Taylor's 10: The Best of the Best from Week 2

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.

Week two of the Division I season was nothing short of entertaining and was host to some of the most exciting games I’ve watched in recent memory.

I honestly could’ve written about 50 impressive performances and countless impressionable contests, but I somehow was able to whittle the list down to just 10. Taylor’s 10 of week two is all about the best — the best players, performances and wins. There’s even a look ahead to the best of week three.

Time to dive on in!

1. Best Individual Performance: Izzy Scane, Northwestern

In just two games, Scane was able to produce 17 points (14G, 3A), an amount that takes even the most talented players sometimes four or five games to accumulate. What’s even more impressive is that she was able to do so against two top-15 teams in Notre Dame and Boston College. Scane’s ability to score in different ways — as a cutter, off the dodge and on 8-meter-arc — and from a variety of spots makes her the ultimate offensive threat. At this point in the season, she’s my frontrunner for the Tewaaraton Award.

2. Best Goalie Performance: Delaney Sweitzer, Syracuse

Sweitzer’s performance in the 2022 season was a bit hot and cold, but she was absolutely on fire with 13 saves in Syracuse’s top-five victory over visiting Maryland on Friday. She held her pipes well on the low angle shots that Cuse’s zone forced and was a brick wall off the 8-meter. Zones are susceptible to 3-second calls and shooting space calls, both of which Maryland had success generating, but Sweitzer was able to make up for any defensive mistakes with impressive saves time and time again.

3. Best Win: Army over Jacksonville

Draw control domination and impressive performances from midfielder Brigid Duffy and goalie Lacey Bartholomay fueled a historic victory for Army over Jacksonville last Thursday. This win marked the first ranked win not only for head coach Michelle Tumolo at Army, but the highest ranked win for the program as a whole. With the creative coaching minds that Tumolo, Katrina Dowd and Ella Simkins possess and the talent and work ethic of their players, we can all expect more wins like this for years to come.

4. Best Top-10 Win: Syracuse over Maryland

As much as it pains me to write this as a Terp alum, I was impressed with Syracuse in its sound victory over Maryland on Friday. Kate Mashewske dominated the draw, Sweitzer was a brick wall in cage, the zone defense stifled a very talented Maryland attack and the offense was firing on all cylinders and attacking from all over the offensive third. The Orange looked poised, hungry, loose and like they were having the time of their life out on the field, and I’m excited to see more from Kayla Treanor’s Orange squad this season.

5. Most Surprising Outcome: Virginia over Princeton

To be honest, I was surprised by how large of a margin by which Virginia beat Princeton (20-11) and thought that this game would be much closer. Don’t get me wrong, Virginia is very talented and could make some serious waves this season. I just anticipated a much tighter game knowing the talent that the Tigers have on their own sidelines in terms of players and coaches.

6. Best Battle for State Supremacy: Loyola over Johns Hopkins

This game was a fun one to watch on Saturday. It’s always a battle between these two Baltimore foes, but I thought this game was one of the better renditions that could’ve gone either way. Loyola looked very similar to how it has in the past, a team known for draw control domination, offensive flare and solid defensive play. I’m also very impressed with the Tim McCormack version of the Blue Jays and loved seeing them play with a bit more creativity and aggressiveness than in the past.

7. Most Underrated Player: Jenn Medjid, Boston College

I have been a Jenn Medjid fan for years and have always thought that she was one of the most underrated players in the country. She is such a solid all-around player that some may not notice her if they aren’t paying attention. She’s totaled 10 points (8G, 2A), but it’s her play in non-statistical areas that is most impressive. Medjid cuts so well and is often either the player that frees up space for someone else to score or is the initiator that gets the defense to start sliding. Medjid is a player all young laxers should be watching and learning from.

8. Best Defender: Sam Thacker, Denver

Having coached her in high school, I know first-hand how talented Denver’s Sam Thacker is. She is the glue to the Pios defense, a ground ball machine and the vocal leader all over the field. One of her most impressive qualities is her ability to communicate on the defensive end of the field and be a spark in transition — that makes her a focus for every opponent. Thacker is having an exceptional season thus far and is one of the top defenders to watch as the spring goes on.

9. Best Upcoming Game: Maryland at Florida

Both Maryland and Florida are coming off tough losses in week two and are looking for a bounce back in the upcoming week. These two met in the Elite Eight last season, where Maryland won by a large margin, but it’s a new year and another opportunity for these two top teams to battle. Out of everything to watch in this game, I’m most excited to see the draw battle between Maryland’s Shaylan Ahearn and Florida’s Emily Diaz because possession time will be crucial. These two centers are very good at their craft and will go head-to-head on Saturday for the first time.

10. Best Dark Horse Teams: Stony Brook and Rutgers

Both Stony Brook and Rutgers have had great starts to 2023 and are looking to build upon their successful 2022 seasons. The usual suspects — North Carolina, Boston College, Syracuse, Northwestern and Maryland — are all receiving a ton of well-earned early season hype, but either of these two programs could make tsunami-like waves this season if they’re able to execute on field like they’re capable of doing. I’m excited to watch both.