Women's Tewaaraton Stock Watch: Scane, Tyrrell Jockey for Position

Syracuse and Northwestern are ruling the polls. Meanwhile, their superstars are dominating the Tewaaraton Award Stock Watch.

Ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the Nike/USA Lacrosse Division I Women’s Top 20, the two powerhouses are led by electric, must-watch stars. Northwestern’s Izzy Scane is seemingly unstoppable on attack, cleverly dodging past defenders and shooting missiles. Syracuse’s Delaney Sweitzer enters the conversation on the periphery this week after dynamic performances on the defensive end, helping power the Orange to their best start in program history. Those two are just a handful of the players fueling the dominance of their programs.

Northwestern and Syracuse each have three players on the list. Beyond the Orange and Wildcats, several other top teams have superstars featured this week — from defensive stalwarts like Trinity McPherson to dynamic attackers like Isabella Peterson.

1. Izzy Scane, Northwestern, A

Lethal from just about every angle, Scane has effectively dismantled every opposing defense she has faced. She continued her string of powerful offensive performances against Johns Hopkins and Stanford over the weekend, tallying a combined eight goals and six assists. Scane also chipped in on defense by notching a ground ball and a pair of caused turnovers against the Blue Jays. The country’s leading goal scorer, expect Scane to lead the Wildcats through the rest of Big Ten play.

2. Meaghan Tyrrell, Syracuse, A

The Orange have continued to dominate, running over defenses and lighting up on offense en route to a historic 12-0 start. Tyrrell has been key to this run, tallying 31 goals and 35 assists so far this season. She was electric in Syracuse’s Tuesday matchup against Cornell, totaling five goals and three assists. The Orange’s schedule only gets trickier from here as they prepare to take on ACC foes Virginia, Clemson and North Carolina over the next few weeks. Look for Tyrrell to anchor Syracuse through these challenges.

3. Belle Smith, Boston College, M

Smith re-enters the top five this week after an especially dynamic defensive performance against Virginia. The Long Island native tallied a career-high five ground balls and three draw controls in addition to a caused turnover, one goal and one assist. Typically more prolific on attack, Smith’s dynamic defensive play helped the Eagles scrape by Virginia Tech. Smith has tallied 23 goals and 13 assists this season, anchoring Boston College’s midfield and helping the Eagles to a 7-3 start.

4. Ellie Masera, Stony Brook, M

Another head-turner in the midfield, Masera has dominated for the Seawolves. She scored a combined 11 goals and 11 draw controls in recent matchups against Elon and Johns Hopkins. Masera leads Stony Brook with 39 goals in nine games — good for second in the nation in goals per game –– and has played a significant role on the circle as well, tallying 48 draw controls. Dynamic in transition and crafty on attack, Masera looks to lead the Seawolves to new heights in the CAA.

5. Alecia Nicholas, North Carolina, G

A first-year starter, Nicholas has looked like a veteran in the cage this season. She recorded seven saves –– good for a .467 save rate –– against an upstart Clemson program in her most recent outing. Nicholas has held strong in the face of the country’s top offenses like Northwestern, Florida and Boston College, taking over the role from Tar Heel star Taylor Moreno with ease. With competitive ACC matchups against Pitt and Notre Dame on the horizon, expect Nicholas to hold down the fort on defense.

Next five: Jenn Medjid, Boston College, A; Isabella Peterson, James Madison, A; Erin Coykendall, Northwestern, A; Emma Ward, Syracuse, A; Meghan Ball, Rutgers, D
Five to monitor: Jackie Wolak, Notre Dame, A; Delaney Sweitzer, Syracuse, G; Trinity McPherson, Denver, D; Rachel Clark, Virginia, A; Sam Horan, San Diego State, G