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WLAX huddle pre-game vs. Stony Brook
Josh Amato

Women's Lacrosse Elon Athletics

Phoenix Faces Top-Seeded Stony Brook In CAA Semifinal

Elon Set For Second Straight Game Against Seawolves

ELON – The No. 4 seed Elon women's lacrosse team (7-9, 3-4 CAA) will face top-seed and host No. 11 Stony Brook in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament on Thursday at LaValle Stadium in Stony Brook, New York. Opening draw is slated for noon.   

The semifinal will be a rematch of the regular season finale between the Phoenix and Seawolves, which Stony Brook won at Rudd Field. It will also be the third straight CAA semifinal meeting between Elon and Stony Brook.  
 
Elon vs. No. 11 Stony Brook Briefing 
Game Details: 
April 30, 2026 | Stony Brook, N.Y. | LaValle Stadium | 12 p.m.  
Watch: FloCollege 
Live Stats: StatBroadcast  
Championship Central: Click here 
Elon Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats | Game Notes
Stony Brook Links: News | Roster | Schedule | Stats 
 
The Matchup 
  • Stony Brook holds a 6-0 advantage in the all-time series against the Phoenix, which includes the regular season finale between the teams on April 24 at Rudd Field.
  • The Seawolves are 2-0 against Elon in the CAA Tournament, with the wins coming in the semifinals each of the last two seasons.  
  • Stony Brook is 30-0 all-time against CAA opponents since joining the conference and has won 76 straight conference games dating back to their time in the America East.  
 
About The Phoenix 
  • The Phoenix went 7-9 in the regular season and finished fourth in the CAA standings with a 3-4 conference record.  
  • This is Elon's third straight CAA Tournament appearance and eighth overall.  
  • Elon was tabbed to finish fourth in the CAA preseason poll behind Stony Brook, Drexel and Towson. 
  • Eight Phoenix have reached double-digit points on the season – Ana Lee Vandiver (39), Anna Hackett (37), Lizzie Scalzo (32), Lillian Austin (22), Mackenzie Coleman (17), Danielle Swietoniowski (13), Gwen Eilender (11) and Maddie Engelkraut (10).  
  • Vandiver and Hackett both reached 100 career points this season, becoming the seventh and eighth Phoenix to do so, respectively.  
  • MJ Santa Barbara is fourth in the CAA with 5.38 draw controls per game. Santa Barbara surpassed 300 draw controls earlier this season, extending her all-time program record in career draw controls.  
  • Eliza Ritter (1.50) and Reagan Kuehn (1.38) both rank top 10 in the CAA in caused turnovers per game to lead Elon's defense 
  • Caitlin Walsh has anchored Elon's net this season, starting all 16 games. She surpassed 400 career saves on March 23 in Elon's game against No. 16 Duke.  
  • Elon is led by head coach Josh Hexter, who is in his 13th season with the program. He has guided the Phoenix since its inaugural campaign in 2014 and is up to 95 wins leading the maroon and gold.  
 
 
Last Time Out 
  • Elon dropped its regular season finale to the Seawolves, then ranked No. 13, on April 24 at Rudd, losing 15-4. 
  • Hackett paced the Phoenix with a pair of goals with Arianna Kouchalakos and Addie Gilner also finding the net.  
  • Walsh made 10 stops in goal, her most in a CAA game this season. It was her second time making double-digit saves on the campaign.
  • Kuehn and Jessie Penner both caused a pair of turnovers to lead Elon's defense.
  • Arianna Silvestri grabbed a team-high four draw controls. She has four-plus draw controls in two of Elon's last three games. 
 
 
Hack Is Back 
  • Hackett became the eighth player in Elon history to reach 100 career points on April 4 against William & Mary, achieving the milestone with her second goal of the game.  
  • After missing last season due to injury, Hackett made her first appearance since April 14, 2024, in Elon's season opener at Queens on Feb. 11, starting in Elon's midfield and finishing with two goals and four points against the Royals. 
  • Hackett notched hat tricks in four straight games earlier this season against Old Dominion, East Carolina, Virginia Tech and High Point. The redshirt junior's six hat tricks are tied with Vandiver for the most on the Phoenix.  
  • Hackett leads the Phoenix with 31 goals this season and her 37 points are second to Vandiver.  The redshirt junior has netted 16 goals in the last eight outings.  
  • Against Campbell on April 10, Hackett assisted on Scalzo's double-overtime goal with time expiring.  
  • Hackett's 31 goals this season have also moved her into third in program history in career goals (95). She needs five more goals to become the third Phoenix to reach 100 career goals and points.  
  • With 1.94 goals per game, Hackett currently ranks 10th among CAA scorers.  
 
 
Ana Lee-ding The Way 
  • Vandiver leads the Phoenix with 39 points this season (26g, 13a) and is second on the team in goals behind only Hackett. 
  • On March 31 against VCU, Vandiver became the seventh Phoenix to surpass 100 career points. She had six points against the Rams (3g, 3a) to match her season-best scoring output.    
  • Vandiver is up to 109 career points, the sixth most in program history. She is just three points behind Mae McGlynn for the fifth most.  
  • Vandiver's 13 assists are tied with Scalzo for the most on the team. She has an assist in 10 of 16 games this season.  
  • Vandiver had her best goal scoring outing of the season against High Point on March 5, netting five goals, one shy of her career best. The five goals against the Panthers were tied with Scalzo for the most by a Phoenix in a game this season.  
  • Vandiver has three five-plus point games this season, as she also had a three-goal, two-assist outing against Old Dominion.  
  • With six hat tricks this season, Vandiver is tied with Hackett for the most on the Phoenix. Elon is 5-1 this season when Vandiver scores three or more goals. 
  • The attacker leads the Phoenix with 65 shot attempts this season. 
 
 
MJ The History Maker 
  • Entering her junior season, Santa Barbara was already Elon's all-time leader in career draw controls and has re-written the Phoenix record book in several categories.  
  • With 346 career draw controls in her 44 career games, Santa Barbara is 151 clear of second place in program history. She has the top two single season draw control totals in program history with 151 in 2024 and 109 in 2025.  
  • She has also set the top two marks in program history for draw controls in a conference season, with 73 in CAA games in 2024 and 72 in 2025. The next highest total in a season is 35.  
  • With Santa Barbara on the draw, Elon has set new team records for draw controls in a season. The Phoenix secured a program-record 283 draw controls in 2024, Santa Barbara's freshman campaign, before accruing 255 in 2025, Santa Barbara's sophomore campaign. Those are the top two totals in program history, smashing the previous record of 231 set in 2022.  
  • Santa Barbara has also turned in the top five single game draw control efforts in program history, highlighted by her program-best 16 last season against Queens.  
  • Santa Barbara's 9.29 career draw controls per game were the third most in NCAA history entering this season.  
  • Santa Barbara has secured double-digit draw controls in 16-of-44 career games.  
  • The junior is fourth in the CAA this season with 5.38 draw controls per game. She recently scooped 10 draw controls in Elon's CAA road win at Campbell. 
  • Santa Barbara is just six draw controls away from becoming the CAA's all-time career leader. She enters Thursday with 346 career draw controls and is just seven behind Karson Harris, who recorded 351 draw controls at Drexel from 2018-22.  
  • In addition to her prowess in the draw circle, Santa Barbara has become a steady scoring threat in 2026. The junior scored a goal in each of Elon's first four games this season, the longest goal-scoring streak of her career. She has a career-best six goals this season. 
 
 
Sensational Scalzo 
  • In her freshman campaign, Scalzo is third on the Phoenix with 32 points (19g, 13a).  
  • Scalzo leads the Phoenix with 16 points in six CAA games. She has two more points than the second-best total. 
  • Scalzo netted the game-winning goal in double overtime on April 10 at Campbell. It was Scalzo's fourth game-winning tally this season.  
  • The freshman's 13 assists are tied for the most on the team with Vandiver and are the third most by an Elon freshman in a season. The rookie has multiple assists on four occasions this season, most recently in the Campbell win. 
  • Scalzo matched her career high with five points in Elon's CAA victory against Monmouth on March 20. The freshman had three goals, including the game winner, to go along with a pair of assists.  
  • The rookie tied for a game-high five goals in her collegiate debut on Feb. 11 against Queens. The freshman scored a first-half hat trick before scoring two more goals, including the game winner, after the break.  
  • 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. 
  • The freshman has points in 12 of 16 games this season.   
  • Scalzo has a trio of hat tricks this season, with the most recent coming in a win at VCU on March 31.   
 
 
Chaos Coordinators 
  • Elon's defensive corps of Kuehn, Ritter, Penner, Mimi Economus and Cameron Johnson have wreaked havoc on opposing offenses this season.  
  • Ritter leads the Phoenix with 24 caused turnovers, with Kuehn (22), Penner (18), Economus (15) and Johnson (10) all in double-digits. 
  • Ritter took home CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Week on April 6 after forcing four turnovers in the win against William & Mary. She also caused three VCU giveaways on March 31.  
  • Economus forced four turnovers in back-to-back CAA wins over William & Mary and Campbell earlier this season. The senior has already set career highs in both caused turnovers and ground balls.  
  • Kuehn and Penner have both surpassed 50 career caused turnovers this season. Kuehn is third in program history with 69 caused turnovers, with Penner's 58 ranking tied for fourth in Phoenix history.   
  • Kuehn is pacing the Phoenix with 31 ground balls. The junior has moved up Elon's all-time ranks in ground balls this season, as she is now fourth in program history with 99.  
  • Penner is also top 10 in Elon's history with 78 ground balls. She recently surpassed Quinn Daly for sixth all-time.  
  • Penner became the first Elon defender to score in a game since Bridget Lamb in 2018 with her goal against William & Mary.  
 
Sophomore Scoring Duo 
  • Austin and Swietoniowski are both building on strong rookie campaigns in their sophomore seasons this spring.  
  • The sophomores are two of eight Elon players to reach double-digit points this season.  
  • Austin has scored a goal in 12 of 14 games she has appeared in this season has netted multiple goals on six occasions, including scoring the tying goal in regulation in Elon's double-overtime win at Campbell on April 10.   
  • Austin is fourth on the Phoenix in both points (22) and goals (18). Nine of Austin's goals have come in CAA play, including two-goal outings against Hofstra, William & Mary and Campbell. She is second on the team in goals in CAA play.   
  • Swietoniowski was the only Phoenix to score a goal in Elon's first six games this season, racking up 12 points in those contests. The sophomore netted a hat trick in a win against Old Dominion on Feb. 14. 
  • Austin is tied with Hackett for the most free position goals on the Phoenix with six while Swietoniowski's four are tied for third most.  
  • Austin's 15 points in CAA play last season were tied for the third most by an Elon freshman in a single season, while Swietoniowski was close behind with 13 points in conference games. 
  • Austin and Swietoniowski both registered six assists in CAA play, tied for the third most in a conference season by freshmen in program history. 
  • Both Swietoniowski (22) and Austin (21) surpassed 20 points in their freshman seasons and were two of seven Phoenix to do so in 2025. 
 
 
Mack Attack 
  • Coleman has blossomed into a dynamic scoring threat for the Phoenix in recent weeks, netting all 17 of her goals this season in the last 12 games. 
  • The junior had hat tricks in consecutive games against Monmouth (March 20) and No. 16 Duke (March 23), the first time in her career she netted three or more goals in consecutive outings. 
  • Coleman's three goals in the win over Monmouth on March 20 were her most against a CAA opponent. She tied Scalzo for the team lead in Elon's conference victory over the Hawks.  
  • With two goals against Stanford on April 10, Coleman extended her scoring streak to a career-best 10 games, surpassing her previous best stretch of seven from 2024.  
  • Eight of Coleman's 17 goals this season have come in CAA games as she is tied for third on Phoenix for goals in conference play.  
 
 
Brick Wall-sh  
  • Walsh has become a mainstay in net for the Phoenix, starting 62 career games in four seasons with the program, including each of the last 58 contests.   
  • Walsh became the second goalie in program history to surpass 400 career saves on March 23 against Duke, joining Rachel Ramirez.  
  • Walsh has made 100-plus saves in each of her first three seasons with the Phoenix and ranks second in program history in career saves (454). 
  • The senior was named to the All-CAA Tournament Team last season. She made a season-high 12 saves in the CAA semifinals against Stony Brook.  
  • Walsh earned her first CAA Defensive Player of the Week honor last season on April 21 for her 10 saves and seven ground balls in wins against Towson and Queens.  
  • Walsh is second in program history with 27 career victories.  
  • Walsh has 107 saves this season and made a season-best 11 stops against No. 11 Notre Dame on March 10.  
 
 
Scouting Stony Brook   
  • The Seawolves are 15-2 this season and went 7-0 in CAA play on their way to the outright regular season conference title.  
  • Stony Brook checked in at No. 11 in this week's coach's poll. The Seawolves  
  • The Seawolves are coming off a 15-4 victory against the Phoenix in their final regular season game. Stony Brook's average margin of victory in its seven CAA wins is 10 goals.  
  • Stony Brook has scored 246 goals as a team this season, 40 more than Campbell. The Seawolves have also conceded the fewest goals in the conference (130) and tied for the eighth fewest among Division I teams.  
  • Isabella Caporuscio leads the Seawolves with 65 points and 50 goals. She was named one of the top 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Award after being tabbed a midseason All-American by Inside Lacrosse. 
  • Mirabella Altebrando was also a midseason All-American and is top 15 in the country with 44 assists this season. She has 60 points, the second most on the team. 
  • Julie Fusco (53), Keira Martin (50) and Haydin Eisfeld (44) also have 40-plus points this season. Fusco is second on the Seawolves with 42 goals, with Eisfeld third with 35 goals.  
  • Hailey Huebner is third in the country with 3.47 caused turnovers per game. She has won CAA Defensive Player of the Week six times this season. She also leads the CAA with 2.71 ground balls per game.  
  • Braeden Siverson is leading the conference with 7.41 draw controls per game.  
  • Goalkeeper Natalia Altebrando leads the CAA with a 6.81 goals against average. She has made 56 saves with a .421 save percentage.  
  • Stony Brook is led by head coach Joe Spallina, who is in his 15th season guiding the program.  
 
Stay Posted   
For further coverage of Elon Lacrosse, follow the Phoenix on X and Instagram (@ElonWLAX).    
  
--ELON-- 
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Players Mentioned

Lillian Austin

#35 Lillian Austin

A
5' 9"
Sophomore
Mackenzie Coleman

#29 Mackenzie Coleman

A
5' 11"
Junior
Mimi Economus

#27 Mimi Economus

D
5' 7"
Senior
Gwen Eilender

#16 Gwen Eilender

MF
5' 8"
Junior
Addie Gilner

#1 Addie Gilner

MF
6' 0"
Sophomore
Cameron Johnson

#2 Cameron Johnson

D
5' 4"
Sophomore
Ana Lee Vandiver

#11 Ana Lee Vandiver

A
5' 9"
Redshirt Junior
Anna Hackett

#12 Anna Hackett

A
5' 5"
Redshirt Junior
MJ Santa Barbara

#13 MJ Santa Barbara

A
5' 7"
Junior
Jessie Penner

#15 Jessie Penner

D
5' 3"
Senior

Players Mentioned

Lillian Austin

#35 Lillian Austin

5' 9"
Sophomore
A
Mackenzie Coleman

#29 Mackenzie Coleman

5' 11"
Junior
A
Mimi Economus

#27 Mimi Economus

5' 7"
Senior
D
Gwen Eilender

#16 Gwen Eilender

5' 8"
Junior
MF
Addie Gilner

#1 Addie Gilner

6' 0"
Sophomore
MF
Cameron Johnson

#2 Cameron Johnson

5' 4"
Sophomore
D
Ana Lee Vandiver

#11 Ana Lee Vandiver

5' 9"
Redshirt Junior
A
Anna Hackett

#12 Anna Hackett

5' 5"
Redshirt Junior
A
MJ Santa Barbara

#13 MJ Santa Barbara

5' 7"
Junior
A
Jessie Penner

#15 Jessie Penner

5' 3"
Senior
D