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

Another exciting week of lacrosse has passed, giving us a little more clarity on how teams are shaping up before conference play and end-of-season tournaments.

Some of the top teams continue to cruise, as we saw No. 3 Northwestern play its most complete game of the season in handling unranked Big Ten opponent Penn State with ease. No. 2 Boston College upended Virginia Tech, while No. 1 North Carolina and No. 5 Maryland also controlled games against their respective conference foes in Notre Dame and Johns Hopkins. All looked sound from start to finish and hope to carry their March momentum into April.

On the flip side, we also saw some tighter matches against ranked teams this week, giving us a potential preview of conference and NCAA tournament battles to come. A midweek match between Syracuse and Loyola came down to a last-second controversial call that resulted in a huge home win for the Orange. ACC rivals Duke and Virginia played a back-and-forth match on Alumni Day until the Blue Devils pulled away late in fourth quarter. There was even some ranked action on the West Coast, as Stanford beat Pac-12 adversary Colorado, avenging a one-goal loss from earlier this season.

When looking at this week’s scores and the trends of teams as they come down the stretch, we can start to make out likely playoff pictures a little bit easier. Of course, we can do this with no certainty whatsoever, as the games must still be played, but it’s still fun to make midseason predictions. This week’s “Taylor’s Takes” will take a deep dive into my picks for the 2022 Elite Eight and the teams I think will be competing on Thursday, May 19.

TAYLOR’S WAY-TOO-EARLY ELITE EIGHT

North Carolina (12-0)

UNC is on a roll right now as Division I’s only remaining undefeated team. The Tar Heels are battle tested in both their ACC and out-of-conference play and have balanced veteran leadership across the board. With Syracuse, Virginia and Duke remaining on their regular-season schedule, the Tar Heels will have had plenty of healthy competition before the ACC tournament and can rely on that experience in the “win or go home” games. After a disappointing end to the 2021 season, my gut tells me UNC will be back in the Final Four in 2022 with one thing on the mind — a national championship. 

Boston College (11-1)

Similar to UNC, Boston College has the benefit of playing in possibly the toughest conference in all of Division I. With four games remaining in the regular season (three of which are ACC games), the Eagles will als0 be battle tested come ACC tournament time. BC’s out of conference schedule isn’t as strong as others, which may pose problems for the Eagles come the NCAA tournament, but I still think they will be back to the big stage come Memorial Day weekend. They return almost all their 2021 national championship team, and with that comes an elevated standard and goal. One thing I know for certain is that once you taste that type of win, it becomes your only standard.

Northwestern (9-2)

Northwestern is starting to get into its groove all over the field and is becoming more accustomed to playing without Izzy Scane. With attackers Lauren Gilbert and Erin Coykendall leading the way offensively and Madison Doucette growing steadier in cage with each passing game, the Wildcats will be looking for another Big Ten title this season and could very likely secure one. However, after watching them this season, I think the Wildcats’ offense will be in trouble if/when they face a tough man-to-man defense and will need to work those kinks out before the NCAA tournament. The Wildcats have done incredibly well against zones but have struggled in two of their games against man-to-man defenses and will likely see one come Elite Eight play.

Syracuse (10-2)

Syracuse had a close call with Loyola this past week, but a sign of a talented team is to be able to win the tight games and ugly matches. With their veteran offense and lengthy roster of top-notch attackers, there’s no doubt that the Orange can score and have done so consistently with each game. However, if they are to make the Final Four, they will need to firm up on the defensive end and in cage during their last five regular season games and the ACC tournament. Their zone and man-to-man defenses have looked vulnerable at times and will definitely need to sharpen up if they are to make it past the Elite Eight. Knowing the Orange staff and players, though, these changes are in the works and will be on display as we enter tournament time.

Maryland (10-1)

An upset loss to James Madison last weekend highlighted areas that Maryland needed to improve upon, and since then, the Terps have rebounded quite nicely with two local wins. There’s a palpable love for the game and belief in one another that Maryland has fed on in the wake of that loss to help turn the page. If the Terps are going to make it to the Elite Eight and beyond, they will need to continue to rely on their positive team culture while working on the areas that hurt them against the Dukes — free position shooting and ball security in the clear. With some big matches left in Princeton, Northwestern and Michigan, the Terps will have ample opportunity to fine tune things before tournament time and could be a huge threat to teams hopeful for an NCAA title.

Loyola (10-1)

The pieces seem to be falling in place quite nicely for the Greyhounds as April play begins. A heartbreaking loss to Syracuse is the only blemish on an otherwise perfect record and could be just the fuel the Greyhounds need when the NCAA tournament arrives. Jen Adams’ squad embodies everything a coach hopes for — a creative and balanced offense, a stout defense, solid goalkeeping and fabulous team chemistry. With Patriot League play not being as competitive as some of their out-of-conference games, Loyola will have to really focus on the little things and stay disciplined in April if it wants to go far in the NCAA tournament and beyond the Elite Eight in May.

Stony Brook (8-2)

With Stony Brook not able to compete for an American East title, the Seawolves will have to wait for the NCAA selection show to see if they earn an at-large bid (which they should). The Seawolves dropped games to Syracuse and Northwestern early on in the season but have also secured big wins against Florida and Princeton that will help their chances with seeding. Stony Brook will be a tough team to compete against in the NCAA tournament because of its tricky zone defense and unwavering belief in itself. Similarly to Loyola, though, their last few games are not as strong as their first few, and the Seawolves will have to remain disciplined so there won’t be a shock come NCAA tournament time.

Denver (11-1)

Choosing between Denver and Duke was the hardest decision for me with this article, but my gut tells me that the Pioneers will be making an Elite Eight appearance this year. They’ve had a tough out-of-conference schedule that has given players invaluable experience, and they are likely to continue their dominance in the Big East this spring, so they should be in a great spot come seeding time. Their zone defense is one of the trickiest to play against, and they have offensive weapons galore, making them the dark horse in my eyes. If we could see a Duke-v-Denver second round game somehow, we’d all be in for quite the treat!

TAYLOR’S TOP 10

1. North Carolina
2. Boston College
3. Northwestern
4. Syracuse
5. Maryland
6. Loyola
7. Duke
8. Stony Brook
9. Denver
10. Princeton