ELON, N.C. – The Elon University lacrosse team was voted to finish eighth in the CAA preseason poll out of the conference's nine teams. Against the odds, the Phoenix will return to the postseason after a thrilling 12-11 overtime road win against the Towson Tigers over the weekend.
"The whole year, we were somewhat underestimated," freshman Mia Zebley said.
Over the last two seasons, Elon went 1-12 in conference matchups. With returning stars and a class of 13 freshmen, the Phoenix had something to prove in 2024. After winning three straight conference games, Elon set itself up for a "win-and-in" game against the Tigers. The victor would secure the final spot in the CAA Tournament.
The Phoenix and Tigers clashed in a back-and-forth matchup, with no team taking larger than a two-point lead after the first quarter. Four quarters wasn't enough to decide the outcome, and the game went into overtime.
"Knowing that we were the underdogs, no pressure was there. Just play, have fun," junior Sammy Fisher said. "The week leading up to the game, we had a blast in practice, even in the locker room singing Pitch Perfect. We all are a family."
In a suspenseful first possession of overtime, the Phoenix was trying to find a gap in the Towson defense. Eventually, Zebley found a cutting Fisher in the middle, who immediately shot and stung the back of the net for the game-winning score.
"We knew that when we got to that position, we could get the goal that counted," Zebley said.
As the referees met to confirm the final goal, the Elon huddle waited anxiously. Multiple players hung their heads, unable to look, while a few stood by. Finally, the referee threw both arms straight up to signal a goal. With every preseason expectation blown out of the water, the team celebrated at center field.
"Seeing how much emotion everyone had after the fact, everyone was just so excited for each other," Zebley said. "That's the most excited I've seen us at anything this year, and it was great to celebrate it with everyone."
April might need to be renamed Zeb-pril after the freshman's stellar month. In each of Elon's last four contests, Zebley reset her career-high in points, earning both CAA Rookie of the Week and Player of the Week back-to-back. To cap it off, she delivered five assists against the Tigers — including the game-winning pass — tying the program record for a single game.
"Knowing that the season is coming to an end, I want to make sure that I'm putting everything out there on the field for everyone, especially for the seniors that are leaving, and especially just in this last game," Zebley said. "It's a credit to all my teammates for making the right cuts, making the right shots and scoring."
In her junior season, Fisher has had her best campaign yet. She finished as the team's leader in points and goals with 43 and 36, respectively. The Phoenix's do-it-all offensive weapon earned a spot on the All-CAA Second Team.
"It means the world. Leaving a legacy here and making an impact on this team has been my biggest goal," Fisher said. "Being able to do that and catching [Mia's] pass, I felt on top of the world. It feels amazing that even though I scored, we all felt that we played together. That wasn't just our play. It was the whole team's."
For the first time since 2021, Elon returns to the postseason. The Phoenix will face a familiar opponent in the No. 14 Stony Brook Seawolves, a rematch from a regular season game played on Long Island. That game was tied at 5-5 before the Seawolves took over, winning 18-6.
The rematch will occur in Seawolves' home territory as the first matchup of the CAA semifinals, set to begin at noon on May 2. The winner will secure a spot in the CAA championship game with a trip to the NCAA Tournament on the line.
"We're going to be an underdog, as we've been all season," Zebley said. "We're going out there knowing that we've improved so much since the last time we faced them and just putting everything out there to end the season on a good note."
'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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