Izzy Scane's Journey Back to the Height of Lacrosse
Kikue Higuchi, NUSports.com
3/29/2023
Down four goals at the end of first half, Northwestern University needed a push to upset No. 3 Boston College. Izzy Scane, who had yet to score, was the answer. When the clock hit zero, Scane had added four goals to close the score at 15-14.
The upset win moved the Wildcats from No. 5 to No. 3 in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWCLA) poll and was just the beginning of a historic season. Exactly a month later, Scane led Northwestern with four goals to an upset of No. 1 North Carolina pushing the 'Cats to where they are now, No. 2 in the nation. She leads the nation with 54 goals.
That's just who Scane is, a player who finds a way to score when her team needs it most. But last season, Scane couldn't do that. In 2022, whenever Scane was on the field, she was on the sideline with a clipboard in hand – a place entirely foreign to Northwestern lacrosse's star player.
Scane was in the midst of a scrimmage against Notre Dame in November 2021 when her foot got caught in the turf and she felt a pop in her knee. As soon as she hit the ground, Elle Hansen, who was sitting on the sideline nursing her own ACL tear, knew exactly what had happened.
"It killed me because I had that same exact feeling," Elle said of Scane's reaction that day. "Just seeing the fear that she had took me right back to the moment when I did it.
"That was really hard, but I knew that I had to be there for her. During that game, I sat on the sideline next to her the whole time and didn't even look on the field again. I knew what she was about to go through was going to be a really hard, long process and if I could help her out any way I wanted to."
"If you get to this level, you've done sports your whole life and that's kind of been your whole identity for a really long time. Trying to figure out who you are outside of what you do on the field is definitely a big learning curve. I think that was the scariest part for me because I've never had to do that in my life."Izzy Scane
A week later, Scane underwent surgery for her ACL and meniscus, ruling her out for the 2022 season. It's the typical ACL injury saga – one that, according to the NCAA, over 2,000 collegiate athletes undertake every year.
But Scane is anything but your typical college athlete. The 2021 Tewaaraton finalist sits atop the Northwestern record books in single season goals (98), goals per game (6.13) and points per game (7.75), all accomplished during the 2021 season. Her 6.13 goals per game is also an all-time NCAA record.
To reach the heights of the game, Scane has dedicated most of her life to lacrosse. She started playing in sixth grade, attending boy's camps with her brother James in Clarkston, Michigan. But in over 10 years of playing lacrosse, Scane never had an injury – at least nothing she couldn't play through. So having to sit out last season was more than just a physical injury, but a blow to her identity and confidence.
"If you get to this level, you've done sports your whole life and that's kind of been your whole identity for a really long time," Scane explained. "Trying to figure out who you are outside of what you do on the field is definitely a big learning curve. I think that was the scariest part for me because I've never had to do that in my life."
124 points, No. 1 in the nation.
— Northwestern Lax (@NULax) June 3, 2021
6.12 goals/game, No. 1 in @NCAALAX HISTORY.
The Scane Train ?? had an unforgettable 2021 season.#GoCats | @Tewaaraton pic.twitter.com/fQ89fEk0nc
Recovering from an ACL tear is a just as much of a mental grind as it is a physical one. In fact, according to the Stone Clinic, nearly 40% of people who undergo ACL surgery also experience clinically diagnosable depression. Luckily, Scane had Elle by her side to guide her through the process and motivate her.
"Elle's even better player now than she was before the injury which I always thought was so crazy and so inspirational," Scane said with a big smile. "Coming back from the injury she was so helpful. There's not as much nerves in terms of being able to come back and be the same player because she came back and she was an even better player."
Though she leaned heavily on Elle, Scane also had the entire Northwestern lacrosse program behind her. The day Scane began to jog in place for the first time, the entire team came up to congratulate her. Though it may seem like the simplest thing in the world for a Division I athlete, the team made sure Scane knew it was a big win.
"The team celebrated the small wins a lot," Scane said. "My team, coaches and trainers did an amazing job of making it known that they saw what I was doing and the work that I was doing off the field to get back to them."
With an overwhelming amount of support from Elle and the rest of the team, Scane was able to toil through the long process of recovery, physical therapy and self-discovery. It certainly wasn't easy and there were many days full of tears, but Scane still sees plenty of upsides to the experience.
For one, Scane learned that there were more ways to contribute to her team than just scoring goals – that she could be an even better teammate and a leader from the sideline. During any game in the 2022 season, Scane could be seen on the sideline with iPad in hand, screaming her heart out for her fellow Wildcats.
"Izzy really engaged in leadership quite a bit last year, trying to inspire her teammates from a different perspective," said Combe Family Head Coach Kelly Amonte Hiller. "[Before the injury] when her teammates needed something she would always just say, 'I'm gonna step up.' That's what makes Izzy great. She had to figure out a way to do that from the sideline."
A starting attacker for the Wildcats, Scane is always at the center of the action. She said being on the sideline helped her zoom out and better understand how the offense runs as whole. It also helped her clearly see the emotions of her teammates on or off the field and allowed her to step in when someone needed some inspiring.
That is exactly what Elle's younger sister, Jane Hansen, needed. Jane tore her ACL a few months after Scane and looked to her for guidance the way Scane looked to Elle.
"I don't think I could have done this alone," Jane admitted. "She was so positive about the whole thing and super supportive of me. I grew as a person and I think I owe a lot of that to her, just because I looked at her as an inspiration."
Though the injury took away the sport she loved so much, it allowed Scane to grow as a leader, teammate and friend. She found that she was more than whoever she was or could be on the field – but she also discovered just how much she loved playing the game.
"I think the biggest positive was getting to be someone outside of an athlete for enough time to have a very big appreciation for what it is like being an athlete," Scane said. "I think coming back from an injury has taken a lot of pressure off of me in terms of like, how I perform or what I'm doing on the field, because I'm just super happy to be playing."
Amonte Hiller has observed this distinct change in her star player. By spending some time away from the field, Scane found a deeper way to connect with the game.
"I think the biggest thing when people get injured or have to step away from the field is there's just so much gratitude for what they have in front of them," Amonte Hiller said. "I think she has that gratitude. She's able to reset herself in moments where she gets away from what she wants to embody and go back to the gratitude of 'I'm lucky to be here in this moment.'"
Elle said the injury helped them all learn how to get out of their heads and just enjoy the game in front of them – because they never know how much playing time they have left.
"I'm just very happy to do any sort of lacrosse," Scane said. "People are asking me if I'm excited for games this year and I'm like, 'I can play in half a game and I'd be satisfied. It's more than I got last year.' I'm just enjoying it at this point, which is really nice."
And though Scane might not be thinking about what she stats she contributes on the field as much anymore, just about everyone else is. Scane leads the nation with 47 goals and 6.00 goals per game. A member of the Tewaaraton watch list, Scane is a two-time IWCLA Offensive Player of the Week for her efforts against Boston College and North Carolina.
Amonte Hiller says she's a better player now than before the injury, more mature, dynamic and resilient. Elle agrees wholeheartedly.
"I'm honestly really proud of Izzy because she came out the other side a lot stronger, faster, better even," Elle said.
"You think Izzy Scane could get better before the injury? Watch out, because here she comes."
