Taylor's 10: More Opportunities to Watch, Support and Grow Lacrosse

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.

I’m back with my weekly takes on Division I’s finest teams, players, coaches and games, which must mean one thing — the best time of year is finally here!

With preseason over and scrimmages no more, we’re now getting a look at this season’s top teams competing in full on game mode. There’s always a huge shift from fall ball to spring season in mentality, intensity and execution, and I love watching teams push into that extra gear come February. If this weekend’s games were any indication of what’s to come for this 2023 season, we better buckle up.

In addition to lacrosse season simply returning, I’m thrilled to see:

• Some of the country’s best players return from injuries in 2022. Izzy Scane, Emma Ward, Emma Tyrrell … the list goes on and on.

• A new Tewaaraton Award winner will hoist the trophy come June. This season is saturated with some of the game’s very best talent, and with the graduation of Boston College’s Charlotte North, someone new will be awarded lacrosse’s highest individual award.

• And speaking of North, word has it that she will be commentating in the booth and sharing her knowledge instead showcasing it on the field this spring. What an exciting time to be a fan and to have the opportunity to learn from one of legends of our sport.

And without further ado, here are my first takes of 2023!

1. Perhaps the most exciting part of 2023 for me is that our game is continuing to grow in accessibility with each passing season. ESPN is streaming over 450 women's lacrosse games this spring and featuring more than 40 games live on television. Big Ten Network is also committed to showcasing the women’s game both through its streaming service BTN+ and on linear channels, giving players, coaches and fans more opportunities to watch, support and grow this sport that we all love so much.

2. I had my screens split into three or four sections at once this weekend as I watched too many season openers to count, and I sincerely hope others did the same! During all my screen time, there were quite a few moments that caught my eye.

3. Louisville’s Nicole Perroni looks GOOD. A 2023 World Championship silver medalist for Canada, Perroni’s game has only gotten better since the summer, and she was impressive in Friday’s close matchup against Denver. She looks quick, confident and strong, and her experience at the international level will be a huge asset to the Cardinals this spring.

4. Vanderbilt’s Bri Gross wants the ball in big moments. There’s nothing like scoring the winning goal in overtime, but to do so in your team’s first game of the season shows a maturity that I love to see. There wasn’t an ounce of fear from the Commodores against Colorado, and this early February win will continue to help their confidence grow.

5. Virginia’s upset over Stanford was the hot start the Cavs needed. The balance across the offense between Rachel Clark, Morgan Schwab, Ashlyn McGovern and Jaime Biskup, coupled with the stout defensive effort against Ashley Humphrey and Annabel Frist, was flat out impressive. I’m intrigued to see if UVA can take the next step in this 2023 season after nine years without a Final Four appearance.

6. The Scane Train, the Meg Show, and the Emmas are back and better than ever. With four of five of these players missing parts or all of 2022 with injuries, I know fans (and myself) were itching to see them back on the field. They did not disappoint. Izzy Scane lit up the stat sheet in her first game post-ACL tear with five goals and two assists, while the four-headed monster of Tyrrell, Tyrrell, Carney and Ward combined for 11 goals and 10 assists. This 5-v-6 matchup of Northwestern and Syracuse was an instant classic, and I personally hope we get a second volume come May.

7. North Carolina has a three-headed monster of its own. This young Tar Heel squad was led by veteran Caitlyn Wurzberger (two goals, three assists) and two relatively new faces in their victory over James Madison. Reilly Casey, a junior who hadn’t seen the field much in her first two seasons in Carolina Blue, opened 2023 red hot with a career-high six points. Freshman Marissa White also stood out as a dangerous dodging and scoring threat with five goals. Those three will have to take charge all season if the Tar Heels want to make it a national championship repeat.

8. Boston College looks to be handling the graduation of North just fine. The Eagles dominated USC all over the field in pretty much every statistical category and coasted to a 14-3 victory. I thought USC may be able to take it to the Eagles, especially so early on, but BC was hot from the start and never let up.

9. Old Dominion is starting the season white hot, as the Monarchs stunned Elon to win their first season opener since 2018. When looking at the stat sheet, the biggest standout to me is the balance ODU had offensively. Nine players registered at least one point, and no one had more than three points total, a telltale sign that the ball was doing the work and the team was sharing the ball well — and quickly.

10. Sarah Reznick (Florida) and Maya Santa-Maria (Michigan) were two of the best players on the field Sunday. Both offenses were able to produce quality shots on most of their possessions, but each of these goalies kept shooters frustrated. Reznick was acrobatic in cage and made some flashy stops, while Santa-Maria was solid and fundamentally sound within the crease.

And with that … I can’t wait to see what week two of the season brings us!