ELON – The Elon women's soccer team (9-4-5) saw its 2026 campaign come to an end Thursday in the CAA Tournament quarterfinals at Rudd Field as it fell 1-0 to William & Mary (5-7-3).
Ava Magnusson scored the lone goal of the match in the 59th minute to put the Tribe in front. Elon outshot William & Mary in the contest but could not find an equalizing goal.
Elon backed up its CAA title last season by earning the No. 2 seed from the CAA South Division for the conference tournament. The Phoenix finished with a winning record for the third straight season and qualified for its third consecutive CAA Tournament.
How It Happened
- Elon attempted the first four shots of the contest, with Isa Murdock and Talia Feigin both putting chances on target that were stopped by Tribe goalkeeper Gwen Doughty.
- The Phoenix back line limited the Tribe to just one shot in the first half hour of the contest, with Alexis Pierce, Jessica Hill, Megan Dwyer and CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year Grace Gelhaus keeping pressure away from Naomi Person in goal.
- Person, the CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week, made a pair of stops in the 42nd minute to send the match scoreless into halftime.
- The Tribe took four of the first five shots out of the locker room, converting on the fifth attempt to take a 1-0 lead.
- Elon controlled possession for much of the game after William & Mary's goal but could not break through with a goal. Gelhaus and Ava Hellner both put a shot on target, but both were stopped by Doughty.
Notable Numbers
- Elon outshot the Tribe, 13-11, for the game and finished with an 8-4 advantage in shots on goal.
- Murdock and Gabby Tirado both attempted a team-high three shots for Elon. Dwyer and Hellner also took a pair of shots.
- Person made three saves in goal for Elon while Doughty made eight stops in a shutout effort.
- Pierce, Dwyer, Murdock and Hellner all went the full 90 minutes in the field for Elon. Pierce played all 900 minutes for Elon against CAA opponents this season.
- The loss was Elon's first at home since Oct. 24, 2024, snapping a 16-match unbeaten streak on Rudd Field. The Phoenix finishes the season with a 7-1-1 home record.
- The match was Elon's first CAA Tournament game at Rudd Field.
Stay Posted
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