All Division I women’s teams have officially started their seasons, and it’s safe to say that lacrosse fans will be in for a wild ride this spring. The talent level — both of players and teams — is evident even early on in February, and I have a feeling there will be more upsets and tight games down the road.

Some of the nation’s best teams clashed this weekend, leaving some licking their wounds and lessons learned for all. We saw former ACC foes Maryland and Virginia battle for this first time in years in a Friday night showdown. The Stony Brook Seawolves almost took down in-state foe Syracuse in the Carrier Dome on Sunday evening, and North Carolina and Florida went neck and neck for a full 60 minutes Saturday afternoon before the Tar Heels eventually pulled away. All of this entertainment and it’s only Week 2, so it’s only natural for us to expect this — and then some — as the weeks progress and teams continue to improve.

Little tweaks with defensive positioning, communication, off-ball movement and draw placement were made by teams this weekend, and they made all of difference. Let’s take a look at the stars from Week 2 and how those little points of emphasis made a huge difference.

Hitch fakes and shot placement take center stage in the Army-Rutgers midweek showdown.

While there was excellent goalie play for both teams, it was attackers Taralyn Naslonski (Rutgers) and Kathleen Sullivan (Army) who stole the show with their excellent shot selections and hitch fakes. Naslonski is a spark plug for the Scarlett Knights and a true gamer. She dodges hard, is always moving purposefully on offense and seems to come up with big plays in key moments.

Similarly, Sullivan mirrors the play of her coaches — Michelle Tumolo and Katrina Dowd — with her shifty crease play and skilled stick work. Her ability to create opportunities coming from X and vary her shots helps her find the back of the net on a consistent basis for the Black Knights.

Both Sullivan and Naslonski are leaders for their teams, and their smart play will be relied on throughout the season.

The little wins secure the big win for Virginia Tech.

The Hokies were relentless in every aspect of their historic victory over James Madison last week. Simple defensive skills like getting on attackers’ hands, securing ground balls cleanly and getting sticks in passing lanes helped the Hokies defense create chaos for the Dukes offense. These little wins gave goalie Morgan Berman time and space to see the ball well and make a few clutch saves down the stretch.

Offensively, it was Olivia Vergano and Sophie Student who were the backbones of the night and stepped up throughout the entire game. It was Student who secured the final draw and Vergano who unleashed a wicked shot to ultimately secure the victory, but the entire offense moved their bodies and the ball well during each offensive possession to generate quality looks. Balance, composure and a trust in the game plan are all traits the Hokies will look to maintain throughout the spring.

Zoe Bennett and Drexel’s free position defense.

Drexel’s Zoe Bennett had a lights out game in a midweek victory over Penn State. She saw the ball well throughout, making stops low and high and was a solid presence in the Dragons’ clearing game. Bennett also anchored a Drexel defense that held the Nittany Lions to just 28 percent shooting and 30 percent on the free position line. Free position shots are sometimes seen as guaranteed goals, but Drexel players were crashing quickly to deflect and sometimes even prevent shots altogether. Solid defensive play and key goalie saves helped Drexel’s confidence grow all over the field during the game and ultimately helped them secure a huge in-state win.

Ground balls and riding win games for USC.

A phrase that was said time and time again when I first learned to play was “ground balls win games.” In a game that saw 39 turnovers and 68 total shots, USC was able to capitalize most when the ball hit the turf and gain back more possessions from Jacksonville. Their ride also created havoc for the Dolphins and gave the Trojans the one additional opportunity they needed to win. Shelby Tilton scored the game winner with 49 seconds left after teammate Claudia Shevitz secured a gritty draw. USC left the state of Florida with a 3-0 record, lots of lessons learned and more lacrosse to play.

Versatility from Loyola’s Sydni Black and Elli Kluegel.

Sydni Black and Elli Kluegel are a dangerous and dynamic duo that Johns Hopkins struggled to contain Saturday. Kluegel is a lefty threat off the dodge and cut who found seams in the Blue Jay defense and put goals in the back of the net twice. Black is a shifty and smart attacker who utilized crafty stick work and game sense to elude defenders and make every player around her better. Together, Kluegel and Black are a ton of fun to watch, and they play off one another extremely well. These are two players for young attackers to watch, study and learn from because of their true abilities to simply do it all on the offensive end.

TAYLOR’S TOP 10

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