ELON, N.C. – For the second consecutive year, the Elon women's lacrosse team travels to Stony Brook, N.Y., to take on top-seeded and nationally ranked Stony Brook in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament. The Phoenix, seeded fourth, will look to pull off a statement upset against a Seawolves squad that has yet to lose a conference game – regular season or postseason – since joining the league in 2023.

Elon enters the postseason with a 9-7 overall record and a 5-3 mark in conference play, closing the regular season with wins in three of its final four contests. Over that stretch, the Phoenix averaged 13.25 goals per game and recorded three shutout quarters, playing some of its most complete lacrosse of the year.

The 2025 CAA Tournament features the same four teams and identical seedings as last season: Stony Brook, Drexel, Delaware, and Elon. With a win, the Phoenix would earn its first CAA Tournament victory since 2017. Opening draw is set for noon, with the game streaming live on LacrosseTV.

HOW TO FOLLOW

• Live stats are available by CLICKING HERE
• The game will be broadcast on LacrosseTV by CLICKING HERE
• Follow the official social media accounts of Elon Lacrosse:
  • Twitter/X - @ElonWLax
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SCOUTING STONY BROOK

• Stony Brook enters the postseason ranked No. 22 in the NCAA RPI, No. 19 in the Inside Lacrosse KANE Women's Division I Media Poll, and No. 20 by USA Lacrosse Magazine. The Seawolves finished the regular season 13-4 overall and 8-0 in CAA play, remaining unbeaten in conference competition since joining the league in 2023, including both regular season and tournament contests.
• Stony Brook boasts one of the nation's top offenses, ranking seventh in Division I in points per game with 24.12. The attack is led by Charlotte Wilmoth, who ranks second in the CAA in points per game with 4.59.
• Defensively, the Seawolves lead the CAA in fewest goals allowed with 153 and rank second in both ground balls and caused turnovers. Avery Hines anchors the unit, leading the conference with 2.71 ground balls per game and 3.35 caused turnovers per game.
• Stony Brook claimed three major CAA postseason awards. Joe Spallina was named CAA Coach of the Year for the third time, Isabella Caporuscio was the unanimous choice for CAA Midfielder of the Year, and Avery Hines earned CAA Defensive Player of the Year honors.
• Spallina is in his 14th season at the helm of the program and holds a 221-42 record with Stony Brook. Including his time at Adelphi, where he went 73-2 over four seasons, Spallina owns a career coaching record of 294-44.

SERIES HISTORY VS. STONY BROOK

• Stony Brook leads the all-time series against Elon, 4-0.
• The two teams last met earlier this season on April 11, when Stony Brook earned an 18-8 victory. Due to inclement weather, the game was moved to the Hunt Practice Field. Sammy Fisher led the Phoenix with three goals on three shots. The Seawolves had two players, Charlotte Wilmoth and Riley McDonald, each post seven-point performances.
• This matchup will serve as a rematch of the 2024 CAA Semifinals, where Stony Brook, the eventual conference champions, defeated Elon, 17-4. Mia Zebley recorded a team-high three points with three assists, setting a program record for assists in a conference tournament game.

CAA HONORS

• Sammy Fisher was named the 2024-25 CAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, boasting a 3.95 GPA and leading the team in scoring with 55 points.
• Reagan Kuehn earned CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week on March 17 after totaling seven caused turnovers and nine ground balls across games against High Point and Monmouth.
• Danielle Swietoniowski was named CAA Rookie of the Week on March 24 after posting a five-point outing (3G, 2A) in a win over Hofstra.
• Lillian Austin took home CAA Co-Rookie of the Week on March 31, recording her first career hat trick in a 13-10 win over Campbell.
• Caitlin Walsh earned CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week on April 21 after anchoring the Phoenix defense in a 16-8 win over Towson. She made six saves and posted a .429 save percentage, helping hold the Tigers scoreless in the third quarter.
• Lillian Austin picked up her second CAA Rookie of the Week award on April 21, dishing out a career-high five assists in the win over Towson.

SUPER SAMMY

• Sammy Fisher continues to leave her mark in the program record book. The senior currently ranks third all-time at Elon with 156 career points, while sitting second in goals with 126. Fisher is also fifth in career assists (30), second in total shots (297), eighth in free-position goals (14), and tied for third all-time in draw controls (155). As it stands, she's seventh in career games started with 61.
• As the regular season winds down, Fisher has continued to climb the program's single-season leaderboards. She holds the second-most points in a single season (60), is tied for second in goals (44), ranks seventh in assists (16), and sits third in total shots (104).
• Her production has only improved as the team wraps up CAA play. This season, Fisher set a new program record for most points in a single CAA season with 32. She also ranks tied for second in goals (22) and first in shots (53) during league play.
• On top of her on-field achievements, Fisher was named the 2024-25 CAA Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, boasting a 3.95 GPA as a sport management major.

MJ IN THE DRAW CIRCLE

• Sophomore draw specialist MJ Santa Barbara was named a preseason All-American after bursting onto the scene with a CAA record 151 draw controls a year ago. However, she missed Elon's first six games of the 2025 regular season due to injury. Since her return, she has barely skipped a beat.
• In her first game back, she tied her own single-game program record with 15 draw controls at High Point — a mark she originally set in last year's win over Monmouth. She then broke the record with 16 draw controls against Queens, the most in a single game by any player in the CAA this season.
• Santa Barbara had 12 draw controls in the win over Campbell, breaking the school's career draw control record, in just her 21st career game, and giving her an even 200 for her career.
• Since that point, she has increased her draw control total to 254, which ranks fifth in CAA history. She is 11 behind Stony Brook's Ellie Masera for fourth.
• Since her return, Elon has posted a 60.5% draw control win rate (173-113), a notable improvement from the 49.3% rate across the first six games without her. That 60.5% mark would rank ninth nationally. Loyola Maryland leads the country at .724 and James Madison follows at .664.
• Although she does not qualify for national leaderboards due to missed games (players must compete in 75% of team contests), Santa Barbara is averaging 10.30 draw controls per game, a figure that would rank ninth nationally. James Madison's Madison Epke leads the nation with 12.75.

LOOKING BACK TO LOOK AHEAD

• Elon went 9-8 in 2024 and posted a 5-3 record in the CAA, qualifying for the CAA Tournament semifinals. That record was a five-win improvement over 2023, both overall and in conference.
• The Phoenix returns seven of its eight leading scorers from a year ago, including Sammy Fisher, who paced Elon with 37 goals and 44 points. She was a preseason All-CAA pick.
• Sophomore Reagan Kuehn is the headliner on defense, earning All-CAA honorable mention status in the preseason. She had 36 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers a year ago.
• MJ Santa Barbara, one of the best in the country in the draw circle, is just a sophomore and earned preseason All-American status by USA Lacrosse. She broke Elon's single-game and single-season draw control record last year, as well as the CAA's single-season draw control mark. Her 8.88 draw controls per game were the most in the country for a freshman and ranked No. 7 nationally.

 PRESEASON AWARDS

• Sophomore MJ Santa Barbara was named honorable mention preseason All-America by USA Lacrosse as a draw control specialist. She is the first Elon player to earn preseason All-America status since Stephanie Asher was named honorable mention All-America by Inside Lacrosse in 2018.
• Senior Sammy Fisher was named to the preseason All-CAA Team as one of five attackers recognized. She led Elon with 37 goals and 44 points, adding 14 ground balls, 16 draw controls and five caused turnovers.
• Sophomore Reagan Kuehn was named honorable mention preseason All-CAA after leading Elon with 36 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers. She added a program record 11 caused turnovers in conference play and had at least one caused turnover in 11 straight games to open her collegiate career.

 ABOUT THE COACHING STAFF

• Josh Hexter enters his 12th season at the helm of the Elon lacrosse program in 2025 as the only head coach in the program's history. He currently holds a record of 88-97, including a 32-36 mark in conference play. Hexter has a career head coaching mark of 160-139, which includes a 72-42 record in seven seasons at Bridgewater State.
• Assistant Coach Kelly Dowd is in her first season at Elon after two seasons as an assistant at Connecticut. She is a 2017 graduate of Queens University of Charlotte.
• Assistant Coach Katie Brodsky is also in her first season at Elon and most recently served as the lacrosse program head at Seattle Preparatory School. She is a 2023 graduate of Arizona State.

INTO THE RECORD BOOKS
INDIVIDUAL CAREER RECORDS
Points – 3. Sammy Fisher 156, 4. Cierra Hopson 133, T9. Anna Hackett 71
Goals – 2. Sammy Fisher 126, 3. Cierra Hopson 95, 7. Anna Hackett 64
Assists – T2. Cierra Hopson 38, 5. Sammy Fisher 30, 8. Mia Zebley 23
Shots – 2. Sammy Fisher 297, 3. Cierra Hopson 221, 9. Anna Hackett 139
Free Position Goals – 4. Anna Hackett 22, 8. Sammy Fisher 14, 10. Mia Zebley 12, 11. Cierra Hopson 11
Ground Balls – 8. Caitlin Walsh 75, 9. Reagan Kuehn 67
Draw Controls – 1. MJ Santa Barbara 254, T3. Sammy Fisher 155
Caused Turnovers – 7. Reagan Kuehn 47, T8. Jessie Penner 39, T8. Brooke Scheuermann 39
Games Played – T9. Cierra Hopson 65, 11. Sammy Fisher 64
Games Started – 7. Sammy Fisher 61, 10. Cierra Hopson 55
Saves – 2. Caitlin Walsh 335, 6. Chloe Herghelegiu 79
Save Percentage – 4. Caitlin Walsh .374, 6. Chloe Herghelegiu .329
GAA – 5. Caitlin Walsh 13.04, 7. Chloe Herghelegiu 14.65
Goalie Minutes – 2. Caitlin Walsh 2575:43, 6. Chloe Herghelegiu 659:26
Goalie Wins – 2. Caitlin Walsh 20, t4. Chloe Herghelegiu 4
 
INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-SEASON RECORDS
Points – 2. Sammy Fisher 60, 5. Ana Lee Vandiver 50
Goals – T2. Sammy Fisher 44, T5. Ana Lee Vandiver 39
Assists – 7. Sammy Fisher 16, T9. Cierra Hopson 13
Shots – 3. Sammy Fisher 104, 7. Ana Lee Vandiver 89
Ground Balls – 6. Caitlin Walsh 34, T8. Reagan Kuehn 31
Draw Controls – 2. MJ Santa Barbara 103, 5. Sammy Fisher 68
Caused Turnovers – 6. Reagan Kuehn 23
Saves – 7. Caitlin Walsh 96
Goals Against Average – 10. Caitlin Walsh 12.21
Goalie Minutes – 6. Caitlin Walsh 898:56

INDIVIDUAL SINGLE-SEASON CONFERENCE RECORDS
Points – 1. Sammy Fisher 32, 2. Ana Lee Vandiver 30
Goals – 1. Ana Lee Vandiver 25, T2. Sammy Fisher 22
Assists – 1. Sammy Fisher 10, T3. Cierra Hopson 7
Shots – 1. Sammy Fisher 53, 2. Ana Lee Vandiver 51
Ground Balls – T5. Reagan Kuehn 15
Draw Controls – 2. MJ Santa Barbara 72, 5. Sammy Fisher 27
Caused Turnovers – T1. Eliza Ritter 11, T2. Reagan Kuehn 9
Goalie Minutes – 2. Caitlin Walsh 440:18
 
FRESHMEN SINGLE-SEASON CONFERENCE RECORDS
Points – T3. Lillian Austin 15, T6. Danielle Swietoniowski 13
Assists – T3. Danielle Swietoniowski 6, T3. Lillian Austin 6
Free position goals – T6. Danielle Swietoniowski 2, T6. Addie Gilner 2
 
TEAM SINGLE SEASON RECORDS
Wins – T3. Elon 9
Points – 2. Elon 262
Goals – T4. Elon 185
Assists – 2. Elon 77
Draw Controls – 2. Elon 245
Clear Percentage – T1. Elon .892 (231/259)
Caused Turnovers – 2. Elon 125
 
TEAM SINGLE SEASON CONFERENCE RECORDS
Wins – T1. Elon 5
Losses – T4. Elon 3
Points – 1. Elon 141
Goals – 2. Elon 93
Assists – 1. Elon 48
Free Position Goals – T5. Elon 13
Draw Controls – 2. Elon 127
Clear Percentage – 3. Elon .883 (121/137)
Caused Turnovers – 2. Elon 58
Ground Balls – T2. Elon 107
Saves – 5. Elon 52
 
AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS

• Elon ranks among the national top 50 in the following team and national top 50 in the following individual statistical categories:

Team Rankings
Draw Control Percentage – 22. Elon .567
Draw Controls/Game – 28. Elon 15.31
Turnovers/Game – 46. Elon 14.38
 
Individual Rankings
Shots on Goal/Game – 33. Sammy Fisher 5.31
 
AMONG THE CAA LEADERS

• Elon ranks among the CAA top five in the following team stats and among the top 10 in the following individual stats: 

Team Rankings
Shot Percentage – 4. Elon .420
Shots On Goal/Game – 5. Elon 20.88
Woman-Up Goals/Game – 2. Elon 2.06
Fewest Turnovers/Game – 4. Elon 14.38
Draw Controls/Game – 1. Elon 15.31
Draw Control Percentage – 1. Elon .567
 
Individual Rankings
Points/Game – 9. Sammy Fisher 3.75
Goals/Game – 7. Sammy Fisher 2.75
Shots/Game – 4. Sammy Fisher 6.50, 10. Ana Lee Vandiver 5.56
Goals Against Average – 5. Caitlin Walsh 12.21
Saves/Game – 8. Caitlin Walsh 6.00
Save Percentage – 9. Caitlin Walsh .344
Ground Balls/Game – 10. Caitlin Walsh 2.13
Draw Controls/Game – 1. MJ Santa Barbara 10.30, 6. Sammy Fisher 4.25
Caused Turnovers/Game – 10. Reagan Kuehn 1.44