Naval Academy Athletics

Megan Taylor, who led the University of Maryland to the 2017 and 2019 National Championships, joined the Navy women's lacrosse team as a volunteer assistant coach in the summer of 2019. She was elevated to full-time assistant coach in July of 2020. Taylor’s responsibilities include working directly with the Midshipmen goalies.
 
The 2021 season saw the Midshipmen finish the season 8-4 overall with a 4-2 record in the Patriot League and a 2-2 mark in the Patriot League South Division. Four members of the Navy women's lacrosse team were named to the 2021 All-Patriot League Team, including three selected to the first team. In addition, three Navy women's lacrosse players were named to the Patriot League All-Academic team. Ten (10) women’s lacrosse players combined for 19 Patriot League weekly honors
 
Alexis Bell (’22) was named a finalist for the 2021 Yeardley Reynolds Love (YRL) Unsung Hero Award. The YRL Unsung Hero Award recognizes the accomplishments of student-athletes who help their teams achieve success in ways that may not be measured in goals, saves or ground balls. The award recipients exhibit leadership as a positive role model and are involved in community service.
 
In 2021, the Navy goalkeepers tallied 89 saves in 12 games (7.42 saves per game) as a team. Jo Torres (’24) worked her way into the starting lineup at goal for the Midshipmen. She appeared in nine games, making six starts. She had a team-high 65 saves, including a pair of double-digit save performances, in just under 430 minutes of action. Abbi Young (’22) saw time in eight games, making six starts with 18 saves and three wins on the year.
 
During her first season in 2020, Navy women’s lacrosse finished the season 2-4 overall in a season shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The Navy goalies recorded 68 saves in six contests, for an 11.33 saves per game average as a team. Abbi Young (’22) led the team with 64 stops, including recording double-digit saves in four games, including a season-high 16 saves against Villanova. Under Taylor’s tutelage, Young also posted double-digit saves against Saint Joseph’s (12 saves), #21 Duke (10), and #10 Maryland (15).
 
A member of the University of Maryland women’s lacrosse team, Taylor was one of the most decorated goalies in the history of the game.
 
Taylor became the first goalkeeper, in men’s or women’s lacrosse, to win the sport’s most prestigious honor, the Tewaaraton Award, which is given to the most outstanding American college lacrosse player. In addition to winning the 2019 Tewaaraton Award, she was the IWLCA National Player of the Year and the Honda Sport Award Winner for Lacrosse.
 
A three-time IWLCA All-American, she was named the IWLCA Goalie of the Year twice (2017, ’19), while also earning Big Ten Goaltender of the Year honors four times (2016, ’17, ’18, ’19). Taylor was a three-time All-Big Ten selection (2016, '17, '19), as well as a two-time All-NCAA Tournament Team honoree (2018, ‘19), including being named the 2019 NCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player.
 
In her four years in College Park, Taylor helped Maryland put together an 86-4 (.956) record with two national titles and seven Big Ten titles (regular season: 2016, ’17, ’18, ’19; tournament: 2016, ’17, ’18). The goalie finished her Maryland career with 740 saves and a career .512 save percentage. Taylor recorded 20 double-digit save performances in her final three seasons, including a career-high 20 stops against No. 3 Florida in 2017.
 
A native of Glenelg, Md., Taylor was named to the Academic All-Big Ten team twice (2017, ’19). She graduated in 2019 with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
 
Prior to Maryland, Taylor was a 2015 Under Armour High School All-American. She ranked No. 27 on the Inside Lacrosse Top 50 Freshmen rankings as well as being named to the Under Armour Underclassmen team in 2013 and 2014. Taylor was first team all-county in 2012, 2013 and 2014, second team in 2015. She was a US Lacrosse All-American and Academic All-American in 2014.