SALISBURY, Md. – The second-ranked Salisbury University women's lacrosse team locked up the first seed in the 2026 Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Women's Lacrosse Championship by sinking 18th-ranked Christopher Newport, 15-9, in each team's regular season finale inside Sea Gull Stadium Saturday.
Before the game, the Sea Gulls honored its 13 seniors:
Julianna Ott,
Grace Doyle,
Grace Doy,
Lauren Hackett,
Miranda Mears,
Mackenzie Demaio,
Abby Fleishell,
Lauren Wunder,
Reagan Davis,
Grace Milliron,
Audrey Harrington,
Rachel Johnson and
Paige Ellis.
After the Captains (12-5, 1-1 C2C) started the scoring just under three minutes into the contest. A four-goal surge from the Sea Gulls (16-0, 2-0 C2C) allowed the hosts to right the ship.
Lauren Hackett started the run with an unassisted tally, and was followed by
Regan McDonnell,
Grace Doyle and
Leah Doy to give SU a comfortable lead after a quarter of play.
SU pulled further ahead with a 4-2 second segment.
Grace Milliron fought through contact to find the back of the cage after CNU cut the deficit to two.
Miranda Mears provided back-to-back scores, including a behind-the-back tuck, then
Lauren Hackett added to the unanswered streak before the Captains scored with 59 seconds to play, making it 8-3 after 30 minutes of action.
Doyle received a pass from
Mackenzie Demaio to give SU a 9-3 advantage. Christopher Newport inched back with four straight markers and traded a goal with Doy in the following minutes to trail by a pair.
Audrey Harrington bookended the third with a solo score, giving Salisbury a three-goal cushion heading into the final frame.
The Gulls held the Captains scoreless until the last minute of the fourth session, adding four goals in the process to pull away in the affair. Two free-position goals from Doyle, a 7-on-6 tally from Doy and an unassisted Harrington marker helped extend the Maroon and Gold's win streak to 16.
GAME NOTES
- The Sea Gulls earned their third undefeated regular season and first since the 2021 National Championship-winning team.
- SU improved their record against CNU to 32-0 all-time.
- Grace Doyle provided a dazzling four-goal day. Doyle matched her career-high set on April 12, 2025 against TCNJ.
- Lauren Hackett tallied two goals and two helpers.
- Leah Doy notched her first career hat-trick. Doy reached the 20-point mark, and was tagged with her fourth game-winner of the season.
- Reagan Davis led the squad defensively with two caused turnovers and four ground balls.
- Paige Ellis picked up her 15th win of the campaign, making a season-high 11 denials.
- The Sea Gulls outshot the Captains 31-29, won the ground ball battle 17-11 and went 23-for-24 on clear attempts.
With the win, the Sea Gulls secured up the top seed in the 2026 C2C Women's Lacrosse Championship and will face the winner of CNU and Mary Washington on Saturday at 1 p.m. inside Sea Gull Stadium.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 207 conference championships, and have produced 54 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
