Tewaaraton Stock Watch: Masera the Early Favorite

The first month of women’s college lacrosse has been full of electric storylines and plenty of parity.

The upsets have kept coming, punctuated by exciting matchups like Notre Dame’s dominant win over Northwestern in February and the nail-biter between Syracuse and Stony Brook on Tuesday. These epic non-conference battles have delivered, leaving few teams with an unscathed record.

New heroes have emerged in each dramatic victory. Stony Brook’s Ellie Masera has proven to be a problem for any defense that comes her way. Notre Dame’s veteran trio of Jackie Wolak, Kasey Choma and Madison Ahern look sharp as ever.

The first update to the Tewaaraton Award Watch List arrived on Thursday, recognizing players whose early season achievements put them on the map. Here’s our take on the current standings for the Tewaaraton Award.

1. Ellie Masera, M/A, Stony Brook

Masera has kicked off 2024 on an absolute tear. The midfielder scored a season-high eight goals in the Seawolves’ opener against Dartmouth and hasn’t looked back, tallying no less than four goals in every game she’s played. Masera made waves Tuesday with a crafty, low-angle goal — all while falling down — to upset Syracuse 13-12 in overtime. That play is representative of Masera’s offensive firepower, relying on speed and creative stickwork to bend opponents to her will. She has notched 28 goals, 11 assists and 49 draw controls through five games.

2. Erin Coykendall, A, Northwestern

Get ready for more behind-the-back wizardry: Coykendall has brought her signature lacrosse IQ and crafty stickwork back to Northwestern for a fifth year. A 2023 Tewaaraton Award finalist, Coykendall has 13 goals and 20 assists in 2024. She’s played a key role facilitating the Wildcats’ offense, surrounded by plenty of familiar faces, as most players from the 2023 title run returned to Evanston.

3. Erin O’Grady, G, Michigan

O’Grady has emerged as a hero for Michigan amid a lacrosse renaissance in Ann Arbor. She leads the country with a mind-boggling 68.2% save rate — a feat even more impressive considering Michigan has played opponents like Denver and Colorado. Her best rate of the season? 90 percent in 57 minutes against Jacksonville. Her worst? 52.9% against Colorado. Save percentages aren’t everything, but O’Grady has looked remarkably confident in goal this season. She’s been a key leader for her unit, which ranks first nationally in scoring defense.

4. Isabella Peterson, A, James Madison

A 2023 Tewaaraton Award finalist, Peterson has continued her dominance into 2024. She has tallied a hat trick in every game, leading James Madison to a 5-0 record — including a 19-18 upset win against North Carolina in which she scored five goals. It’s hard to count out James Madison if Peterson continues to roll. Through five games, she’s recorded 31 draw controls, 22 goals and five assists.

5. Izzy Scane, A, Northwestern

The notion that Izzy Scane isn’t the Tewaaraton Award favorite wouldn’t have even crossed most minds entering the season. But the spring is still young, and it’s not like Scane is struggling. Far from it. Northwestern’s new all-time scoring leader has 22 goals and five assists, and if there’s anything to suggest there’s more to come, it’s that she’s shooting a career-low 43.1 percent. If (and more likely, when) that evens out to her career 50.4 shooting percentage, Scane will be right back as a favorite for the award.

Next five: McKenna Davis, A, Boston College; Madison Taylor, A, Northwestern; Emily Sterling, G, Maryland; Chase Boyle, M, Loyola; Katie Goodale, D, Syracuse

Five to monitor: Jackie Wolak, A, Notre Dame; Rachel Clark, A, Boston College; Olivia Adamson, A, Syracuse; Meghan Ball, D, Maryland; Cassidy Spilis, M, Rutgers