ELON, N.C. – Entering the final quarter on Saturday, Elon led the Monmouth Hawks 11-10. The Phoenix needed a spark after allowing six goals in the third quarter. The spark manifested as a lightning bolt – its name was Anna Hackett.

Following an impressive freshman campaign during which she totaled 34 points in the midfield, including 32 goals, Hackett was selected to the All-CAA Rookie Team. She was expected to build upon her first year in the maroon and gold, earning the Phoenix's lone preseason nod as an All-CAA Honorable Mention.

In 2024, Hackett has been in the opposite of a "sophomore slump," surpassing expectations while continuing to develop her game on both sides of the ball. Nine games into the season, Hackett has eclipsed her totals for assists and ground balls and tied her caused turnovers from a season ago.

"Going from freshman to sophomore year, I was able to gain a lot more confidence, which allows me to be a leader on both ends of the field," Hackett said. "I couldn't do it without the entire team working every day on defense and offense."

In its first CAA matchup of the season, the Phoenix tallied 10 goals in the first half and entered the locker room with a six-point lead. The offensive showcase led the spectators at Rudd Field to believe Elon would handily take home its first conference win of the season. The visiting Hawks had other plans, holding Elon to one goal in the third quarter and scoring six of their own to shorten the gap between the two squads.

With a victory at risk, Hackett scored three goals in the fourth quarter to push Elon across the finish line. Each goal showcased her unique ability to find a path to the cage and leave her defender in the dust.

"We were more successful in that quarter because we worked as a team," Hackett said. "We were having more fun with it. We were playing better as a team, passing and moving the ball more."

Hackett earned Co-CAA Player of the Week for her efforts in Elon's home outings against High Point and Monmouth. The award marks Elon's first Player of the Week since Mae McGlynn earned the honor twice in 2021.

Across the two matchups, Hackett had seven points, including six goals. In the game against Monmouth, she finished with an efficient four goals on four shots on goal. Hackett has also become a critical component of the Phoenix defense, adding two ground balls and a caused turnover during the week.

"That's definitely a special honor, but I don't want to focus on individual honors," Hackett said. "I'm excited our team won our first conference game."
 
After a season in which Elon finished without a win in conference play, the Phoenix has started 2024 1-0 in the CAA. In addition, Elon has exceeded its season win total, improving from four to five with seven matchups left on the schedule.

"What's impressed me about this year's team is that everyone works hard day in and day out," Hackett said. "Practices are super fun because they're competitive. We keep pushing week by week to get better as a team and as a unit, from defense to offense, draw team, and goalie, all working together."

On Friday, The Phoenix will travel to the north shore of Long Island, New York, at 6:31 p.m. to face its toughest battle yet: No. 14 Stony Brook University. After its matchup with the Seawolves last season, head coach Josh Hexter had high praise for a freshman Hackett.

"Anna Hackett is going to explode onto the scene soon," Hexter said last year. "Once she recognizes, believes and understands what we all understand, how good she is, she is going to be unstoppable."

It's safe to say Hackett is starting to understand.
 

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'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.

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