Elon, N.C. – Elon University freshman MJ Santa Barbara entered Saturday's Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) opener needing eight draw controls against Monmouth to break the program's single-season record. Santa Barbara, though, took it one step further, with a new single-game record 15 draw controls. Most importantly, those extra possessions allowed the Phoenix to generate 39 shots in a 16-13 win over Monmouth to open league play.
 
Elon improves to 5-4 with the win and 1-0 in CAA play. Monmouth falls to 4-4 and 0-1 in league action.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Elon and Monmouth combined to score 10 goals in the first period with the Phoenix building a 6-4 lead after 15 minutes of play.
• Sammy Fisher, Mikaela Buoscio, Kaitlyn Michaud, Cierra Hopson and Bridget Kelly staked Elon to an early 5-1 lead. Anna Hackett and Mackenzie Coleman added assists during the flurry as the Phoenix's balanced offense flexed.
• Four more goals were scored over the final two minutes of the first quarter but three of them came from Monmouth. Buoscio posted her second score of the period and Elon led 6-4 after one.
• The Elon defense buckled down, shutting out Monmouth in the second quarter. The Phoenix scored four times to take a 10-4 lead into the break. MJ Santa Barbara, Kailey McKenna, Hackett and Hopson all scored unassisted as Elon took control.
• The script flipped in the third quarter. Monmouth scored four straight and then closed with a pair of goals and Elon's comfortable lead shrunk to just one at 11-10 after three. Mia Zebley scored the Phoenix's only goal of the period.
• Elon, though, rebounded with the first three goals of the fourth quarter. Hackett scored on an assist from Zebley, followed by a Coleman goal on an assist from Fisher. Hackett then posted her third goal of the game with exactly 10 minutes remaining for the 14-10 lead.
• Monmouth tried to rally but Hopson and Hackett added goals for Elon and the Hawks got no closer than three the rest of the way.

 
THE MJ DAY

• MJ Santa Barbara had a career-high 15 draw controls Saturday, breaking both Elon's single-game and single-season record along the way.
• Elon's previous school record for draw controls in a game was 12, set by Gillian Curran twice in 2022, tied by Sammy Fisher a year, and again tied by Santa Barbara in the 2024 season opener.
• The 15 draw controls is also the CAA record for a conference game, surpassing the 14 that Monmouth's Cassidy Orban had against Drexel a year ago.
• Santa Barbara entered the contest with 72 draw controls, seven shy of the program record of 79 in a single-season. With 15 Saturday, she set the program record and has 87 through nine games, an average of 9.7 per game. That average ranks fifth in the entire country.

 
NOTES AND STATS

• With the win, Elon has surpassed the overall win total and conference win total for the program from 2023. The Phoenix has not had more than five wins in a season since going 9-3 in 2021.
• Elon's 16 goals were the most for the program in a CAA game since a 17-12 win over William & Mary on March 30, 2022.
• Elon wins its conference opener for the seventh time in the 11-year history of the program and for the sixth time in 10 years in the CAA.
• With Santa Barbara's 15 draw controls, Elon led in the draw circle 24-9. At one point spanning the third and fourth quarters, the Phoenix won 13 straight draws.
• Anna Hackett led Elon with four goals and five points. It was her third hat trick of 2024 and her second five-point game of the season.
• Cierra Hopson had a hat trick as well with three goals. It snapped a two-game scoreless stretch for Hopson but is her third hat trick of the year.
• Elon outscored Monmouth 4-0 in the second quarter. The Phoenix has outscored its opponents 22-6 in the second quarter during its five victories and has been outscored 15-7 in the second quarter in four losses.
• Reagan Kuehn had a career-high five ground balls and tied her career-high with three caused turnovers.
• Elon outshot Monmouth 39-26, including 28-20 on goal.
• Elon's 39 shots tie for the fifth-most in a game in program history. The Phoenix had as many as 45 shots in 2014 against Kennesaw State.
• Both teams score two free position goals.

 
UP NEXT

• Elon heads on the road for a two-game road swing in New York. The Phoenix plays at No. 11 Stony Brook Friday at 6:31 p.m. and plays at Hofstra Sunday at noon.
• Elon returns home on Saturday, March 30 to host Drexel at noon for a game broadcast on Lacrosse TV.