Izzy Scane Named 2024 USA Lacrosse D-I Women's Preseason Player of the Year

Northwestern attacker Izzy Scane is the USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Preseason Player of the Year, USA Lacrosse Magazine announced Thursday. Scane also secured Preseason Attacker of the Year honors.

Could it be anyone else? The defending Tewaaraton Award winner and national champion led the nation with 99 goals in 2023 and set Northwestern’s single-season and career scoring marks, propelling the Wildcats to their first national championship since 2012.

Scane also showcased her distribution skills, finishing second on the team with 35 assists.

“Izzy understands that when her teammates are playing great, that makes her better,” Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “When she is playing great, it makes her better. The beauty of our game is that it is a sharing game. It is a team game.”

The nation’s most exciting player and perhaps the most difficult to mark up, Scane is back for a final season with the Wildcats and perhaps has her sights set on the NCAA career goals record held by Charlotte North (342). Scane enters 2024 with 288.

Continue below to see the three other players with preseason positional recognition.

PRESEASON ATTACKER OF THE YEAR 

Izzy Scane, Northwestern 

Could it be anyone else? The defending Tewaaraton Award winner and national champion led the nation with 99 goals in 2023 and set Northwestern’s single-season and career scoring marks. Oh, and she was second on the team with 35 assists. The nation’s most exciting player, Scane is back for a final season with the Wildcats. 

PRESEASON MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR 

Belle Smith, Boston College 

It was a career-best season for Smith in 2023, as the do-it-all middie tied a career high with 83 points and posted new career highs in assists (31), ground balls (33) and draw controls (28). A staple of consistency for the Eagles, Smith enters her senior season ninth in program history in points (231), 10th in goals (154) and eighth in assists (77). 

PRESEASON DEFENDER OF THE YEAR 

Sam Thacker, Denver 

A last-minute addition to Denver’s fall ball roster, Thacker is back as the lynchpin to the much-acclaimed “hot pink” defense. The 2023 IWLCA defender of the year, Thacker posted a career-high 59 ground balls with 53 caused turnovers, good for third in the nation. Denver’s defense allowed just 6.22 goals per game last season. 

PRESEASON GOALIE OF THE YEAR 

Delaney Sweitzer, Syracuse 

Perhaps the top breakout player in the country a year ago, Sweitzer nabbed the starting job and ran with it. She stopped 50.5 percent of shots, made 185 saves and allowed just 9.20 goals per game for a Syracuse team that made it to the NCAA semifinals. Sweitzer earned IWCLA goalkeeper of the year honors for her efforts.