For the third year in a row, the No. 19 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team has won the CAA Championship after defeating the No. 2 seed Drexel, 12-10, on May 3. With the win, the Seawolves earn their 12th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, a streak that dates back to the 2013 season. Stony Brook captured its 11th conference championship title in program history (three CAA, eight America East) and won its 10th on the home turf of Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium.
Charlotte Wilmoth led all players with a game-high five points (three goals, two assists) to pace the scoring for the Seawolves. Isabella Caporuscio, Alexandra Fusco, and Kylie Budke registered a pair of goals, while Riley McDonald, Casey Colbert, and Courtney Maclay all tallied one goal apiece.
Defensively, Avery Hines continued her defensive dominance as she caused six more turnovers and set a new Stony Brook single-season record. With her 67 caused turnovers, she outdid her 66 caused turnovers last season for the most caused turnovers in a single season in program history.
Four Seawolves earned All-Championship Team honors for their standout play in the tournament. Caporuscio, Allie Masera, and Molly LaForge were named members of the All-Championship Team, with Budke taking home the Most Outstanding Performer honor.
The Seawolves opened scoring with a pair of goals from Caporuscio and Colbert before Drexel responded with three goals of their own. With 45.5 seconds left in the first quarter, Wilmoth was left wide open right outside the crease to even things up at three.
The back-and-forth affair would continue with a game-high seven goals through the second quarter. Wilmoth and A. Fusco dominated on the offensive front, tallying five points combined. With 1.1 seconds left in the half, Masera would go coast to coast dishing it out for a Wilmoth goal to take a 7-6 lead into intermission.
Coming back from the break, Drexel scored two goals to take an 8-7 lead before the Seawolves scored three straight for their first two-goal advantage since the start of the contest. Stony Brook would take a 10-8 advantage into the final quarter.
The Dragons scored a pair to start the fourth quarter and tie it up at 10 apiece. Budke’s standout performance began with just 3:27 remaining in the fourth quarter, breaking through her lone defender and finding the back of the net to give the Seawolves a 11-10 lead. She then scored back-to-back on an identical play, cutting through the eight-meter and dodging her defender for a two-goal advantage. With less than 30 seconds, Julia Fusco intercepted a wild pass from the Dragons to ice the clock and secure Stony Brook’s 11th conference championship.
