Towson, Md. –
Sammy Fisher scored 58 seconds into overtime as the Elon lacrosse team earned a must-win 12-11 victory over Towson Saturday to grab a spot in the CAA Tournament. Elon and Towson entered the final game of the regular season tied for fourth in the league standings with the winner moving on, while the loser's season would come to a close.
The defending CAA Co-Rookie of the Week,
Mia Zebley tied the program record with her fifth assist of the game on Fisher's game-winning goal. She had a career-high seven points in the contest, scoring a pair of goals as well. As a team, Elon had a season-high nine assists on the 12 goals. It was the most assists in a game for the Phoenix since recording 10 in a 14-3 win at Longwood on March 29, 2021.
Elon improves to 9-7 overall and 5-3 with the win. Towson's season comes to a close with a record of 7-9 overall and 4-4 in conference play.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Neither team was able to gain control for long as the score was tied 3-3 after one quarter, 4-4 at halftime, 8-8 after three quarters and 11-11 at the end of regulation.
- Towson's largest lead came after scoring the first three goals of the game and Elon's largest lead was a two-goal cushion at 6-4 midway through the third.
- After Towson took that 3-0 lead, Elon scored six of the next seven goals. The Phoenix tied it after one period on successive scores from Mia Zebley, Cierra Hopson and Ana Lee Vandiver. Zebley assisted on Hopson's goal and Hopson assisted on Vandiver's tally.
- After Towson took a 4-3 lead, Elon put up another three goal string. Hopson scored on a pass from Kailey McKenna with 1:18 left before halftime to tie it after two periods.
- Sammy Fisher scored on a pass from Mikaela Buoscio just 66 seconds into the second half and Elon went on top 6-4 on Vandiver's second goal, with a pass from Zebley.
- Towson roared back to tie the contest at 6-6 but Fisher scored again for the 7-6 Elon lead and neither team led by more than one the rest of the way.
- Towson tied it at 7-7, but Hopson scored on a pass from Buoscio to make it 8-7 Elon. Towson took the lead on goals sandwiching the third quarter break for a 9-8 advantage early in the fourth.
- Zebley tied the game at 9-9 before Towson once more scored for a 10-9 lead.
- Kaitlyn Michaud got in the scoring column with 4:46 to play on a pass from Zebley to tie the score at 10-10 but Towson answered 58 seconds later for an 11-10 lead.
- Elon tied the game on McKenna's goal with just 52 seconds remaining, again with an assist from Zebley.
- After Towson won the draw control, Bridget Kelly forced a turnover to set up Elon for the final opportunity of the contest but the Phoenix was unable to get a shot off and the game went to overtime.
- Kiley Selquist secured the opening draw of overtime and Elon set up an offensive play after Head Coach Josh Hexter called a timeout. Zebley found Fisher for the game winner in the golden goal scenario to give Elon the 12-11 victory.
STATS AND NOTES
- Sammy Fisher and Cierra Hopson each had a hat trick in the game. It was Fisher's fourth straight game with at least three goals, just one game shy of the program record for consecutive games with a hat trick. It was Hopson's fourth hat trick of the season but first since March 16 against Monmouth.
- Mia Zebley's five assists tied the program record. Mae McGlynn had five assists against Radford in 2021 and Hopson had five against Coastal Carolina in 2023. Zebley now has 11 assists on the season, second-most by a freshman in Elon program history (Sloane Kessler had 22 in 2014).
- Elon's nine assists as a team are tied for the third-most in a single-game in program history. The school record is 12, set against Radford in 2021.
- Bridget Kelly led Elon with a career-high four ground balls. Fisher, Mikaela Buoscio and Reagan Kuehn each added three.
- Kelly, Fisher and Kuehn had two caused turnovers apiece.
- MJ Santa Barbara led Elon with seven draw controls, while Kailee Follette added five. Elon held a 16-11 advantage on the draw.
- Elon outshot Towson 27-25 and both teams had 18 shots on goal.
- Elon was 26-of-27 on clear attempts while Towson was just 18-of-23.
- This was Elon's first overtime game of the season and the Phoenix had not won an overtime contest since beating Towson 10-9 in the 2017 CAA Tournament at Towson. Elon had not won an overtime contest in which it won the opening draw and scored on the ensuing possession since beating No. 19 Virginia Tech 13-12 earlier in the 2017 season.
- Elon improved to just 2-10 all-time against Towson with those overtime victories being the lone wins.
- Elon moved to 9-0 when scoring 12+ goals on the season. The Phoenix are 0-7 when failing to reach that total.
- Elon has qualified for the CAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. The Phoenix made a tremendous improvement this year with a 5-3 CAA record after winning just one conference game between the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
UP NEXT
- Elon will face top seed and No. 13 ranked Stony Brook in the CAA semifinal Thursday at noon on Stony Brook's home field. The Seawolves beat Elon 18-6 earlier this year at Stony Brook. Stony Brook is 15-2 on the season and went 8-0 in CAA regular season play.
- The winner of that contest will play either Hofstra or Drexel for the CAA Championship on Saturday at 12:32 p.m. in Stony Brook.
-- ELON --
