Young, quick and explosive

Epke finds niche in JMU's veteran-laden offense

“She does a lot of work outside of practice,” Klaes said. “I think she’s been showing that she’s willing to put in the work to generate and build that trust as a freshman.”

Epke said the chemistry between her and the upperclassmen attackers was nervewracking initially because of the time they’ve spent together for a few seasons now, but nonetheless, all have been welcoming to her. She said attackers such as Morgan, Peterson and Jankowski have been a big help to her transition, and that the whole team shares a “passion towards totally helping me out.” have overall increased from playing so much more than I ever have before,” Epke said.

Morgan added being as close as JMU is as a team off the field helps bring the chemistry to the field during games.

Klaes said she believes Epke is on a strong track to potentially be awarded AAC Rookie of the Year, especially due to her ability to win draw controls and overall production.

“If Maddie’s not taking the draw, she can be used on the circle because of her ability to possess the ball,” Klaes said. “I think one of her top priorities in our offensive unit is to help us win the ball.”

Colleen Shearer, and with that, lots of constructive criticism.

“Her ability to manage the critical feedback and to stay confident in her decisions and skill despite the honest, direct feedback, has been impressive,” Klaes said. “I think that she gives us a lot of confidence because of the way she manages those conversations and the way it doesn’t take away from her ability to stay balanced.”

When speaking about Epke as a player, Klaes also praised her for “gelling” so well with the upperclassmen as quickly as she has.

“I think one of the most difficult things about an offense is building rapport and chemistry,” Morgan said. “Being freshmen, coming into a team with more upperclassmen on the attack, it can be tough. But I think Maddie and the other underclassmen have been willing to take any role they need to take, and they’ve been doing a great job.”

Along with her lacrosse career, Epke said she also grew up playing both field hockey and ice hockey. She said she’s been on ice skates since about a month after she learned to walk. Epke said this is her first full year solely playing lacrosse, which “has been such a difference-maker.”

“I’ve noticed that my stick work, hand-eye coordination, wrist strength and shot speed

Klaes said as the season continues, she hopes to see Epke take more shots on goal. She said she’d like to see Epke’s position shift the offense into a dual threat, and not just a passing threat, meaning that players in Epke’s position will produce more goals and improve the offense, making it more balanced overall from a scoring perspective.

Klaes said, so far, Epke has been a joy to coach and work with and that she fits well into JMU’s program. She added that she’s excited to see Epke continue to grow.

“She’s just someone you enjoy being around,” Klaes said. “She loves the game, and she’s really passionate about learning — and I think she’s just someone who’s easy to be around."