Elon, N.C. – The Elon University women's lacrosse team held No. 17 Notre Dame to its lowest goal total of the 2025 season but the Fighting Irish had just enough to defeat the Phoenix in a low scoring contest, 8-4 Sunday afternoon at Rudd Field.
 
The loss snaps Elon's modest two-game win streak but the Phoenix have now held three straight opponents to eight goals or less for the first time since 2021. Elon falls to 2-3 on the season and Notre Dame improves to 3-3. All three of the Fighting Irish's losses have come against ranked opponents.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Elon jumped on top early behind an unassisted Sammy Fisher goal for the 1-0 lead. It took Notre Dame more than 10 minutes to get on the board and finally tied the score with 4:48 to play in the first quarter. It remained 1-1 after one.
• Fisher again scored early in the second and Elon took a 2-1 lead. It remained that way until the final five minutes of the half. Notre Dame tied it with a woman-up goal and then added a score just over two minutes later for a 3-2 halftime advantage.
• Notre Dame scored the first two goals of the second half but Cierra Hopson got on the board with a goal, on a pass from Fisher, for a woman-up goal with 6:30 to go. That made it 5-3.
• Notre Dame scored less than two minutes later but Elon again had an answer. Fisher got her hat trick, this time on a pass from Hopson, with 55 seconds remaining in the third. The Fighting Irish took a 6-4 lead into the fourth.
• Notre Dame score the only two goals of the fourth, including one with 10 seconds left in the contest, for the 8-4 win.

 
NOTES AND STATS

• Sammy Fisher scored or assisted on all four of Elon's goals. She now has at least two goals in four straight games and leads the Phoenix with 10 goals and 14 points.
• Cierra Hopson scored a goal for the third straight contest.
• Caitlin Walsh made six saves with a .429 save percentage. It was her third straight game with a save percentage of .400 or better. She added a team-best three ground balls.
• Fisher led Elon with five draw controls just one game after pacing the Phoenix with 10. Brooke Scheuermann added three more.
• Team stats were incredibly close with Notre Dame outshooting Elon 22-21. Both teams had 14 shots on goal.
• Elon had 11 turnovers, one fewer than Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish were perfect on 20 clear attempts and Elon was 15-of-16.
• Notre Dame did hold a 13-8 advantage on ground balls but Elon dominated the draw circle to the tune of 12-4.
• Since losing the draw control battle by a combined total of 37-12 in the first two games of the season, Elon has won that statistical contest in three straight games by a total of 44-21.

 
UP NEXT

• After four straight home games, Elon begins a three-game road swing. The Phoenix will play in Conway, S.C. Saturday against Coastal Carolina with a noon start time.
• The Chanticleers are 4-2 on the season, which includes a 13-11 loss to CAA opponent William & Mary. In terms of common opponents, Coastal Carolina defeated East Carolina 15-14 in overtime, a team Elon beat 12-7.