Audrey and Miranda

2026 NCAA Women's Lacrosse First & Second Round Preview

By Andrew Barbieri
5.2 WLAX C2C

The Rundown

A week removed from a sixth consecutive and 24th overall conference title, the second-ranked and undefeated Salisbury University women's lacrosse team qualified for its 23rd consecutive NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse tournament and begins their quest for its fifth National Championship on Sunday, May 10, facing the winner of Saturday's 11:30 a.m. battle between the Union College Garnet Chargers and the University of Mount Union Purple Raiders the following day at 1 p.m. inside Sea Gull Stadium.

How We Got Here 

The Sea Gulls head into the national tournament with a 17-0 overall record, and perfecting the regular season for the third time in program history. During the season, the Sea Gulls defeated three top 10 teams in sixth-ranked Gettysburg, seventh-ranked York (Pa.) and eighth-ranked William Smith and are 9-0 against ranked squads. The Sea Gulls received a bye after earning the top seed in the C2C Tournament and pulled through in the title game, besting No. 21 CNU, 11-9.

Senions WLAX holding 2026 C2C trophy
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Parking Information

Conference Hardware

Audrey
Abby
Audrey scholar
Nestor
Miranda first
Sydney first
Reagan first
Regan first
Avery 1st
Paige first
Fleishell first
Audrey 1st

Players to Watch

Harrington Panama City
Audrey Harrington | Sr. | A
WLAX 3.28
Regan McDonnell | Jr. | M
Abby 4.4
Abby Fleishell | Sr. | D
  • Audrey Harrington - Harrington has carried along the tradition of prolific "X" attackers for SU after being named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year in 2025 and 2026. Harrington has distributed a conference-leading 1.82 assists per game and stands at 42 markers and 31 helpers. The Mount Hebron High School product tied the program's single-game goal record with seven goals in a top-ten battle against William Smith on March 16 and has recorded two eight-point performances during the 2026 campaign.
  • Miranda Mears - Mears sits one goal away from her career-high, firing in 47 goals and picking up one helper. The former Parkside Ram compiled her third First Team selection and leads the C2C in shot percentage (56.6%). Mears posted back-to-back five-goal outings against Shenandoah and No. 6 Gettysburg on March 7 and March 11, respectively, and netted six tallies on the road at Mary Washington on April 4. 
  • Avery Dunbar - Dunbar has elevated her production from her freshman campaign, logging 15 goals and 27 assists in 15 games. The Shawnee High School product sits two ticks tick behind Harrington with 1.80 assists per game. Dunbar has reeled in two C2C Offensive Player of the Week laurels and has put up four or more points in five contests.
  • Lauren Hackett  - Hackett has produced career-highs with 43 points on 21 goals and 22 helpers. The senior has logged four or more points in four games in 17 starts.
  • Regan McDonnell - McDonnell took in her second straight All-C2C selection and has been a lethal two-way threat for the Maroon and Gold in her second year, regularly patrolling the midfield. McDonnell has scored in 15 of 17 affairs, tallying 29 goals and four helpers, while collecting 23 ground balls, 22 caused turnovers and 58 draw controls. McDonnell filled up the stat sheet in SU's come-from-behind victory against No. 7 York (Pa.), going for three goals, an assist, three grounders, three caused miscues and three draw controls.
  • Leah Doy - The sophmore from New Market, Md. posted her first career hat-trick in the first bout against CNU and has recorded a modest 20 points on 16 tallies and four helpers.
  • Grace Doyle - Doyle was a 2025 All-Chesapeake member and has proven to be formittable force on both sides of the field and has recorded 57 goals, seven assists, 38 ground balls, 46 caused turnovers and 111 draw controls in her career.
  • Grace Milliron - Miliron has paced the offensive midfield with two hat-tricks against No. 6 Gettysburg and No. 12 Franklin and Marshall throughout en route to ten goals and four assists in her senior campaign.
  • Abby Fleishell - Fleishell has proved again to be one of the top shutdown defenders in the nation. Fleishell was named the USA Lacrosse Preseason Defender of the Year in January and was tabbed the IWLCA Defender of the Week on April 14 for a six-ground ball, five-caused turnover afternoon in a 6-4 dub over No. 18 TCNJ. The Century High School product has totaled 42 ground balls, 27 caused turnovers and 50 draw controls on the season.
  • Reagan Davis - Davis has helped anchor the Sea Gulls defensively. Starting in 59-straight contests, Davis garnered a C2C Defensive Player of the Week nod for a four-caused turnover game against No. 6 Gettysburg on March 11. The Westminster High School tallied 19 ground balls and 16 forced turnovers on the year.
  • Sydney Block - Block made 12 appearances last season and has carved out a role on the Salisbury backline. The former Parkside Ram has started in 16 of 17 games played and chased down 15 ground balls and caused seven errors.
  • Paige Ellis - Ellis has solidified the crease for Salisbury a second straight season. The two-time All-C2C choice stands 21nd in the country in goals against average (7.56) and is second in the conference with a 46.4 percent save percentage. Ellis boasts a 16-0 record so far this season and denied No. 21 CNU 11 times in a 15-9 Gull victory two weekends ago.

Opposing Teams

  • 13-6 (9-1 Liberty League) in 2026
  • Earned at-large bid after losing to #5 William Smith in Liberty League Final.
  • First NCAA DIII Tournament apperance since 2015.
  • First trip to the Eastern Shore since 2010.
  • First time facing the Purple Raiders.
  • 0-5 against ranked opponents.
  • Offensive Player to Watch - #2 Gillian Joseph: Joseph and Maddy Schiller both have produced over 50 goals this year with 59 and 55, respectively. Joseph ranks fourth in the program's history with 151 tallies and just eclipsed 200 career points in the Liberty League Final.
  • Defensive Player to Watch - #33 Anna Dembowski: Dembowski has stolen away 29 possessions from opponents and has cleaned up 54 ground balls. 
  • Goalkeeper - #42 Sydney Widlitz: Widlitz is in her senior year with the Garnet Chargers, making 18 starts and appearing in 19 games with a 44.6 percent save percentage and 9.96 goals against average.
  • 12-5 (6-0 OAC) in 2026
  • Won second straight Ohio Athletic Conference Title and eighth in prgram history to earn automatic bid to NCAA Tournament
  • Outlasted Baldwin Wallace 11-10 in championship game.
  • 5-8 all-time in NCAA Tournament
  • Offensive Player to Watch - #4 Haylee Handrahan: Handrahan transferred from DI Robert Morris and was crowned OAC Offensive Player of the Year for 44 goals and 23 assists in her senior season.
  • Defensive Player to Watch - #8 Alexa Udovicic: The freshman collected OAC Defensive Player of the Year honors with a 21 CT and 43 ground ball season. 
  • Goalkeeper - #11 Abby Reagan: Reagan anchored the crease, making 81 saves to 77 goals allowed, while posting a 6-2 record.
Division III Tournament Bracket

#GoGulls | #ChampionsWearGold

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