This story appears in the September/October edition of USA Lacrosse Magazine. Join our momentum.
Taylor Cummings and Kayla Treanor were the faces of women’s lacrosse for a decade. Cummings created a platform that also made her one of the game’s most influential voices. Treanor inspired a generation of YouTube copycats.
With both retiring — plus the retirements of Alice Mercer, Liz Hogan and Emily Parros — who will step to the fore? Here are five possible face-of-the-game candidates, all of whom will be in action at the USA Lacrosse Fall Classic from October 14-16 in Sparks, Md. Get your tickets here.
Sam Apuzzo
The world championship final felt like a passing of the guard. While Cummings and Marie McCool jumpstarted the U.S. offense, Apuzzo and Ally Mastroianni sealed the win over Canada. Apuzzo was the championship game MVP and went on a torrid run in Athletes Unlimited, finishing No. 2 on the leaderboard.
Ally Mastroianni
Mastroianni hand-delivered the gold medal with a masterful performance in the center circle against Canada. Her ability to dominate the draw, score in big spots and hold her own on defense will warrant comparisons to Cummings.
Marie McCool
The All-World midfielder was the U.S.’s most consistent player and now steps up as the team’s veteran in residence. With more than 22,000 followers on Instagram and two gold medals under her belt at age 25, McCool should be a fixture for years to come.
Taylor Moreno
The last goalie cut from the U.S. team, Moreno went on to win the Athletes Unlimited title as a rookie. She’s got style and substance — the kind of combo the pro league loves to push. Moreno made history last year when she became the first women’s lacrosse player to launch an NFT, which is now worth nearly seven times its debut price.
Charlotte North
The two-time Tewaaraton Award winner with more than 77,000 followers on Instagram is the most popular player on the planet right now. North led the U.S. with 23 goals and, unofficially, 1 million autographs signed. Seriously, there just aren’t enough Sharpies. North was on stage at the ESPYs, providing a glimpse of her crossover appeal. She’s electric.
Five More: Kylie Ohlmiller, Izzy Scane, Belle Smith, Emma Trenchard, Emma Ward