WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Behind a dominant third quarter and a career day from Sammy Fisher, Elon University women's lacrosse earned a key CAA road win on Sunday, edging William & Mary 12-11 at Martin Family Stadium.
 
Fisher set career-highs with eight points and four assists, adding four goals to lead the Phoenix (7-6, 4-2 CAA) to their fourth conference victory. Elon used a five-goal run to start the second half to erase a three-goal deficit and held off a late push from the Tribe (5-8, 1-5 CAA) to secure the win.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• Sammy Fisher scored the game's first two goals to give Elon an early 2-0 lead.
• Gwen Eilender and Carley Sgueglia each posted their first goals of the season, for Sgueglia the first of her career, to help the Phoenix carry a 4-3 advantage into the second quarter.
• Fisher completed her first-half hat trick midway through the second to even the score at 5-5, but the Tribe responded with a three-goal run to take an 8-5 lead into halftime.
• Elon opened the second half with five unanswered goals, starting with back-to-back scores from Ana Lee Vandiver just 49 seconds apart.
• Fisher's fourth goal tied the game at 8-8 before Lila Ceribelli gave the Phoenix the lead with a free-position strike.
• Danielle Swietoniowski capped the run off a feed from Fisher to make it 10-8.
• Vandiver completed her hat trick early in the fourth and Lillian Austin added a key insurance goal to extend the lead to 12-9.
• William & Mary scored twice in the final minutes to pull within one, but the Phoenix defense held one last charge in the final 15 seconds to get the win.

NOTES AND STATS

• Sammy Fisher recorded career highs in both points (8) and assists (4), while also matching her career best with four goals.
• Fisher's eight points are tied for the second most in a game in program history and her four assists are tied for fourth-most. 
• Ana Lee Vandiver registered her seventh hat trick of the season and she has now recorded multiple points in eight straight games.
• Mia Zebley matched her season high with two assists, while Mackenzie Coleman and Kailey McKenna also added helpers.
• The Phoenix held a 27-21 advantage in shots and edged the Tribe 14-13 in draw controls. MJ Santa Barbara had nine draw controls and Fisher had the other five.
• Caitlin Walsh earned the win in goal with five saves. She had a team-best three ground balls as well.
• Eliza Ritter, Reagan Kuehn and Jessie Penner each had three caused turnovers.
• It is the second time this year that Elon rallied from a second half deficit of 3+ goals. Elon beat Coastal Carolina after trailing by as many as five in the second half.
• Elon improved to 3-3 on the road this season and 8-2 all-time against William & Mary.

 
UP NEXT

• Elon will host Towson Saturday at noon. With a win, the Phoenix would clinch a spot in the CAA Tournament semifinals.