CHARLOTTE – Making her collegiate debut, freshman Lizzie Scalzo scored a team-high five goals for the Elon women's lacrosse team Wednesday night in a 12-10 victory against Queens.

Scalzo netted a first-half hat trick and tacked on two more goals after halftime, including the game-winner in the fourth quarter, to propel Elon to a season-opening win. She matched Sienna Wyatt of Queens for the game-high goal tally. 

A six-goal second quarter gave Elon a lead it never surrendered. The Phoenix also found five fourth-quarter goals to hold off a late Queens rally.

Ana Lee Vandiver also tallied a hat trick with Anna Hackett scoring a pair of goals in her first game since April 14, 2024. Caitlin Walsh racked up nine saves in goal while MJ Santa Barbara secured 11 of Elon's 14 draw controls on the night.

How It Happened

• Queens scored the first three goals of the contest and led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter.
• Vandiver converted Elon's first goal of the season just over a minute into the second quarter. She struck again just over three minutes later to cut Elon's deficit to 3-2.
• Scalzo netted her first career goal at the 5:38 mark before Hackett delivered her return goal 35 seconds later to put in Elon in front for the first time in the game, 4-3.
• Queens scored an equalizing goal but two more Scalzo tallies in the final 1:16 of the first half gave the Phoenix a 6-4 advantage at the break.
• Santa Barbara connected on her first goal of the season early in the third quarter for what was Elon's lone marker of the period. Queens notched two late goals in the quarter to cut Elon's lead to just one entering the fourth.
• A 3-0 flurry early in the fourth quarter extended Elon's lead. Vandiver completed her hat trick to kick off the Phoenix run before Scalzo scored her fourth of the contest just over a minute later. Hackett then scored her second of the night to put Elon ahead, 10-6, just over three minutes into the fourth.
• The Royals scored the next two goals but Scalzo again had the answer with her fifth of the night. Danielle Swietoniowski scored the final Phoenix goal with 2:18 remaining and Elon held on from there for a 12-10 victory.

 
Notable Numbers

• Scalzo became the first Elon freshman to score five goals in her debut game since Stephanie Asher also scored five on Jan. 31, 2015, against Kennesaw State.
• The five goals by the rookie were also the most by any Phoenix freshman in a game since Vandiver had six against VCU on Feb. 17, 2024, as a redshirt freshman and the most by an Elon true freshman since Margaret Stephan netted five against Radford on March 7, 2021.
• Vandiver added an assist to her hat trick to finish the night with four points. It was the redshirt junior's 11th career outing with three or more goals.
• Hackett matched Vandiver with four points, the second most by an Elon player on the night. The redshirt junior finished with a team-best two assists to pair with her two goals in her first appearance since 2024.
• Santa Barbara's goal was the third of her career and first since March 16, 2024 against Monmouth. The junior has now reached double-digit draw controls 14 times in her career and is averaging 12.7 draw controls in three career games against the Royals.
• Reagan Kuehn caused two turnovers to lead the Phoenix with Jessie Penner also forcing one. Kuehn also paced Elon with three groundballs, followed closely by Addie Gilner and Eliza Ritter, who grabbed two each.
• Walsh made nine saves in goal for the Phoenix and has now made eight-plus stops in three consecutive outings dating back to last season.
• Elon outshot Queens, 27-21, and finished with a 14-10 advantage on draw controls.
• The win was Elon's first at Queens in its second attempt. The Phoenix is now 3-1 all-time against the Royals.

 
Up Next
Elon will host Old Dominion in its home opener Saturday. The contest is scheduled for a noon start.
 
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