year’s roster who I thought weren’t afraid of making risky shots or explosive plays, and you need those types of players to win big games. 

Kevin: Let’s go with Taylor Lapointe. Scoring 23 goals with only three starts, Lapointe has shown flashes but needs to become a consistent second option. With Taylor drawing defensive attention and former attackers like Riley Campbell and Niki Miles leaving, Lapointe has the opportunity to take the normal jump and elevate her game.

Anya: I agree on Aditi Foster — I think she has massive potential to make an impact for the ‘Cats in her sophomore season, especially for a team that is going to need to rely on younger talent to help grow their game and, hopefully, bring them back to compete at the top stages of the NCAA.

Pierson: It’s hard to look anywhere else but Aditi Foster. There is a specific kind of “clutch gene” required to perform in the Final Four as a freshman, and Foster showed she has it in spades with those fourth-quarter heroics last season. With Niki Miles and Riley Campbell graduating, there’s a vacuum of touches that need to be filled. Foster’s fearlessness in the crease and her ability to create her own shot make her the most likely candidate to transition from “promising freshman” to “all-conference staple.”

Matt:Mary Carroll is a name that I’m surprised isn’t on many people’s radars right now, so allow me to bring her to the forefront. We haven’t discussed much defense, but Carroll was a pillar in a Jane Hansen-led defensive group last season. This year, she steps into the shoes that Hansen leaves, and with many questions around who’ll be alongside her and Jaylen Rosga, a lot of the ‘Cats success will hinge on how Carroll settles into an expanded role this year.

Calvin: I also think Mary Carroll could step up in a big way for NU. Following the departures of Jane Hansen and Sammy White, the ‘Cats are expected to be much weaker on defense, but fortunately, they retain Carroll, who made a consistent impact in her first-year season despite not being the team’s most-highly-touted 2025 recruit. The fact that she started in all 22 contests as a first-year shows the confidence that Wildcat coach Kelly Amonte Hiller holds in her young star. That confidence is likely to expand dramatically as Carroll takes on a huge role as a sophomore.

Brendan: I’m gonna go off the beaten path here again and select Hannah Rudolph. As a true freshman, she earned a spot in Kelly Amonte Hiller’s rotation and tallied nine points and eight ground balls. Rudolph showed flashes of a two-way impact last year, and in a midfield that lost a ton of production from 2025, she’s got a shot to be one of the team’s leaders at that position.  

It’s no secret that Madison Taylor carried massive weight for this Northwestern team last year, tallying 109 goals and 49 assists to lead the team in both categories by a significant margin. What’s the expectation for her in 2026?

Yanyan: It was hard not to feel for Taylor after the 2025 season — doing everything she could but falling just short of both the NCAA title and Tewaaraton after one bad game. I hope (and expect) her to carry less burden for Northwestern than she did a year prior, which means having more help around her so she can still be the team’s offensive leader but not do everything. I’m okay with her numbers going down (and I don’t think she’ll match 109 goals this year, to be clear) if it means good teams won’t be compelled to quadruple-team her, expecting the ‘Cats not to have another go-to-option.

Kevin Lu: With better talent around her, Taylor won’t need to do everything herself. Fewer goals mean more efficient. She can focus on elevating teammates and making the plays that matter most in championship moments rather than shouldering the entire offensive load.

Anya: The expectation, to me, is simple, and it’s not so much about Taylor so much as the teammates that support her.Taylor needs to keep creating and converting shots for Northwestern, but more importantly, other attackers and midfielders have to pick up some slack that she might drop off (because, let’s be honest, Taylor putting up the numbers she did in 2025 is a feat that she shouldn’t feel pressured to repeat). 

Pierson: The expectation is efficiency over volume. If the returning core and the high-profile transfers impact this team the way we anticipate, Taylor won’t have to shoulder the same astronomical burden she did in 2025. That’s not a knock on her, but a testament to the depth of this roster.

I expect Taylor to still lead the charge, but if her goal total “regresses” from 109 to, say, 85, while her assist numbers climb, it means the offense has become much harder to scheme against. A Taylor who doesn’t have to beat a quadruple-team every possession is a terrifying prospect for the rest of the country.

Matt: My expectation is for Taylor to repeat as NU’s leading scorer, but the margin between scorers won’t be as large as it was a year ago. Epke and Adamson will be right behind her in the goal-scoring category, which I believe will allow Taylor to display her passing ability much more than what’s been seen in years past. The attack for NU is so deep, which means that Taylor can focus on the other aspects of the game that we didn’t see much involvement from her in a season ago – specifically in the passing game and on the draw.

Calvin: Taylor will lead the ‘Cats in scoring again in 2026, but I’d expect fewer goals with the additions of Epke and Adamson. Northwestern will certainly have enough scoring opportunities to go around in 2026, but now, it has the luxury of not needing to rely so heavily on Taylor every single game. That will likely lead to fewer goals overall for Taylor, but it also creates an offense that is balanced and resilient, even against elite teams.

Brendan: Madison Taylor cracks the 55-assist mark. That may not seem like much, given that it’s only six more than last year, but that would be good enough for the fifth-highest mark in program history. With Epke and Adamson now in the fold, Taylor has the talent she needs to display her always-underrated passing skills. 

What is one thing you’re optimistic about heading into the season, and what is one concern that keeps you up at night?

Yanyan: I’m excited for this attack — and my preseason take is that the Taylor-Adamson-Epke trio is better than what North Carolina has on offense, after the Tar Heels lost their No. 2 and No. 3 point-scorers in Ashley Humphrey and Marissa White. Teams with multiple superstar attackers, like the Scane-Coykendall era of Northwestern, are also just extremely fun to watch.

On the flip side, I’m concerned about the combined one year of starting experience Northwestern’s defense has — and that comes from sophomore Mary Carroll (transfer Annabel Child, who started three years at Harvard as a defender, is listed as a midfielder on NU’s roster). Of course, players like top-10 recruit Mckenzie Brown come in with promise. But I do worry about this unproven unit, especially to start the season.

Anya: Of course I’m excited about the attack that Northwestern has in Epke, Taylor, and Adamson, but I actually think that its defensive lineup, though relatively inexperienced, will be a good test for the team in its resilience early in the season. I have faith that these new entrants in the starting 12 will provide the team with something new, and that there will be some experimentation in the first few games, which will hopefully see a few new faces break out in the program — it’s always good to have some surprises.

Kevin: The Wildcats’ core and championship formula are intact. This is not a rebuilding year for them, but with transfers and freshmen joining in, chemistry and health remain unknowns. Transfers need to mesh quickly, and Adamson’s injury history raises legitimate questions about whether she can stay healthy and return to her pre-injury form when it matters most.

Pierson: My optimism and my concern are actually two sides of the same coin: the defensive transition. I’m optimistic because landing a goalie of Cuocco’s caliber should theoretically stabilize the back line. However, this is a young defensive unit in front of her that will need to build rapport quickly to succeed. If the “growing pains” of a new system lead to a high volume of high-danger shots, they are putting a lot of pressure on a newcomer to be perfect from Day 1. If Cuocco lives up to the billing, the ‘Cats are one of the undisputed teams to beat; if the chemistry takes time to gel, we might see some early-season shootouts.

Matt: I’m excited about the sheer volume of young promise on this roster. Aditi Foster took a huge step last season, especially in the second half, displaying her potential as a scorer in the postseason, but when you add in recruits like Mckenzie Brown and Kate Ratanaproeska to the mix, it’s easy to get excited about what Northwestern can evolve into in the coming years.

Conversely, the goalkeeping situation does worry me a bit, which might be a bit of a hot take, considering Jenika Cuocco has been one of the best goalkeepers in the nation for years now. However, Delaney Sweitzer had a super slow start to her season as a grad transfer in 2025, and there’s a chance that Cuocco exhibits similar growing pains in her first couple of games with NU.

Calvin: I’m very optimistic about the attack as well, particularly the depth that this team has. Taylor, Epke and Adamson are an incredible trio, but the ‘Cats also return positive contributors like Aditi Foster, Abby LoCascio, Lucy Munro, Rachel Weiner and Alexis Ventresca. There are just so many viable options that it feels like the ‘Cats will never run out of ways to score.

On the other hand, the losses of Hansen and White do concern me. It’s easy to focus heavily on the offensive potential of this team, but the reality is that Hansen and White were probably more crucial to the ‘Cats’ success than many of Taylor’s second options on offense in 2025. The addition of Mckenzie Brown should help matters tremendously, but I think ‘Cats fans may still be in for a rude awakening when they realize how much the departing defenders will truly be missed in 2026.

Brendan: I think the attack is going to be almost as formidableas last year’s. Taylor gets multiple All-America-level talents to run with, and the more unsung returners (specifically Lucy Munro and Taylor Lapointe) have a chance to take a really big leap.

But…I don’t know how quickly this attack can gel. Aside from the biggest issue (the draw control no longer being in the hands of Sam Smith and Sammy White), Taylor is the only player whose role doesn’t fundamentally change from a season ago. There’s always a lot of shots to go around in a game of lacrosse, but there’s also a lot of players who want to take them — and opening up against BC isn’t exactly going to help with that. 

Way-too-early Final Four prediction?

Yanyan: Northwestern, North Carolina, Boston College, Clemson. NU, UNC and BC are still that clear upper echelon of teams despite roster turnover, but I believe this year is Clemson’s time to shine. The Tigers have invested a ton in their lacrosse program, and it’s paying off with the addition of Inside Lacrosse’s No. 1 and No. 2 recruits on its 2026 roster. 

Kevin: Northwestern, UNC, Boston College, Florida. Undoubtedly, Northwestern, UNC and Boston will again occur the three spots of the Final Four given their dominance and the culture of dominance. Florida, ranking fourth in the IWLCA preseason poll, shows emerging power with momentum and a packed talent ladder.

Anya: Northwestern, North Carolina, Boston College, Stanford. Echoing Yanyan, Northwestern, UNC, and BC are clearly the three front-runners – if any of these three are somehow replaced throughout the season, I’d be shocked. Stanford is a bit of a wild card, but not by much, as they’re heading into February ranked No. 6 in the USA Lacrosse preseason poll. The Cardinal has five players named to the preseason all-American roster, as well, tying for the third-most nationally. 

Matt: Northwestern, North Carolina, Stanford, Maryland. Northwestern and UNC are in a tier of their own, but in my opinion, the losses of Rachel Clark and Emma LoPinto are too much for BC to overcome this season. Maryland could’ve put up a more competitive fight against the ‘Cats in the NCAA Regionals last year had it not blown its second-round matchup against Penn. If BC doesn’t make the cut, Maryland probably swipes that spot. As much as Clemson does excite me, I don’t think they’re ready just yet to compete with a program like Stanford, which returns basically their entire roster and just snatched Mallory Hasselbeck from the portal. 

Calvin: Northwestern, North Carolina, Boston College, Florida. Like others have alluded to, it’s a big three at the top, while the fourth spot in the Final Four is truly up for grabs. I’ll go with the Gators here, although they’ll certainly have a lot of work to do to bounce back from last season’s ugly 20-4 Final Four defeat to UNC.

Brendan: North Carolina, Boston College, Northwestern, Stanford. Yeah, yeah, it’s chalk. Sue me. Chalk is the correct pick with those first three teams until proven otherwise. As for the Cardinal, they’ve got five All-Americans per USA Lacrosse Magazine (tied for second-most in the nation with Northwestern and Florida). That group includes Aliya Polisky (82 points last year, will almost certainly be a first-team All-American) and Lucy Pearson, who’s probably the best goalkeeper no one’s talking about. A top-six attacker and goalkeeper on the same team can go a long way in the postseason. 

Way-too-early Tewaaraton Award prediction?

Yanyan: Chloe Humphrey. As the most famous women’s college lacrosse player since Charlotte North, she’ll have a massive target on her back as just a sophomore. But she’s only gotten better since last spring, starring for multiple U.S. National teams over the summer and winning MVP at last September’s Atlas Cup. With momentum and public perception on her side, I think a Taylor or a Shea Dolce would have to outperform her seismically to have a shot at the award.

Kevin: Madison Taylor. Her 2025 stats were historic. If she maintains even 80% of that production while leading Northwestern to a National Champion, she will be the frontrunner, as individual excellence plus team success is the winning formula.

Anya: I’ll say Chloe Humphrey, too, just out of respect for the fact that I don’t want there to be this unspoken expectation that Madison Taylor executes the same figures as her 2025 season. I also always carry a grain of salt for any sort of individual athletic accolade, as I know there’s always an unspoken media attention criterion to it — if Taylor and Northwestern manage to win the final, I’d say the race between Humphrey and Taylor gets tighter, but I’ll stick with Humphrey for now. 

Matt: Madison Taylor just had the most historic season ever seen in the shot clock era of NCAA lacrosse, and didn’t win the award because of one bad game. If she does even half of what she did a season ago, it’d make a great case to be considered the best season of anyone in the nation. The main factor in this is whether Northwestern ends the season as national champion, but if it does, Taylor would be considered the best of the best, without a doubt.

Calvin: Chloe Humphrey. Taylor deserved it in 2025, but she’s not quite going to have the same opportunity to put up gaudy numbers this year with the new additions on the attack. Humphrey, on the other hand, is on a never-before-seen career trajectory after winning the Tewaaraton as a first-year, and it’s hard to imagine anyone stopping her from being a repeat winner and establishing one of the all-time-great lacrosse legacies in the process.

Brendan: If the Heisman is a quarterback award, then the Tewaaraton is an attacker award. The last time a goalkeeper won it was Megan Taylor for Maryland, back in 2019. I think that streak is right to be broken this year with Shea Dolce. Her goals against average dipped almost a full point last year to 7.85, and her save percentage rose to a ludicrous .550. This year, Dolce is still in town, but all three of BC’s top point scorers have departed. If she carries this team to another top-four seed and Final Four appearance (as I fully expect she will), she’ll have earned the Tewaaraton to properly cap off one of the greatest goalkeeping careers we’ve ever seen.

Finally, give me your Northwestern season prediction and explain why you feel this way.

Yanyan: Win the NCAA championship. They won’t say it publicly, but this team probably took hosting the Final Four to heart, and I think it played a part in coach Kelly Amonte Hiller going full win-now mode in the transfer portal after last spring. On paper, Northwestern’s stronger than everyone in the nation besides North Carolina, a team that I don’t think the ‘Cats are as far behind as people think. With that and the added fuel of a home Final Four and losing the last two title games, I think Northwestern gets the job done.

Kevin: The goal is always winning the championship, and I’m pretty sure the program has reiterated the mission during the preseason. Regular-season dominance is expected with this roster, while conference play and tournaments are just preparation. For a program of Northwestern’s caliber with this much talent, it won’t settle for anything short of an aspiring championship run.

Anya: I think the opening games of the season will be bumpier than we might think (if not in score, then in team cohesion), but I expect Northwestern to win the NCAA championship. A home Final Four is going to mean so much to this program that there is no option other than winning.

Matt: Win the NCAA championship. There’s absolutely no shot that it’s not in the script this season. For the first time in a long time, the NCAA men’s and women’s Final Fours will be at collegiate stadiums, and the committee didn’t choose an East Coast site? It’s meant to be.

Calvin: Win it all on their home field. Northwestern has shown an ability to pull in great attendance for lacrosse, and the fact that the Final Four takes place in Evanston this year should be a huge boost for the Wildcats’ chances. UNC and NU are very similar in terms of talent level, but I’m betting on the ‘Cats to ride the home-field wave and complete their revenge tour successfully.

Brendan: Get back to the Final Four. Yes, I know how important it is to the program to showcase the strength of midwestern lacrosse, especially with the Final Four taking place on the banks of Lake Michigan. But I think we’re forgetting that Northwestern lost an insane amount of talent defensively (three of the top five in caused turnovers and all of the top three in ground balls are gone) and is asking two first option-level talents to sublimate into an already overcrowded attack. I know the goal is to win every game they play, but I’m just not sure this team has the all-around connectivity it’ll need to take down whoever comes out of the ACC.