Carroll University (WI)

Carroll University Pioneers Athletics
100 N. East Ave. Waukesha, WI 53186

Division 3 Wisconsin Midwest

Private Small Competitive team

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Coaches

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Michael Hodge

The 2025 season will mark Michael Hodge’s 11th year leading the Pioneers' women's lacrosse program. One highlight of Hodge's career came in 2021, which saw him chosen as the CCIW “Coach of the Year”. In 10 seasons, Hodge has compiled an overall record of 80-73, which includes a conference mark of 25-29.

The only head coach in program history, Hodge has led the Pioneers to seven consecutive winning seasons, with six consecutive appearances in the CCIW Tournament, advancing to the CCIW Championship game in both 2021 and 2023. The 2021 squad shared a piece of the regular season CCIW championship after a 4-1 league mark, which was the school’s first CCIW championship since 1988, and was the first time a Carroll women’s team had won a CCIW championship in school history. That team also appeared in the NCAA Division-III Tournament for the first time in program history, losing 13-8 to Aurora University.

Since 2018, Hodge has led the Pioneers to 74 wins, including a program-best 13 consecutive victories to open the 2018 season. That season also saw significant growth, as the Pioneers finished the season leading the country in ground balls per game. The 2019 team earned Carroll University’s Athletic Department “Team of the Year” award. After a shortened 2020 season, the 2021 team reached new heights with a final NCAA West Regional ranking of no. two and an At-Large berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship tournament. The 2024 season saw Hodge lead the Pios to a program-record 14 victories, as the team broke or tied 14 individual and/or team single season records, including most goals (245).

During his tenure, Hodge has coached 23 all-conference selections, two CCIW Defensive Student-Athletes of the Year, one CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year, four IWLCA All-Region selections and four CoSIDA Academic All-District student-athletes. Hodge’s teams have also been successful in the classroom. The Pioneers have earned IWLCA’s Academic Honor Squad every year (no awards given in 2020) and 14 have been named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Carroll, Hodge spent two seasons with the State University of New York in Canton. He served as the primary defensive coach for the Roos. Hodge began his coaching career in 2008 with Holy Cross College (Notre Dame, Ind.) after a three year playing career. Additionally, he serves as the girls lacrosse director for the Nike Xcelerate Lacrosse Camp at Carroll University and has worked with numerous club programs throughout southeast Wisconsin.

Hodge resides in Waukesha with his wife Meghan and two daughters Hannah and Henley.

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Madeline Nowak

Madeline Nowak is in her ninth season as an assistant women’s lacrosse coach at Carroll University. Berg’s first year under head coach Michael Hodge was the 2016 season.

Nowak played collegiately for one season at Indiana Institute of Technology in Fort Wayne, Ind., where she was the team’s starting goal keeper. She then transferred from the NCAA Division-II institution following her freshman campaign and spent the next three years as the president and goal keeper for the women’s club lacrosse team at UW-La Crosse.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from UW-La Crosse in December of 2015 in Middle Childhood to Early Adolescence Education, while also minoring in English.

Since June of 2011, Nowak has spent time locally working as a summer high school lacrosse coach for Cool Stick Wisconsin in Hartland, Wis.

Nowak starred as a prep at Hartland Arrowhead High School. She was a two-time defensive Most Valuable Player for the Arrowhead girls lacrosse team while also earning All-Conference honors as a senior with a 53 percent save percentage.