EVANSTON, Ill. - For the second season in a row, Northwestern field hockey's Maddie Zimmer has earned NFHCA West Region Player of the Year. After leading the Wildcats to a third National Championship, the graduate student claims the honor, continuing Northwestern's dominance of the west region.
The accolade has been claimed by a Wildcat each of the past four seasons (Baekers 2022, Wadas 2023, Zimmer 2024-25). Capping an outstanding year in NU's 2025 NCAA title campaign, the captain, olympian and midfielder scored 27 points in her final collegiate season.
Competing in every game, Zimmer's consistent leadership, skill and dedication has greatly contributed to Northwestern's recent dominance. With clutch performances in crucial moments, the midfielder becomes the first student-athlete in program history to claim the accolade twice.
Zimmer opened the 2025 season with two assists at Richmond, her first of five multi-assist games of the year. She posted her first goal of the season at Villanova, before scoring again in NU's home opening 5-0 victory over Indiana. The graduate student came through with the equalizer on the road against ranked Maryland. She also scored against Penn State, and Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
No stranger to national and conference honors, Zimmer adds her second West Region Player of the Year accolade to a highly decorated career. The midfielder earned NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in each championship season (2021, 2024, 2025), as well as two-time Big Ten Player of the Year (2024, 2025), five-time First Team All-Big Ten, and the 2024 NFHCA Player of the Year.
The accolade has been claimed by a Wildcat each of the past four seasons (Baekers 2022, Wadas 2023, Zimmer 2024-25). Capping an outstanding year in NU's 2025 NCAA title campaign, the captain, olympian and midfielder scored 27 points in her final collegiate season.
Maddie Zimmer = NFHCA West ???????????? ???? ?????? ???????? ??
— Northwestern Field Hockey (@NUFHCats) December 11, 2025
No. 8 earns the honor for the 2??nd season in a row, the first 'Cat to repeat the accolade.
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Competing in every game, Zimmer's consistent leadership, skill and dedication has greatly contributed to Northwestern's recent dominance. With clutch performances in crucial moments, the midfielder becomes the first student-athlete in program history to claim the accolade twice.
Zimmer opened the 2025 season with two assists at Richmond, her first of five multi-assist games of the year. She posted her first goal of the season at Villanova, before scoring again in NU's home opening 5-0 victory over Indiana. The graduate student came through with the equalizer on the road against ranked Maryland. She also scored against Penn State, and Yale in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
No stranger to national and conference honors, Zimmer adds her second West Region Player of the Year accolade to a highly decorated career. The midfielder earned NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player in each championship season (2021, 2024, 2025), as well as two-time Big Ten Player of the Year (2024, 2025), five-time First Team All-Big Ten, and the 2024 NFHCA Player of the Year.