Taylor's 10: The ABCs of the 2023 Season

Taylor Cummings is a three-time Tewaaraton Award winner, a two-time gold medalist with the U.S. women’s national team, the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Lacrosse champion and the head coach at McDonogh (Md.). “Taylor’s 10” is presented by Gait Lacrosse. Be legendary.

Since we’re almost to tournament time and the regular season is just about complete, I figured I’d switch it up from my usual articles and do something a little different.

I’ll still highlight the teams and players that have impressed as of late, as well as other trends of this 2023 season — just all in ABC form! I know there are a few more than 10 takes listed, but to be honest, I just couldn’t stop at J!

A: Army continues to roll, with just one hiccup against Yale last week. Sitting at 11-1 so far, the Black Knights are poised for an upset of Patriot League favorites Loyola this weekend, assuming freshman phenom Brigid Duffy and Co. keep performing. It’s been inspiring to see what head coach Michelle Tumolo and her staff have done with this tough Army squad.

B: Boston College continues to blossom with every game. Most recently, the Eagles came from behind to secure a huge victory against Notre Dame in ACC play thanks to the three-headed offensive monster of Medjid, Davis and Smith. Things seem to be shaking up in the ACC as of late, and the upcoming tournament gets more interesting by the minute.

C: Sierra Cockerille has been quietly making waves for the Orange and has been critical to their success. The Syracuse attackers often get most of the media praise, but Cockerille has been the steady rock for Cuse on both ends of the field and at the center circle. With 18 goals, eight assists, 13 ground balls, five caused turnovers and 16 draw controls, she is one of the nation’s top two-way midfielders.

D: Denver is sitting pretty at No. 3 in the polls — their highest-ever ranking. With a 13-0 record and top wins against Maryland, Boston College and Michigan, the Pios are poised to make their first-ever Final Four this spring. They have a solid offense, stifling zone defense and a steady goalkeeper in Emelia Bohi.

E: Erin Coykendall has been on SportsCenter numerous times this season thanks to her fancy stick work and shot selection. A player who often plays second fiddle to Tewaaraton favorite Izzy Scane, Coykendall’s performance in 2023 has been electric. With 35 goals and 38 assists, she is one of the most balanced point producers so far.

F: Fallon Vaughn’s performance is a big reason why Yale sits at No. 16 this week. With 25 goals and 10 assists in addition to 14 ground balls, 15 caused turnovers and 31 draw controls, Vaughn is a do-it-all player for the Bulldogs who makes a huge impact all over the field.

G: Goalie wars have been at an all-time high this season, with so many spectacular performances seen across all of Division I. Syracuse’s Sweitzer, North Carolina’s Nichols, Army’s Barthlomay, Maryland’s Sterling, Clemson’s Lamparter, Florida’s Reznick, Michigan’s Santa-Maria and so many others have been on fire. These goalies are inspiring the next generation of players with their play and proving that more respect needs to be shown their way.

H: Similar to Northwestern’s Coykendall, Stony Brook’s Kailyn Hart doesn’t always get the praise she deserves. With 30 goals and 19 assists, the Seawolves’ dynamic lefty feeder has continued to be a phenomenal dual-threat quarterback. She sees the field well, always takes risks and always seems to find the back of the net in big moments.

I: Isabella Peterson is continuing her dominance for the sixth-ranked Dukes. She uses her height effectively both in the center circle, where she’s snagged 58 draws, and in the center of the eight-meter fan as well. With 55 goals and 16 assists, she’s shooting with 50-percent accuracy and is a scouting nightmare for opposing teams.

J: Both Jacksonville and Johns Hopkins have had roller coaster seasons during the inaugural seasons of their new head coaches. The Blue Jays are 5-7 with recent losses to Maryland and Stony Brook, and Jacksonville is 7-6 with its most recent game being a two-goal loss to Liberty at home. Both teams have talent and knowledgeable coaches and could be poised for big upsets in the back part of this season if they can put the pieces together.

K: Kasey Choma is the heartbeat of this year’s Notre Dame team and plays with as much passion as I’ve seen. She’s a player who always goes hard and withstands intense contact to get the job done. With 38 goals, nine assists, 19 ground balls and 10 caused turnovers, her impact is felt all over the field and her sheer will to win could be a game changer for Notre Dame as it preps for tournament time.

L: After close losses to Florida and Syracuse, Loyola has been rolling through Patriot League competition. The Greyhounds beat Princeton Wednesday night, and Army will be a big test for the them this weekend. With their balanced offense clicking on all cylinders and a gritty defensive unit limiting opposing offensive chances, they are still the favorites going into conference tournament play.

M: Virginia’s Morgan Schwab is one of my favorite players to watch. Her versatility as a feeder and shooter makes her so deadly, and her performance against Duke proved that opponents need to honor both sides of her game equally. She’s seen as more of a facilitator, tallying 36 assists, but she is shifty and efficient in her dodging and shooting, too.

N: Of North Carolina’s top 10 point producers, only two are seniors. Two juniors (Reilly Casey and Caitlyn Wurzburger) and two freshmen (Marissa White and Caroline Godine) sit atop the stat sheet and have 17-26 points on their respective seasons so far. The Tar Heel youth is learning with each game and will continue to be a nightmare for opposing teams both in 2023 and in years to come.

O: Kristin O’Neill has been a powerhouse for Penn State from the Nittany Lions’ opening game. A strong dodger with a nose for the cage, the junior has 43 goals with eight assists and is the leading point producer for Penn State. She’s someone Maryland and Johns Hopkins will need to keep many eyes on in their upcoming games.

P: Princeton currently sits at 5-6 on the year after losing to Loyola and a surprising loss to Saint Joseph’s last week. With Ivy League competition heating up, the Tigers could have used a big victory over Loyola to get a signature win before NCAA tournament time. They have all the talent and lacrosse IQ needed both on the field and on the sidelines with their elite coaching staff. They just need to put the pieces together.

Q: The Penn Quakers are a team I’ve been impressed with all season. With tight matches against Johns Hopkins, Maryland and Florida and a running clock victory against Yale, they are poised for more. The Quakers always have a handle on the small details and formulate strong game plans to methodically dismantle opponents.

R: The Richmond Spiders always seem to shake things up and get a signature win against a top team. This spring is no exception, as they downed one of the ACC’s finest in Virginia just a few weeks ago. The offensive prowess of Tierney, Frank and Quinn has been exceptional, as all three have between 53-56 points. 

S: Syracuse continues to roll at 14-0. The average margin of victory is 8.36 goals. The offense scores over 17 goals a game. Seven opponents have been held under 10 goals. From defense to offense to goalkeeping to the draw, the Orange simply dominate. Anything can happen come tournament time, but right now, Syracuse is the favorite to win it all.

T: The Terps are riding a nine-game winning streak heading into this week’s matchup with Big Ten rival Penn State. After falling to 3-3 on the season with losses to Syracuse, Denver and James Madison, Maryland has rebounded and started to gel. Elle Clevenger even broke the Maryland single-game assists record on Saturday with eight helpers against Ohio State.

U: UConn has battled all season long against some of the nation’s top teams. The Huskies beat Yale and have lost close games to ranked opponents like Denver and James Madison. The Huskies are third in the Big East but could jump to second if they secure wins over Georgetown and Marquette.

V: Virginia and Virginia Tech have both had awesome seasons, each earning a huge victory over Duke in ACC play. They have talent on both ends of the field and embody a gritty type of play that I personally love. I’m excited to see their regular season finale in a few weeks and think us fans will be in for a great game when they meet.

W: Bailey Wilson is taking the center circle by storm, earning second-team midseason All-American honors from Inside Lacrosse. With 125 draw controls, including 19 against Wofford, she is helping Kennesaw State dominate possession. Wilson is versatile with her placement and has incredibly quick wrists which help her direct and secure the ball with relative ease.

X: Although Xavier sits at 4-7, they still have a ton to be proud of as their regular season games start to dwindle. The Musketeers have won a few one-goal games against Radford and Eastern Michigan and have also kept things tight against Wofford and Detroit Mercy. Close games are always nerve wracking, and Xavier has shown a ton of resiliency and poise throughout these battles. 

Y: I feel like I’ve seen more yellow cards than normal from officiating teams this season in an effort to keep teams honest and games under control. I wonder whether we will see any rule changes once the 2023 season concludes.

Z: Zero. That’s the amount I want this season to end and also the idea I have as to who will win it all in May. This season has been a roller coaster ride full of incredible games, upset victories and outstanding individual performances. I know tournament time is the best time of the year, but I will also be sad to see this amazing season come to an end.