McCool Twizzlers Steal the Show at WLL All-Star Game

The second Women’s Lacrosse League All-Star Game is in the books — but it’s the first since the league expanded to have its first full-field summer season.

While this was just an exhibition, none of the players let off the gas in Annapolis. Team Scane took home a 16-15 win. Here’s how it happened.

MVP McCOOL

Marie McCool pulled out not one, but two twizzlers in the All-Star Game for Team Scane. The California Palms’ midfielder earned MVP honors with two goals and one assist. Her second twizzler was the winner with about 45 seconds remaining.

“She’s like, ‘I don’t take trick shots,’ but she does,” teammate Caylee Waters said in the postgame press conference about her U.S. Women’s National Team co-captain.  

NATIONAL TEAM NAMES

Fourteen players getting set for the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship in Tokyo later this month participated in the All-Star Game.

From Team Scane: Izzy Scane, Anna Brandt, Brigid Duffy, Ally Mastroianni, Marie McCool, Shea Baker, Katie Goodale

From Team Humphrey: Sam Apuzzo, Emma LoPinto, Kenzie Kent, Ally Kennedy, Sydney Scales, Shea Dolce

FIELD FAMILIARITY

Brigid Duffy played for Army before she turned pro. On Sunday, the All-Star Game was held at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the home turf of her college rival: Navy.

Duffy came up big. She recorded a hat trick for Team Scane, and her last goal tied the score before McCool scored the winner.

BACK AND FOURTH

Team Humphrey and Team Scane were competitive. No nonsense. There were nine ties during the game. Even though the first five goals in the second quarter were from Team Humphrey, neither team could continue to go on a run like that.

“Traditionally for All-Star Games, typically the competition isn’t always at the highest level, but for us, we’re all competitors out there, so we knew it was going to be back and forth,” McCool said.

DEFENDER GOALS

Abby Bosco and Emily Nalls both wore No.1 on the field. They both were technically listed as defenders on Team Humphrey’s roster. And They both scored in the All-Star Game. Bosco got one in the net, and Nalls got two to go.

Even with Team Humphrey’s defenders scoring, Team Scane was too much to tame.

“You don’t just fit into one box, and that’s lacrosse,” Waters said.  

STAR STRUCK

There were no shortage of star power on either side of the field. Captain Izzy Scane scored three goals and notched an assist, and Emma LoPinto and Sam Apuzzo did the same for Team Humphrey.

“Right away when I got back to my phone, everyone was like, ‘That was awesome,’” head coach Colleen Magairty said.

“Everyone who was on that field, they don’t just show up and play. We’re so good at this sport because we put the work in. We put on a good game out there,” Waters said. “We’re raising the bar.”

Regular-season play is set to resume July 11 as the WLL travels to Chicago, Ill. The New York Charging and the Maryland Charm play at 7p.m.