ELON — One cross, one header and one eruption at Rudd Field set the tone for an evening Elon will remember forever.
Behind a complete performance on both ends, the Phoenix defeated Stony Brook 3-0 on Sunday to win the program's first-ever CAA Tournament title, closing an unbeaten home season and securing an NCAA Tournament berth.
The breakthrough arrived early and unexpectedly.
Elon earned a corner in the ninth minute, and junior defender Joe Taylor bent a dangerous ball into the box. A missed clearance deflected past the keeper for an own goal, giving Elon a 1-0 lead and igniting the packed-out Rudd field.
From there, the moment that swung the final belonged to two players whose chemistry has grown all season.
Just seconds after entering, junior striker Einar Ness made his run into the box as sophomore midfielder
Weston Jonke picked his head up from the right side. Jonke whipped a floated cross toward the far post, and Ness guided a header into the bottom-left corner. Rudd exploded.
"I saw the line and felt the space was open," Jonke said. "Einar came in with energy and made that run. I put it in there and trusted he'd finish it."
Ness had been on the field for less than a minute.
"I saw Weston shaping to hit it early," Ness said. "The ball had that pace where I just needed to redirect it. Staying composed is the key; you don't think, you trust the timing."
The sequence demonstrated what Elon had trusted in all year: midfield control and decisive movements in the final third. Jonke and senior captain Majaliwa Msabaha anchored the midfield following a double-pivot tactical change, breaking up Stony Brook's rhythm and absorbing pressure as the Seawolves earned seven corners.
"Coming into a final, we knew the midfield was going to be a battle," Jonke said. "It's about winning tackles, staying compact and not letting them get comfortable. Mac and I talk constantly, shift constantly. That's how we stay organized."
Graduate goalkeeper Jackson Leavitt made three saves, recording his 11th clean sheet of the season as the Phoenix protected its penalty area with confidence. Freshman center back
Magnus Jacobsen and junior defender
Charlie Kitch held Stony Brook's top-four scoring attack to just six shots and three on target.
"It's the balance of intensity and discipline," Ness said. "You want to bring that physical edge, especially off the bench, but in a playoff game, you have to control emotions. It's about energy with purpose."
The championship was sealed in the 88th minute, when redshirt sophomore Dominik Renz sparked a transition break. He squared the ball to junior winger
Martin Kozak, who cleverly chipped the ball and scored his team-leading fifth goal to close the title in front of the home crowd.
For Jonke, the win revealed the defining factor of Elon's season.
"Being undefeated at home says everything about our mentality," Jonke said. "Everybody buys in. Everybody defends. We take pride in protecting this field."
Ness said the title goal only heightens the group's confidence heading into national play.
"It means a lot for momentum," Ness said. "When you score in a final, it gives you belief going into the NCAA Tournament. We're hungry for more."
Both players glanced at the stands as the entire program and student section were roaring behind them.
"We take pride in this place," Jonke said. "Doing it at Rudd, lifting a trophy here, that's special."
The Phoenix moves on to the NCAA Tournament, facing No. 20 UNCG in the opening round on Thursday at 5 p.m.
As Jonke put it, the message remains what it has been all season:
"We're not finished yet."
'Rising Phoenix' is a 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 X (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Sydney Spencer at sspencer9@elon.edu.
--ELON--
