West Long Branch, N.J. – The Elon defense held Monmouth to just three second half goals and the Phoenix defeated the Hawks 14-10 Saturday in the CAA opener for both teams. With the win, Elon improves to 4-4 overall and 1-0 in conference play. Monmouth falls to 3-6 overall and 0-1 in CAA action.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Elon scored the first two goals of the game and never trailed Saturday. Lillian Austin got it started on the Phoenix's first possession of the game, on a pass from Cierra Hopson. On the ensuing possession, Ana Lee Vandiver scored to make it 2-0.
• After Monmouth got on the board to make the score 2-1, Danielle Swietoniowski sandwiched a pair of goals around a Mia Zebley tally for a 5-1 lead. All three of those goals were unassisted.
• Monmouth got back within three after the first by scoring twice in the final four minutes. Elon's Sammy Fisher scored on a pass from Hopson, her second assist of the game, during the final push for a 6-3 edge.
• Fisher got her second goal but Monmouth scored two of the first three in the second quarter to make it 7-5. Vandiver followed with back-to-back goals as Swietoniowski assisted on the second, to put the Phoenix back ahead by four.
• The Hawks answered with goals just 53 seconds apart but Vandiver got her fourth of the half with just 18 seconds to play, on an assist from Fisher, for the 10-7 halftime lead.
• Elon shut out Monmouth in the third quarter and took full control of the game by scoring three times. Lillian Austin, Fisher and Hopson each recorded goals, while Vandiver and Austin had assists in the period.
• With the 13-7 lead, Elon worked to run out the clock in the fourth quarter. Although Monmouth scored three times, Zebley got her second goal of the game and the Phoenix cruised to the 14-10 win.

 
NOTES AND STATS

• Ana Lee Vandiver ended with four goals and an assist. She now has 13 points in the last three games for the Phoenix and recorded her fourth hat trick of the year. She is tied with Sammy Fisher and Cierra Hopson for the team assist lead with six each.
• Hopson had a season-high two assists to go with a goal. She has recorded assists in four straight games and has at least one point in six consecutive contests.
• Fisher posted her fourth straight hat trick and fifth of the season. She has had at least four points in four straight games and multiple points in eight straight since being held scoreless in the season opener at Duke. The school record for consecutive games with a hat trick is five, set by teammate Anna Hackett in 2023.
• Sophomore Reaghan Kuehn led Elon with five ground balls and two caused turnovers. She has nine caused turnovers in the last three games and has multiple ground balls in five consecutive contests.
• In her second game back from injury, MJ Santa Barbara had 11 draw controls, giving her 26 in just two games this year. Her average of 13.0 draw controls per game would lead the country if she had played enough games to be eligible.
• Brooke Scheuermann added six draw controls, tying her season-high.
• Freshmen Danielle Swietoniowski and Lillian Austin each had two goals and an assist. For Swietoniowski, it is her third straight game with a goal and third multi-goal game of the season. Austin also has scored a goal in three straight games and has back-to-back two goal efforts.
• Elon outshot Monmouth 38-22, including 31-15 on goal.
• The Phoenix committed just six turnovers through the first three periods and finished the game with 13, two fewer than Monmouth.
• Elon was a perfect 14-of-14 on clear attempts and held a 17-9 advantage on ground balls. The Phoenix won 21-of-28 draw controls.
• Elon starts conference play with a win for the second consecutive year. In total, it is the Phoenix's fifth straight regular season conference win dating back to a four-game win streak to close the 2024 season.  

 
UP NEXT

• Elon returns home for two straight conference games. The Phoenix will host Hofstra on Sunday, March 23 at 11:00 a.m. and then Campbell on Saturday, March 29 at 1:00 p.m. The Campbell game will serve as the program's annual Senior Day.