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.

And then there were four… the top and final four.

After a 10-hour stretch of women’s lacrosse on Thursday (which was incredible, by the way), the only teams that remain are ones that own seeds 1-4. I, like many, thought that there would be a few upsets for fans and casual viewers alike in the Elite Eight round, but that did not happen. While some of the games showed glimpses of an upset becoming reality, others were decided by a much larger spread.

Before diving on into the Final Four, let’s review the quadruple header of fantastic games that we all got to witness on Thursday afternoon.

(2) Maryland 18, (7) Florida 5

What was the deciding factor after all? The little things. After a tight first quarter, the Terps dominated all the “little things” stat categories — draws (16-11), saves (12-9), turnovers (4-6), ground balls (12-8) and shots on goal (27-17). Even though some of these stats were closer than in the first meeting between the Gators and Terps, Florida still struggled for the last 45 minutes of play. Maryland dictated tempo on both ends of the field, played sound and steady defense anchored by a hot keeper in Emily Sterling and shared the ball offensively.

(3) Boston College 20, (6) Loyola 13

What was the deciding factor after all? Balance all over the offensive end. Charlotte North is the leader of this BC squad and does some pretty incredible things when the ball is in her stick — either in the draw circle or on the offensive end. She had quite a day against Loyola with three goals and three assists to go along with three draws, but it was the play of Belle Smith, Kayla Martello and Jenn Medjid that carried the Eagles offensively. Together, these three combined for 19 points and kept the Greyhounds’ heads on a swivel all afternoon. A total of eight Eagles registered points by the final whistle, another testament to their balance overall.

(4) Northwestern 15, (5) Syracuse 4

What was the deciding factor after all? Defense and goalie play. Madison Doucette and her defensive unit had quite a day on Thursday, limiting a potent Syracuse offense to its lowest goal total of the season. Even with the faceguard on Emilly Hawryschuk, the Wildcats were able to smother the inside of the 8-meter arc and make the longer slides look easy. Doucette made 11 saves, while Syracuse keeper Kimber Hower only had seven. Unfortunately for the Orange, many of Hower’s saves came in the second half when the scoring margin was already at least seven, making it too tough for them to claw back.

(1) North Carolina 8, (8) Stony Brook 5

What was the deciding factor after all? Trust of the defense in the offense. To the Seawolves’ credit, they made life for UNC attackers and midfielders very difficult on Thursday. UNC had to play three quarters against the stingy Stony Brook zone before they finally started looking comfortable with their game plan on how to beat it. With the offense trying to figure things out on their end and having 17 turnovers as a result, the Tar Heels defense was called upon to do their jobs and make stops. The unit, led by defender Emma Trenchard and goalie Taylor Moreno, did just that, all while remaining confident in their teammates on the other end. The trust and chemistry on this UNC team (as well as on Stony Brook) is palpable and is what dictated the outcome for both squads — a win for the Heels and a tight match for the Seawolves.

CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND

Moving into Final Four action, lacrosse fans are in for an absolute treat on Friday with the four best teams in the country going to battle. The first game features a rematch of an early March contest between UNC and Northwestern, while the second will be a rematch of the 2019 national title game between Maryland and Boston College.

With UNC and Northwestern, there’s a ton of history, as both teams typically play in the regular season and have thrown punches back and forth throughout the years. With BC and Maryland, they now only see one another during NCAA tournament time since the Terps’ move to the Big Ten in 2015 but have played in many NCAA tournament games as of late.

With only three games remaining in 2022, it’s time to break down each team one last time and discuss what intangibles will help them win the title come Sunday.

North Carolina: Composure

This UNC team is the favorite to hoist the trophy on Sunday afternoon, and with that comes a lot of pressure — both internally and externally. The Heels have garnered a ton of eyes and praise throughout this season (and for good reason), but being the favorite going into tournament time can be difficult to handle. The talent and leadership of this team are both outstanding, with many veterans with Championship Weekend experience leading the way. If the Tar Heels can keep their composure in tight moments, play loose and focused team-first lacrosse and simply have fun, they will be in a good place to win their first title since 2016.

Maryland: Confidence

Even though the Terps have made 12 of the past 13 Final Fours, there are only a handful of players on this 2022 roster who have experienced Championship Weekend. The nerves are already at an all-time high when Final Four game time comes, but they may be even higher for some Maryland players who are new to this experience. Of course, the Terps need to execute X’s and O’s and play hard, but the mental and emotional side of the game will be critical for them in this Final Four. If they are to win it all, the Terps will need to play the confident, uninhibited brand of lacrosse that they’ve been playing all season long.

Boston College: Poise

Coming into a tournament as a favorite is tough. Coming in as the returning national champion can be even harder. Boston College has been to the previous four final fours and will be making their fifth consecutive appearance on Friday. With that comes high expectations from players and an insane amount of pressure from outsiders. If Boston College is to complete the repeat, the Eagles will have to remain poised not only through the game itself, but through the week of practice, media and travel leading up to the event. The Eagles play a free and fun style of lacrosse, which has helped them remain poised in any situation, so they will just need to continue that pattern this weekend.

Northwestern: Discipline

The Wildcats are fixtures of Final Four weekend and have had a dominant history in the tournament, but have they not won a national championship since 2012. If Northwestern is to upset the tournament favorites in UNC and go on to win it all, it must be disciplined. From defensive schemes to checks in the midfield to shot selection offensively, the Wildcats must have a purpose behind each decision they make and play solid, controlled lacrosse for a full 60 minutes. Kelly Amonte-Hiller knows what it’s like on this stage and will undoubtedly have a well thought out game plan — it’s just a matter of if the Wildcats can execute it.

In the end, it’s safe to say whichever one of these elite programs hoists the trophy come Sunday will be well-deserving of it. The talent, poise, athleticism and pure joy that these four programs showcased this entire season was special to watch and pushed our sport forward. Best of luck to all four teams, and thank you for an entertaining few months!

TAYLOR’S TOP 10

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