Tewaaraton Stock Watch: Scane Back on Blistering Pace

Midway through the college lacrosse season, there isn’t a Division I women’s favorite.

Northwestern has fallen to Notre Dame and unranked Penn State. The Big Ten looks like a gauntlet, with marquee matchups like Maryland-Northwestern and Maryland-Michigan still to come. The ACC has provided thrilling matchups week in and week out as well, with no certainty about who will win.

It’s never clear which players will step up each week; many of the country’s top teams feature so much talent that a new player has the ability to take control every game. Northwestern and Boston College each have seven players on the Tewaaraton Award Watch List, while Maryland has five — among many other teams with several nominees, too.

With another round of Tewaaraton Award Watch List additions revealed Thursday, here are the early favorites to win come May.

1. Izzy Scane, A, Northwestern

Scane, winner of the 2023 Tewaaraton Award, had a relatively slow start to the season. Slow for Scane is still pretty strong, as she notched 18 goals through Northwestern’s first five games. The Michigan native is in midseason form now. She ranks third nationally with an average of 4.45 goals per game, most recently posting seven goals against North Carolina, and has tallied 56 points (49G, 7A) this season. 

A powerful shooter and crafty attacker, Scane looks poised to repeat should she keep up her dynamic performances.

2. Ellie Masera, M/A, Stony Brook

Masera is a do-it-all midfielder, tallying goals with dizzying fakes and commanding the draw circle. She’s been a key cog on offense for the Seawolves, tallying 41 goals and 15 assists through nine games. The Long Island native got off to a blistering start, recording 35 points through her first four games. 

She’s slowed down a bit but still ranks second in the country in goals per game and poses a serious threat for any opposing defense. 

3. Erin O’Grady, G, Michigan

O’Grady has been an anchor for Michigan during the program’s historical success this season. She holds a save rate of 65.7 percent and has posted double-digit save performances against top-ranked opponents like Penn and Denver. Michigan has the country’s top scoring defense, allowing an average of just 5.73 goals per game, and O’Grady has clearly been a significant factor in that.

Big Ten play is only just beginning to heat up for the Wolverines, who still must face Northwestern and Maryland.

4. Isabella Peterson, A, James Madison

James Madison sits comfortably at 7-2 — in large part due to Peterson’s play. She’s built on a breakout 2023 season, tallying 39 goals and 45 draw controls in 2024. Peterson is a force on the circle alongside teammate Madison Epke, helping the Dukes to a No. 8 ranking nationally in draw controls per game. 

Expect big things from Peterson as James Madison continues conference play; she most recently tallied five goals against Cincinnati.

5. Chase Boyle, M, Loyola

There are few players nationally who dominate the draw circle like Boyle, who has 96 draw controls this season. She’s also dynamic on attack, recording 43 goals and nine assists through 10 games. Boyle was especially dominant during the Greyhounds’ lone loss against Syracuse on Wednesday, posting six goals. 

Loyola looks like a serious contender, so keep an eye on Boyle to power a deep run.

Next five: Meghan Ball, D, Maryland; Jackie Wolak, A, Notre Dame; Erin Coykendall, A, Northwestern; Emily Sterling, G, Maryland; Mckenna Davis, A, Boston College

Five to monitor: Kendall Halpern, D, Northwestern; Maddie Burns, D, Michigan; Madison Taylor, A, Northwestern; Katie Goodale, D, Syracuse; Rachel Clark, A, Boston College