When members of the Maryland women’s lacrosse team hear goalkeeper Megan Taylor’s name, they all grin.

“She just makes me smile,” coach Cathy Reese said Feb. 6 at the team’s media day. “You say her name and she just makes me smile. She’s such a fantastic person and an amazing goalkeeper.”

The sophomore’s performance last Saturday against William & Mary brought the Terps joy, too. Taylor stopped eight of the Tribe’s 11 shots on goal during the 13-3 win. After the game, midfielder Zoe Stukenberg said she “could not be more impressed” with Taylor’s performance.

Taylor was last season’s Big Ten Goaltender of the Year and added to her personal accolades when the conference named her Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.

“That’s Megan,” Reese said. “We’re going to see her come through as the stud goalkeeper that she is. She comes up with some big stops. It’s definitely an honor that is well deserved right now, and I bet it’s not the last time we hear that.”

However, Taylor refuses to take all of the credit.

“It just shows I’m playing with some of the best defenders in front of me,” Taylor said. “They’re making my job so much easier than it should be.”

[Read more: “Everyone being dangerous”: 10 Maryland women’s lacrosse players score in season opener]

Taylor earned the starting role as a freshman, playing in all 23 games and putting together an impressive campaign. She allowed 6.78 goals per game for a .471 save percentage as the Terps finished the regular season undefeated before making a run to the national championship game.

Reese said Taylor’s experience entering her second season is an asset. She’s better able to stay focused on the present and move past mistakes.

“I anticipate her to continue to get more confident as the season goes on,” Reese said. “She’ll just keep doing her thing.”

Junior attacker Megan Whittle heaped praise on her teammate, too, emphasizing her importance as the final line of defense. Whittle described Taylor as a “legend” and “amazing” and admitted the Glenelg native has helped improve her shooting.

“We all love her to death,” Whittle said. “I’m really excited that she’s on our team and not playing against us. She saves us back there. She’s the backbone of our defense, and I’m really excited that she’s on the team and that she’s playing so well.

“It’s only going to get better for her. She’s going to have a great year.”

Reese said Taylor has embraced her opportunities. Last year when she battled rookie nerves, she “just giggled and did her thing,” the coach remembered.

While others had extensive explanations of what Taylor’s “thing” is, the goalie keeps it simple.

“I know every team is going to be pretty good,” Taylor said. “So I just go out there and try and save the ball.”