JMU Claims Three Major AAC Honors, Ten Dukes Named All-Conference

IRVING, Texas – James Madison took home three major American Athletic Conference women's lacrosse awards for the 2025 season on Wednesday, headlined by Maddie Epke being voted Attack Player of the Year, Adanya Moyer being selected as Goalkeeper of the Year and the coach staff, led by Shelley Klaes, being named Coaching Staff of the Year.

In addition to major honors, a total of 10 Dukes earned All-American Athletic Conference laurels, with five on the First Team and five more on the Second Team.

Epke was the unanimous selection for the league's top attack player after leading JMU in scoring this season with 54 goals and 18 assists for 72 points. A Tewaaraton Award nominee, she ranked second in The American in both goals per game (3.38) and points per game (4.5). Scoring aside, Epke is arguably the nation's top draw specialist, leading the country with a JMU single-season record 204 draw controls. She outdrew opponents single handedly in 10 games this season. She became the first player in JMU history to record over 20 draw controls and also set the career draws record, which currently sits at 454.

Moyer shined throughout her first season as a primary starter for the Dukes, amassing a 9-2 record. She finished the regular season ranking first in The American with a 10.26 goals against average, a .465 save percentage and 7.5 saves per game. In league play, she conceded just 8.16 goals per outing. A two-time AAC Goalkeeper of the Week, Moyer produced single-game career highs in saves (18), goals allowed (6, twice) and save percentage (.625).

Klaes, along with her coaching staff made up of associate head coach Kateri Linville and assistants Kiley Anderson, Matt Snyder, and Taylor Marchetti were named the league's top coaching staff after guiding JMU to a 12-4 record and an AAC regular-season title with an unblemished 6-0 league mark. The Dukes ranked in the IWLCA Top 25 all season, ranking as high as #11. JMU owns a top-five win against former American foe Florida. In conference play, JMU outscored its six opponents by a 107-44 margin, winning by an average of 10.5 goals. The Dukes led the league in goals per game (17.83), goals allowed per game (7.22), draw controls per game (22.67), shots per game (38.83), and save percentage (.511).

Joining Epke and Moyer on the All-AAC First Team were attacker Savannah Derey and defenders Ava Bleckley and Reese Cuviello.

Derey, one of two team captains this season, set single-season career highs with 46 goals and four assists for 50 points. She also produced seven ground balls and two caused turnovers. Derey posted eight hat tricks, including one in each of the final five games of the regular season. She finished the year ranking fourth in the conference in goals per game (2.88) and eighth in points per game (3.12). Derey also converted on nine of 17 free-position attempts, second for JMU only to Epke's 11 from the 8-meter.

Ava Bleckley was JMU's hustle stats leader in the back end, registering 20 caused turnovers and 20 ground balls. She ranked fourth in the AAC in caused turnovers per game (1.43), having tallied two or more in seven games, which included three on two occasions.

Cuviello was impactful as a freshman both defensively and on the draw. Starting all 16 games, she tallied 18 caused turnovers and 21 ground balls while ranking second for the Dukes with 33 draw controls. A two-time AAC Defensive Player of the Week, she turned in three games with three or more ground balls and caused turnovers.

Second Team All-AAC accolades went to attacker Olivia Matthews, attacker Payton Root, midfielder Chloe Bleckley, midfielder Maggie Clark and defender Carolyn Thistlewaite.

Matthews started all 16 games in her rookie season, tallying 25 goals with 13 assists for 38 points. She additionally won 31 draw controls, good for third on the team in each category. Matthews recorded a point in all but one game this season and is the only player on the team this year to have a game with at least three goals, two assists, four or more points and three or more ground balls.

Root led the team with 21 assists during the regular season in spite of playing just 12 games. She added 11 goals for 32 points on the year. Root dished out a career-high seven assists in early April, which the most assists by any player in The American this season. It was also one shy of the JMU single-game record. Root finished the season ranking second in the AAC in assists per game (1.75).

Chloe Bleckley contributed on both sides of the field, as she scored 14 goals with three assists for 17 points. In the midfield and on defense, she tacked on 13 caused turnovers and 14 ground balls, as she is the only JMU player to have double digit goals, caused turnovers and ground balls this year.

Clark, who also serves as a team captain, led on both sides of the field all season long. She produced 12 goals with three assists for 15 points while also registering five caused turnovers and 15 ground balls.

Thistlewaite returned from injury to start every game this season. A veteran presence on defense, she recorded 12 caused turnovers and 21 ground balls to help JMU rank second in the conference in goals allowed per game (10.07).

JMU holds the top seed for the 2025 American Athletic Conference Championship and takes on fourth-seeded Vanderbilt in the semifinals on Thursday, May 1 at 4:30 p.m. in Norfolk, Va. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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JMU Claims Three Major AAC Honors, Ten Dukes Named All-Conference

Players Mentioned

Ava Bleckley

Chloe Bleckley

Maggie Clark

Reese Cuviello

Savannah Derey

Maddie Epke

Taylor Marchetti

Olivia Matthews

Adanya Moyer

Payton Root

Carolyn Thistlewaite

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