If Megan Douty played for a collegiate women’s lacrosse program other than Maryland, she would likely be that program’s brightest star. But Douty plays for a team with an even brighter star, the two time Tewaaraton Award winner, Taylor Cummings. For the second consecutive season the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) named Douty and Cummings as the national Defender and Midfielder of the Year respectively. I’ll start with Douty just because.
Megan Douty
Here’s a list of the awards Megan Douty won in as a junior 2014:
In addition, Douty was a 2014 Tewaaraton Award finalist – the only defender so honored. She had an respectable senior campaign as well. Thus far in 2015, Douty was named All-Big Ten and Big Ten Defender of the Year. She also earned a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team as well as spots on the IWLCA All-Region and All-American first teams. Most recently, the IWLCA conferred the Defender of the Year on her for the second consecutive season.
Douty’s award marks at least the third time in the last four seasons that a Terrapin has won the Defender of the Year. Iliana Sanza won the honor in 2012. (The IWLCA website seems to have misplaced the name of the 2013 Defender of the Year.) Another Maryland defender, Karissa Taylor won the award in 2010.
Maryland’s defense was the fifth best in the NCAA holding opponents to just 7.27 goals per game. The Terps, who captured a second consecutive national championship and finished the season 21-1, fared nearly as well defensively in their 14 games against ranked opponents holding the highest quality teams on their schedule to an average 8.21 goals per game.
Douty typically played the role of the lock down one on one defender facing the opponent’s top scorer. For the season she finished with 30 ground balls and caused 23 turnovers, good for second on the team in each category. And therein lies the problem. The player who led Maryland in those categories was
Taylor Cummings.
Taylor Cummings needs to do something stupid or say something controversial if only for the sake of sports bloggers like me. (Just kidding, Taylor.) Butseriously, how many times can you find a way to rephrase, “Taylor Cummings is a great lacrosse player” or “Taylor Cummings is currently the best player in NCAA women’s lacrosse” and make it interesting?
Think Douty’s list is impressive? Here’s a look at how Cummings has been feted in her three seasons at Maryland:
If you don’t know by now, Cummings led Maryland in assists (37), points (100), ground balls (41), draw controls (143) and caused turnovers (36) and her 63 goals were second on the team behind the 67 scored by freshman Megan Whittle.
Judging by the IWLCA player of the year awards, Terrapins coach Cathy Reese has designed a scheme that showcases her midfielders. Katie Schwarzmann was a three time Midfielder of the Year (2013, 2012, 2011) and was preceded by two time winner Caitlyn McFadden who in turn was preceded by Dana Dobbie. Thus, her first season (2007) was the only season in Reese’s nine year tenure at Maryland in which a Terrapins midfielder did not win the IWLCA honor.
As a senior, the national championship game was Douty’s last as a Terp. In fact, the Terrapins will return only two starters on its defensive unit and whether the burden falls to rising junior Nadine Hadnagy, rising senior Alice Mercer or some other player, one thing is certain, that defender will have big shoes to fill and a long tradition to uphold.
As for Cummings, Maryland fans will have one more year to revel in her play. If you haven’t taken the time to see her live, I encourage you to do so. The show will be worth the admission.
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