Saints Women's Lacrosse Falls Shy in GNAC Championship Game With 14-4 Loss vs. JWU

BOSTON – Johnson & Wales women's lacrosse held an incredibly potent Emmanuel Saints offense to just four goals on Sunday afternoon in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Championship Game, as the Wildcats defended their GNAC Championship with a 14-4 win over Emmanuel on Clemente Field.

The victory moves the Wildcats to 15-4 as they secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament with the automatic bid from the GNAC. The Saints loss is their first in nearly six weeks and breaks up a program-best 12-game winning streak, as Emmanuel drops to 15-5.

Johnson & Wales started quickly with a two-goal lead, scoring a pair just 1:21 apart on goals by senior Katie Sloan (Ellicott City, Md.) and junior Neely Connor (Kennebunk, Maine). Connor added another tally with 4:54 in the first to boost the edge to 3-0.

Emmanuel got on the board in the final seconds of the first quarter with junior Rachel Canedy (Woodstock, Conn.) scoring off an assist by sophomore Livia Fedele (Spencerport, N.Y.), cutting the deficit to 3-1 after the first quarter.

Sophomore Madeline Wright (Mattapoisett, Mass.) got the Saints within one just 37 seconds into the second quarter. That tally would be as close as the Saints would get over the next three quarters as the Wildcats responded with six consecutive goals to end the half.

Senior Maris DiBeneditto (Southbury, Conn.), junior Isabella Nugent (Virginia Beach, Va.), and Sloan scored once each in a 2:05 span to push the lead to 6-2. Johnson & Wales closed out the quarter with a trio of free-position goals, one scored by Nugent and two added on by junior Madeleine Gould (Oakdale, Conn.), giving the Wildcats a 9-2 halftime advantage.

Saints sophomore Ella Marschitz (Naperville, Ill.) opened the scoring in the third quarter, but much like the start of the second, the Wildcats offense responded quickly. Sloan scored a pair of goals, including one on a player-up advantage while sophomore Mila Kuilan (Danbury, Conn.) capped off a 3-1 quarter in favor of the visitors, who led 12-3 after three quarters.

Johnson & Wales would lead by as many as 11 in the fourth, again outscoring the Saints over the 15-minute period. Saints senior Maddie Kross (Bolton, Mass.) finished the scoring on the Saints 2024 season as Johnson & Wales defended their title with a 14-4 win.

Sloan scored five goals in the title game and was named the GNAC Tournament MVP following the game. Gould finished with a hat trick while Connor and Nugent each scored twice. Junior Emma Glyman (Tolland, Conn.) made six saves, improving to 15-4 this season.

The Wildcats used a 15-6 draw control advantage to keep critical possessions away from the Saints. After losing the draw control battle 4-1 in the first quarter, Johnson & Wales out-controlled draws 14-2 in the final 45 minutes.

Marschitz, who was named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team, finished with one goal and one assist for two points. Junior Delaney Brown (Agawam, Mass.), another Tournament Team selection, had game-highs of four ground balls and four caused turnovers. Junior Isabella Thomas (Miami, Fla.), the Saints final All-Tournament Team member, made 11 stops in goal.

The Wildcats advance to the NCAA Tournament for a second-consecutive year and will find out their First Round opponent during the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Selection Show, on Monday, May 6, at 10:30 a.m. on NCAA.com.