Senior swagger Jankowski brings jolt to No. 6 JMU lacrosse

By KAIDEN BRIDGES The Breeze

Although senior attacker Tai Jankowski isn’t one of the four captains for JMU lacrosse, head coach Shelley Klaes said she acts like one.

Jankowski said coming into this season, one of the goals she wanted to hold herself accountable to helping lead the team.

“She's willing to put people in their place, hold people accountable or calm them down depending on what the moment needs,” Klaes said. “So, she's leading by example with her demeanor.”

Jankowski’s focus going into the season was on working to be a player her teammates could rely on both on and off the field. She added that this year’s team makes the chemistry easy between one another with the return of fifth-year players and having spent the last four seasons growing up together.

She said the team’s bond helped them start this year’s in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) on the right foot.

The Dukes are currently No. 1 in the AAC and No. 6 in the nation, set to play No. 4-seeded Cincinnati in the semifinals of the AAC tournament Thursday at 4:30 p.m.

“I think what makes this team really special is just coming off of last year's note," Jankowski said; JMU bowed out in the second round of the NCAA tournament last year versus Loyola (Md.) 18-8. "We had these goals coming into this year, and I think we're doing a pretty good job accomplishing them."

Jankowski’s teammate, redshirt senior defender Rachel Matey, described Jankowski as a burst of personality who constantly brings energy to the team.

“When the team's a little tired, a little lacking in energy, you know, Tai’s gonna bring it in,” Matey said. “I'm one to trash talk, and she's one to give it back to me.”

Jankowski's character isn't her only trait that's been recognized this season, though. Jankowski has had an impactful senior year that leaves her with plenty of accolades and personal records broken. Last season Jankowski scored 28 goals, and so far this season she’s already almost doubled last season with 48 thus far. With a total of 68 points, she has the team’s second most points this season only trailing redshirt junior attacker Isabella Peterson (88).

“Wouldn't want her to be on the other team, that's for sure,” Matey said.

She was most recently rostered on the AAC First Team All-Conference on Wednesday morning and has been named AAC Player of the Week three times this season, on March 6, March 27 and April 24. In the Dukes’ 14-7 win against Rutgers on April 23, Jankowski scored five goals, her personal career best.

“She's performing on game day, stepping up and taking a lot of pressure off of Bella [Peterson], which I think Bella is incredibly appreciative of,” Klaes said. "She's explosive. She can score and she can hold people accountable for the fouling game. She's deadly on eight -meter shots right now.”

Klaes added that over the last four years, she’s watched Jankowski grow into her own skin and become her own player. She said this year, she’s really brought "Tai Jankowski" to the table.

“She's got a lot of spice, a lot of personality,” Klaes said. “She's got a lot of swagger, and I think when she started to become confident in her authentic self, she started to really play better, compete harder and just show a great deal of resilience.”

CONTACT Kaiden Bridges at breezesports@gmail.com. For more lacrosse coverage, follow the sports desk on Twitter at @TheBreezeSports.