Northwestern junior midfielder Madison Taylor still remembers her first phone call with coach Kelly Amonte Hiller.
It was during the COVID-19 pandemic and Taylor was at her childhood home. The two chatted about Taylor and her family. But what stood out to Taylor was that the two didn’t discuss lacrosse.
“I hung up the phone and looked at my parents, and I said, ‘Oh my god, that was the easiest phone call I had all day,’” Taylor told the Sun-Times. “[Amonte Hiller] was like a stress reliever.”
Taylor committed in the fall of 2020 largely based on her connection with Amonte Hiller. She appreciated that Amonte Hiller and the staff had a vision for her both on the field and after lacrosse. Northwestern believed in Taylor and her immense potential.
But Amonte Hiller was surprised that Taylor — who also played soccer and basketball — was so lightly recruited by big-time programs. Amonte Hiller remembered talking to Taylor’s mom after Northwestern lost in heartbreaking fashion 15-14 to North Carolina in the 2022 NCAA tournament semifinals. Taylor told her mom that she thought she could help the Wildcats. Not even enrolled at the university, Taylor was already brimming with confidence.
“She wasn’t getting a ton of looks from the top schools and we were happy because we saw the potential in her athletically and just how much body control she had,” Amonte Hiller told the Sun-Times. “I loved the confidence.”
It’s hard to fathom now that Taylor — who was named USA Today’s preseason Player of the Year and Attacker of the Year — didn’t have offers from a bevy of schools. The Long Island native was ranked outside the top 50 recruits in Inside Lacrosse’s 2022 rankings. Other programs overlooking Taylor’s talent worked in Northwestern’s favor and both player and team are reaping the benefits.
Despite playing soccer and basketball throughout high school, lacrosse was always a draw for her. That pull was intensified after Taylor joined the Long Island Top Guns, one of the top travel teams in the country.
“Long Island is like a big hot spot for lacrosse,” Taylor said. “Everyone plays it, and you’re playing against the best competition you’ll ever get. So I was going up against that every day.”
Taylor’s coach on Top Guns was Shannon Smith, one of the most decorated players in Northwestern history. Amonte Hiller lauded Taylor for her coachability and work ethic, which came from playing against formidable competition every day on her travel team. Taylor said she learned the intangibles from Smith.
“I saw a lot of Shannon in Kelly because Kelly coached Shannon,” Taylor said. “But [Shannon] said to just control what I can control, like my hustle, attitude, effort and my energy, because it could go a long way.”
That dedication is why she’s one of the best players in the sport. With two-time Tewaaraton Award winner and former Northwestern attacker Izzy Scane and attacker Erin Coykendall advised Taylor to enjoy lacrosse. That levity allows her to be loose on the field.
“She leads by example with how she works and carries herself and talks to people,” Amonte Hiller said. “She’s just continuing to assert her voice and build new relationships with all the new players that we have, and strengthen the relationships with the players already in the program.”
Now, Taylor’s picking up the baton from Scane to lead one of the sport’s premier programs. Once lightly recruited, Taylor is entering the spotlight for the Wildcats. With Scane, NCAA’s all-time leading goal scorer, having run out of eligibility and the Wildcats welcoming five transfers and 10 freshmen, Taylor will be one of the returning players looked to for leadership.
“The chemistry of this group is a work in progress and that’s the fun part: learning about each other, growing together and creating for each other,” Amonte Hiller said. “And Madison’s a real leader in that.”
Taylor is still processing her ineffable journey. She went from being recruited over Zoom and committing to a program she had never visited to one of the faces of a team that has aspirations to return to the national championship after losing to Boston College 14-13 last season. This season is the first without Scane on the roster in six years, so it’ll be an adjustment.
But if last week’s performance from Taylor is any indication — she had a 15-point weekend last week against No. 13 Notre Dame and Canisius — she’s ready for the spotlight.
“I never thought I would be in the position,” Taylor said. “It’s just crazy the way I got recruited and came here. Like, ‘Oh, never toured this school but I’m gonna pick it and go to college here for the next four years.’”
Taylor is doing more than attending Northwestern. She’s starring and standing out.