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Opening day of the 2026 NCAA Division I women's lacrosse season is Feb. 6.
Throughout the month of January, we'll pose three burning questions for each team ranked in the USA Lacrosse Division I Women's Preseason Top 20, presented by CWENCH Hydration, starting with No. 20 James Madison and finishing with No. 1 North Carolina.
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Northwestern is seeking to play in its fourth straight national championship game in 2026.
The 2023 NCAA champion Wildcats have been runners-up in each of the past two seasons, and getting another shot would be extra special this year because the Wildcats are the first Midwest site to host championship weekend.
Northwestern returns two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist Madison Taylor, who established a new NCAA record with 109 goals last year with a program-record 158 points.
To the mix they’ve added four high-profile transfers in attacker Olivia Adamson (Syracuse), defender Annabel Child (Harvard), goalie Jenika Cuocco (Drexel) and attacker Maddie Epke (James Madison).
If they can blend into the lineup seamlessly, they’ll help the Wildcats remain top 10 in scoring offense, draw control percentage and scoring defense — and put them in position for another deep run.
They will help soften the graduation losses of All-Americans Sammy White, Jane Hansen, Sam Smith and Delaney Sweitzer, at the very least.
White and Smith accounted for 64 percent of the Wildcats’ draw controls. Insert Epke, who was JMU’s all-time leader in draw controls. She ranked second in the country in draw controls per game last year. She adds some scoring punch, too, after accumulating 139 goals and 74 assists over three seasons with the Dukes.
That’s helpful after Northwestern graduated two scoring threats behind Taylor. Taylor and the attack should get plenty of help from Adamson, too, who had 190 points in three seasons at Syracuse.
Child was an All-Ivy League defender, and she brings a good lacrosse IQ and all-around skills. She actually led Canada’s sixes team in points (14 goals, 13 assists) at The World Games last summer.
Cuocco ranked ninth nationally in save percentage last year, three spots ahead of Sweitzer, who succeeded another transfer, Molly Laliberty, in the starting spot.
“Any new player, the assimilation process is critical, whether it be a freshman or a transfer,” head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “And I think they’ve done a nice job of really connecting with their teammates.”
We have to be manifesting what we want. It’s not some scary thing.
Acacia Walker-Weinstein
Nobody does more at a higher level for her team than Taylor, who leads on attack and stands out on the draw. When Northwestern rallied from an 11-6 deficit to start the fourth quarter for a 12-11 win over Boston College in the NCAA semifinals, Taylor accounted for two goals and assisted the game-winner. She set an NCAA tournament record with 10 goals to single-handedly outscore Michigan.
Her numbers pop. It’s hard to imagine her increasing that output for the Wildcats in her final season.
“She’s learning how to grow as a person in different ways and grow as an athlete in different ways,” Amonte Hiller said. “And I think that’s the exciting part. I think she’s had a good opportunity to reflect on that this fall. And we’re not trying to be who we were last year. She’s not trying to be who she was last year.”
In 1986, Maryland hosted and won the NCAA championship, the only school ever to win as host. Princeton is the last host team to play in the national final when it fell to Virginia in 2004 (UMass was considered host when Boston College lost in Foxborough, Mass., in 2017).
Northwestern has that extra motivation to make history as a champion host as it goes for a ninth NCAA crown.
“Obviously, it would be a bonus if we were able to compete in it,” Amonte Hiller said. “But that’s a step-by-step process for us.”
She said it will be a monumental event, even if Northwestern isn’t playing that weekend. Evanston, Ill., will be the first host outside of the Eastern time zone for either men or women. It’s further evidence of the expansion of the sport and will give a window to lacrosse’s ultimate weekend to a new audience.
“This is a chance for the Midwest to show that we have a great love for this game just as much as the East Coast does,” she said. “I think it’s a great opportunity for people to show up for whoever’s in the final four.”
Justin Feil grew up in Central PA before lacrosse arrived. He was introduced to the game while covering Bill Tierney and Chris Sailer’s Princeton teams. Feil enjoys writing for several publications, coaching and running and has completed 23 straight Boston Marathons. Feil has contributed to USA Lacrosse Magazine since 2009 and edits the national high school rankings.
