What makes Izzy Scane so hard to guard? ‘Her shot is unstoppable’

If you see a bull, the internet would advise you to remain calm, to avoid sudden movements and to back away slowly.

The same tactic should probably be applied when a player sees Izzy Scane charging down the alley.

Scane, the captain of both the New York Charging and Team Izzy during the 2025 Maybelline WLL All-Star Game, exploded for nine points (8G, 1A) in the All-Star showdown between her squad and Team North at CPKC Stadium. Scane is often seen dodging down the alley and finishing with a right-handed corner rip, dancing through a maze of defenders to pad the score. Scane did that, and was responsible for a handful of other highlights, in the Fourth of July matchup.

Opponents see she’s coming. They don’t avoid sudden movements or step aside. They push back, trying to slow Scane with an opposing stampede of slides and help defense. And she can still score eight goals.

So what makes her so hard to stop?

“She just goes so hard to goal. Her shot is unstoppable,” Team North attacker Rachel Clark said. “In college I tried to emulate my game similar to her. She just goes super hard and she has a rip and she tends to shoot in the top of the net, but she’s really started to develop her game and shoot low and in different spots, which I think is really cool to see. She goes hard. Every time the ball is in her stick, she’s a threat.”

Scane credits her shot evolution to playing against elite-level goalies.

“It’s not enough to just get to the cage or get your hands free,” she said, “you do have to put a lot of time and effort into finishing your shots, because the goalies will just gobble up anything you give them.”

Scane said her focus isn’t just on shooting hard, but on her body position and the ball placement needed to score. Her strength helps with that, too.

“Naturally I’m a pretty muscular person. My body is on the stronger side,” she said. “That’s one part of my game that’s a little unique and something I do put effort into, but I think naturally I’m a little bit blessed being a little bit bigger and having stronger thighs and being able to use my physicality to get myself places. I do try my best when I’m dodging and getting to cage to use that to my advantage, to box out and shift my body to get there.”

“She puts her body on the line and she’s so tall and strong,” Clark said. “There’s not much you can do.”

Scane was held scoreless through the first quarter and change of the All-Star Game. Team Izzy was rushing its offense, trying to bend it to the 52-second shot clock. Team North’s defense was coming up with stops, where the all-Boston College attack trio of Charlotte North, Kenzie Kent and Clark capitalized for the 7-6 lead after the first frame.

While Scane’s scoring was quiet, she tried to move the ball, work off it and set her teammates up for the right shot. Scane led her team with 47 touches and 28 passes. She also grabbed three ground balls.

“Dodging is something I try to take advantage of, but also taking the opportunities we’re given, whether that’s scoring or assisting, doing things for the team,” Scane said. “The fun thing about a team sport is you have to morph into whatever spot they need you in. Early in that All-Star Game I wasn’t able to get to cage, so I did whatever I could do to let my teammates do what they wanted and get their shots off.”

“Izzy is such a competitor, and that’s something I’ve always admired about her,” Team Izzy attacker Marie McCool said. “Obviously she’s an incredible player, but her competitive fire is unmatched. She’s also a great teammate. She’s someone who communicates and is really willing to make the people around her better, and that’s something that’s really important about her game is that she’s constantly trying to understand her strengths and weaknesses or what she needs to do to make sure we can all collectively play together. That’s something that’s really unique about her.

“Everybody sees her production, she’s a natural goal-scorer and that’s what she’s known for, but just being able to make the people around her better is something I really enjoy about her.”

As the game progressed, Team Izzy’s faceoff specialist, Sam Smith, continued to command the circle. She won 39 of 45 draws on the day and nabbed 34 ground balls. The more touches Team Izzy got, the more comfortable it appeared to play, taking more time for the right shot.

Scane produced half her goals in the second quarter, when Team Izzy outscored Team North 7-3 in what was the deciding 12 minutes of play. She also took home the first-ever WLL All-Star Game MVP honors.

“It was an honor to be the first MVP,” Scane said. “That’s something I won’t think about until a couple years down the line. It was such a fun game to be a part of, and any girl out there could’ve won that award. I got lucky and was happy it was me.

“I was happy my teammates were gracious enough to allow me to take the ball and get it in the back of the cage as much as I did.”