Taylor's 10: Wilson Tearing it Up, Freshman of the Year Battle and More

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.

Part two of three of the 2023 season is officially here as regular seasons wrap and conference championship play begins (or ends, if you’re a team in the ACC).

Some teams are done for good after this week, while others have at least one more guaranteed game to play. Either way, this time of year is always an emotional one and one where we see some of the best and most passionate lacrosse of the spring.

Here are my takes from this wild weekend of tournament time lacrosse.

The ACC Championship quarters and semis were everything we could’ve hoped for and more.

From surprise upsets to tight battles to historic victories, this year’s ACC tournament literally had it all. In Wednesday’s quarterfinals, two games really stood out. Virginia and Rachel Clark battled back from a major deficit to almost pull out a victory over Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech stood toe-to-toe with a talented Syracuse team. In Friday’s semifinals, Boston College looked steady throughout in a defensive battle against some of the Irish’s (and nation’s) best attackers, and North Carolina bested Syracuse in almost every facet of the game. The scouting, game planning and changes made by both UNC and Boston College from their first meetings with their semifinal opponents was impressive.

Duke is out of the tournament.

The Duke Blue Devils played their last game of the season on Wednesday and will not qualify for the NCAA tournament in May due to their 8-10 record. Losses to Yale, Clemson, Louisville and Virginia Tech proved to be too much for the Blue Devils to overcome, as they would have had to reach the ACC finals to be eligible. Duke is a program that has long been associated with excellence on and off the field, and I’m surprised they weren’t able to find more success on the field given the talent they have.

Virginia Tech (likely) ended its season on a high.

I’ve been very impressed with the Hokies this season and with the turnaround that head coach Kristen Skiera has made with the program in such a short time. Their outing on Wednesday against a potent Syracuse team was impressive, as the young Hokies showed no fear and battled the entire game. If it weren’t for their 14 turnovers (many of which were unforced), they could have won that game. The Hokies are 10-9 and still await the final verdict on Selection Sunday, but given their weaker strength of schedule out of conference and losses to Mercer and Clemson, it may be tough for VT to make the tournament.

Loyola’s Jillian Wilson continues to impress.

Not only did Wilson tally five goals, one assist, five ground balls and two caused turnovers in Loyola’s game against Navy on Friday, but she also secured 11 draws. By doing so, she became the all-time leader in draw controls at Loyola, beating out legendary Greyhound centers Livy Rosenzweig and Taylor VanThof. Wilson’s play all over the field is special, but one of my favorite parts of her game is her leadership and passion. She celebrates hard for every teammate and has a palpable love for the game and her team. If she continues to play at this high of a caliber, Wilson may very well find herself in the Tewaaraton conversation.

Jackie Wolak is a stud.

I haven’t highlighted Wolak enough this season, and what a mistake that’s been. A crafty and balanced attacker for the Irish, she’s tallied 45 goals and 44 assists along with 11 ground balls and six caused turnovers. Wolak’s ability to dissect a defense with her speed, slick stick and vision is matched by few, and she played a pivotal role in Notre Dame’s success against Virginia in ACC quarters. Wolak is the biggest snub by far from this year’s Tewaaraton Top 25, and if she plays with that chip on her shoulder during NCAAs, the country better watch out.

The Tewaaraton race continues.

Northwestern’s Izzy Scane and Syracuse’s Meaghan Tyrrell continue to be the frontrunners in this year’s Tewaaraton discussion with Boston College’s Belle Smith not far behind. Outside of those three, in my mind, it’s really a battle between seven players who will need to have outstanding conference tournament performances. Offensively, James Madison’s Isabella Peterson, BC’s Jenn Medjid, Northwestern’s Erin Coykendall, Loyola’s Jillian Wilson and Syracuse’s Emma Ward are all viable contenders. Defensively, I’d say Denver’s Sam Thacker and Rutgers’ Meghan Ball could make noise with solid conference tournament play. A few iffy performances from Syracuse’s Delaney Sweitzer in net have dropped her from my Tewaaraton race for now.

The Freshman of the Year battle is tight.

There are quite a few freshman phenoms who are having excellent first-year campaigns. Army’s Brigid Duffy is a stud all over the field, and Navy’s Ava Yovino is a massive scoring threat. Maryland’s Kori Edmondson is a powerful dodger with a nose for the goal, Shea Dolce has been dominant in cage for Boston College as of late and Northwestern’s Madison Taylor plays with the poise of a senior and the tenacity of an underdog. At UNC, Caroline Godine and Marissa White are a two-headed monster that will cause opponents’ headaches for years to come. If I had to bet right now, I’d say Taylor has the slightest edge in the “freshman of the year” discussion, but there’s much more lacrosse to be played. Regardless of who wins the title, the future sure is bright for the lacrosse world.

How did USA Lacrosse Magazine bracketology bubble teams fair this week?

As of April 25, USA Lacrosse Magazine had Michigan, Penn State, Army and Richmond as the last four teams into the big dance. Army ended its regular season with a 17-7 victory over Lafayette and earned the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League tournament. If Army makes the Patriot League title game, I’d expect to see the Black Knights in the NCAA tournament. Richmond wrapped up its regular season with a 20-4 win over Duquesne and entered the A-10 championship as the No. 2 seed. Like Army, if the Spiders get to the final, I’d assume Richmond is also in the tournament. Interestingly, Penn State and Michigan began their Big Ten quarterfinals on Saturday against one another with Michigan cruising. I think this victory seals Michigan’s fate as a tournament team, but the same cannot be said for Penn State. The win over Maryland might push the Nittany Lions into the tournament, but if they get in, they will be one of the last teams accepted.

Big Ten tournament play will be exciting.

Two semifinal games against ranked opponents will grace our screens Thursday. Northwestern and Michigan will face off again in a rematch of a mid-March clash that found the Wildcats on top 16-8. Northwestern is the favorite to win both the Big Ten and the national championship and will be a tough team for Michigan to take down. However, if anyone can game plan against the Wildcats, it’s Northwestern alum and Wolverines head coach Hannah Nielsen. We also get to watch Maryland and Rutgers battle in the other semifinal in Columbus. The Terps were 11-for-33 shooting in their quarterfinal win against Ohio State and will need a much better offensive output to take down a Rutgers team that has their backs against the wall.

Who are my top eight seeds right now?

After a rollercoaster ACC tournament that left Syracuse watching the final from home and Boston College winning it all, my guess is Northwestern will be the No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Boston College, Syracuse and North Carolina are teams 2-4, respectively, given both their regular-season schedules and ACC performances. Right behind them, I’d put undefeated Denver at No. 5, James Madison at 6, Notre Dame at 7 and Loyola at 8. With all the conference titles still up for grabs except for the ACC, there’s the possibility for some movement in this top eight.0