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.

There’s a yearly debate as to whether lacrosse is a winter or spring sport, and this season is no different. For all of preseason, February and the better part of March, all teams at one point or another have had to battle the elements and play in some pretty frigid conditions.

I have vivid memories of mid-January days spent out on the field wearing layer upon layer and even rocking some latex medical gloves to help my hands stay warm. Call me crazy, but I even miss those chilly preseason days and would go back in a heartbeat.

With a wintry mix hitting most of the East Coast last weekend, we saw many games throughout all divisions delayed or moved, which then unfortunately effected much of the viewing capabilities for some pretty awesome matchups. Thankfully with the technology schools have, a few games from BTN or ESPN were moved to YouTube, and other teams helped keep fans in on the action through their very active Twitter accounts.

For a few lone schools, the wintry weather created less of a hassle because they have access to amazing indoor facilities that teams can play full games in. The Terps played their first-ever game in the new state-of-the-art Jones Hill House, while programs like Syracuse, Northwestern, Boston College, Ohio State and Notre Dame are accustomed to competing in their own indoor venues regularly.

Along with the winter-v-spring debate, many lacrosse enthusiasts also question whether teams who have indoor facilities should brave the elements and play outdoors instead of in a temperature-controlled environment. For me, I love the appeal of having both options available for teams. Some of my favorite games at Maryland’s Field Hockey and Lacrosse complex had the added element of snow (Maryland-v-North Carolina in 2015) and rain (Maryland-v-Boston College in 2014), but I also loved competing in the Carrier Dome against Syracuse in mid-February instead of outside in the freezing cold.

With colleges doing whatever it takes to help land recruits for all sports, I think we’re going to see more and more indoor facilities built with full-size turf fields and many more indoor games throughout February and early March as a result. Although the elements make competing fun, the ability to have an indoor facility is a game changer.

Despite the changes in games and schedules due to weather, we were still able to see some excellent lacrosse last weekend. Here are the players and programs who stood out most in Week 5!

MIKAYLA COGHILL
LIBERTY, DEFENSE

Coghill was incredibly impressive in Liberty’s game against Florida last week and even set some records for the Flames. In just 60 minutes, she was able to secure seven ground balls and caused six turnovers while also being a much-needed leader on the defensive end. Coghill has a nose for the ball the second it hits the ground and times her checks so perfectly to avoid fouling and to continue playing cleanly. She’s also an integral part of Liberty’s clearing game, as she can swiftly carry the ball herself and launch long passes accurately.

CHLOE JOHNSON
OHIO STATE, ATTACK

Johnson has shined throughout her career on the offensive end and in the draw circle and is continuing that success in her senior campaign. In two games this week, Johnson secured 24 draw controls while also adding two goals, two assists, two ground balls and one caused turnover. Her ability to not only place the ball well on the circle (either for herself or her teammates) but secure it successfully without turning it over under pressure shows the poise and confidence in her skills. The Buckeyes will need Johnson to continue her success as a center if they want to be able to compete with the gauntlet of Big Ten opponents they will soon face.

LIZZIE HSU
DELAWARE, ATTACK

In the Blue Hens’ upset victory over Temple, Hsu was simply dominant. She had a career-high four goals in addition to her one assist and one ground ball in the victory. Delaware was methodical on the offensive end and was able to find success both through Hsu’s dodging and cutting capabilities. She’s someone who goes hard to the cage when the ball is in her stick but also has the composure and lacrosse IQ to time cuts well on the back end. Being versatile as an attacker is the ultimate goal, and Hsu has proven that she has many moves at her disposal.

KELSEY HUFF
USC, MIDFIELD

Big players step up in big games, and for Kelsey Huff, there was no bigger game than USC’s match against Colorado last weekend. A true two-way midfielder, Huff made her presence known all over the field. In addition to her seven goals, she was able to secure two ground balls while causing two turnovers. Being able to have such incredible offensive production while also playing defense against some of the opponent’s top offensive weapons is no easy task, but Huff was up to the challenge for the entire game. She’s the leader for the Trojans this season and someone they will continue to rely on to step up in tight games.

TAYLOR’S TOP 10

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