ELON, N.C. – Every good story includes two characters: the rookie and the vet. The duo was present in Elon lacrosse's road victory against Campbell on Saturday. From the opening whistle to the final buzzer, Elon never trailed.
In the midst of a three-game skid in conference play, the Phoenix traveled to Buies Creek over the weekend for a pivotal matchup against newly-minted CAA foes, the Fighting Camels. The Phoenix came out on top 16-12 with a combination of offensive and defensive highlights.
Continuing its elite play in the draw control circle, Elon won the battle in dominant fashion. Elon held a decisive 21-10 advantage in the center behind a career-high seven draw controls for the veteran defender and team captain Kailee Follette.
"It's not just me at all. It is the entire draw team," Follette said. "MJ [Santa Barbara] does a beautiful job every time. She's communicating through everything."
The rookie defender Reagan Kuehn has had a rare number of opportunities to contribute to the offensive game plan this season. When she saw an opening against Campbell, she picked off a pass and created her own offense.
"I intercepted it, then I ran down, and I was honestly really tired," Kuehn said. "I saw [Kaitlyn] Michaud running, and she hesitated, and so did her girl. Michaud ran around her, and I side-armed it to her… then I got slammed by my defender."
"[It was a] beautiful assist, best I've seen," her mentor, Follette, added.
As a freshman and one of only five players to start every game for Elon this season, Kuehn has continued to give opposing offenses headaches. The defender has added at least a ground ball or caused a turnover in all but one contest so far in her career.
Saturday was no different. Kuehn contributed a team-high two caused turnovers and two ground balls.
"It was fun," Kuehn said. "Even when it was a tight game, one goal difference or tied at one point, it was just such a fun overall vibe."
To pair with Follette and Kuehn's performances, the offense put together one of its best performances of the season. With 16 goals, The Phoenix tied its largest offensive output in 2024, led by six points from junior Sammy Fisher, including five goals.
"We've been harping all week on playing our game and just focusing on us," Follette said. "That all came to a head today, and we were not worried about the score at all. We were worrying about what we were doing and what we were producing out on the field, and that showed in the game."
With the race for a spot in the CAA Championships fully in gear, the Phoenix will return to Rudd Field to face the William & Mary Tribe on April 14. Following the road win, the Phoenix is ready to return home with renewed energy.
"[The] energy was so contagious," Follette said. "Good day to be a bird."
'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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