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

I have a feeling this spring will be one of those seasons in which us lacrosse fans will be in for a surprise every single weekend.

When looking at the box scores each Sunday night to do my little mental weekly recap, I’ve consistently seen upset victories, tight battles and surprising blowouts between teams that have all beaten or competed closely with other top programs.

In just this week alone, the following occurred:

• Northwestern edged then-No. 3 Syracuse 16-15 but then lost to No. 2 North Carolina 20-9

• Navy and Johns Hopkins beat preseason No. 17 Drexel handedly

• Previously unranked Colorado and new No. 11 Denver both beat former No. 16 Vanderbilt, a team that cruised against Notre Dame

• The Irish then downed Virginia, a team that just smashed a Stanford team that gave Syracuse and Denver runs for their money. 

• Syracuse then found itself down 9-2 to No. 7 Duke before securing a wild 18-16 victory

• Towson put up 20 against St. Joseph’s, a team that has beaten Navy, Villanova and Lehigh

• Unranked Cornell hung tight with No. 10 Princeton, only losing by one goal

We are only four weeks into the spring lacrosse season, but it’s safe to say that there are many talented teams in Division I this year who can compete for their conference championships and even the national championship. The ACC will be a fight until the bitter end, as always. The Big Ten now has five ranked teams that are giving non-conference opponents a ton of trouble early on. The Ivy League is back in a big way, and the CAA, Pac-12 and Big East conferences will continue to be tough to get through unscathed.

With so much talent and so many viable teams, I think we could be in quite the ride in late April and throughout May until Memorial Day Weekend. If my gut is right, I believe this could be a year that we see a new team arrive at Final Four weekend after a big upset of a perennial powerhouse. The best part of all, though, is that there is an insane amount of potential growth for players and teams between now and then and SO much more lacrosse to be played.

In a week with so many upsets, these are who impressed along the way.

Johns Hopkins’ offense continues to impress against zone defenses.

After a tough loss against Loyola at home in early February, the Blue Jays have bounced back in a major way, taking down Penn, Georgetown and Drexel in swift fashion. Though every win is considered a team win, these victories can be contributed in large part to the performances from Claire Mills and Madison McPherson on the offensive end of the field. Both Mills and McPherson were able to attack each team’s defenses, but in different ways, which kept them consistently on their heels. In the Georgetown game, Mills used slick well-timed cuts to penetrate the shifting zone, while McPherson used her speed and dodging capabilities to her advantage to attack the defenders recovering to her. The combined lacrosse IQ on the offensive end for JHU is high, which is helping the Blue Jays continually find success against top-notch defenses.

Kasey Dorney and Lauren DiStefano lead Wagner in impressive OT victory against Lehigh.

Wagner secured its first win of the season, and in doing so, it helped former Terp teammate of mine Kelly McPartland earn her first win ever as a head coach!  Offensively, Kasey Dorney kicked off the scoring for the Seahawks with the game’s first score and nailed the final tally in overtime to secure Wagner’s win. Dorney had four goals on the day and used her slick stick and quick feet to generate solid offense for Wagner with each possession. Defensively, it was Lauren DiStefano who led the way and basically stood on her head at points to save the ball. With 15 saves on the afternoon, she was the cool, calm and collected defensive backbone that Wagner has been relying upon all season. Together, the Seahawks as a whole remained resilient and kept their composure for a full 60 minutes and overtime period to secure a big-time win.

Stephanie Hong shines defensively as Harvard defeats Penn in upset victory.

For the first time since 2000, the Harvard Crimson downed Ivy League foe Penn and did so at Penn’s very own Franklin Field. Riley Campbell stepped up on the offensive end, as she netted four goals and one assist on the afternoon, but it was Stephanie Hong’s defensive performance that ultimately stole the show. A steady, disciplined player with incredible footwork and poise, Hong was able to limit Penn’s top offensive weapons while securing two draws and one ground ball in addition to causing a key turnover. Hong’s ability to stay composed in high pressure situations and gain possession in key moments is what stands out most about her play.

Kailyn Hart and Ellie Masera help the Seawolves down the Gators in dramatic fashion.

Hart and Masera were electric for the Seawolves on Saturday, combining for eight goals, one assist, two ground balls, two caused turnovers and seven draw controls in the victory. Both players work incredibly well together, playing off the different strengths they each possess. A lightning quick midfielder with a fast first step, Masera used her speed and strength to penetrate through an aggressive Gators zone and find success. Hart as an attacker utilized a bit of flare, her tricky stick and deceiving movements to find openings and put the ball in the back of the net. Together, they make a dynamic duo that is difficult to stop.

TAYLOR’S TOP TEN

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