WINTHROP, Mass. – After a dominant run through conference play, Saint Joseph's College has secured the No. 1 seed in the upcoming Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Women's Lacrosse Championship, capping an unblemished 13-0 league slate and a 14-3 overall regular season. The Monks now turn their attention toward reclaiming the conference crown for the first time since 2022.
Saint Joseph's enters the postseason as the clear team to beat, having outscored opponents by a commanding 255-122 margin this spring while averaging 15.0 goals per game and allowing just 7.18. The Monks also boast advantages in nearly every statistical category, including assists (152-45), ground balls (402-278), draw controls (232-165), and caused turnovers (221-153) .
The Monks' attack has been both balanced and explosive. Senior Celia Melanson (Waterford, Maine), NCAA DIII leader in assists per game (4.24), leads the charge with a remarkable 88 points on 16 goals and 72 assists. Sophomore Ella Highbarger (Kennebunk, Maine) and junior Taylor Dumond (Minisink, N.Y.) have formed a dynamic scoring duo, combining for 108 goals, while sophomore Ava Molineaux (Standish, Maine) has been a force in the midfield with team-highs in ground balls (66) draw controls (80) and caused turnovers (45).
Defensively, the Monks are led by seniors Alexis Copp (New Durham, N.H.) and Elle Hall (Casco, Maine) and anchored by the goaltending tandem of junior Julia Price (Newbury, Mass.) and senior Alexis Eldridge (Effingham, N.H.). The stifling SJC defense has held conference opponents to just 13.5 shots per game while forcing 15.0 turnovers per contest.
The defending GNAC champion Emmanuel Saints earned the No. 2 seed after finishing 12-1 in conference play (13-4 overall), setting up a potential championship rematch. Norwich (10-3 GNAC, 13-3 overall) claims the No. 3 seed, followed by Lasell (10-3 GNAC, 13-3 overall) at No. 4, with the Cadets earning the edge via a head-to-head victory.
Colby-Sawyer (9-4 GNAC, 13-4 overall) enters as the No. 5 seed, just ahead of the University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) (9-4 GNAC, 10-7 overall) at No. 6 after another tiebreaker scenario. New England College (7-6 GNAC, 11-6 overall) secured the No. 7 spot with a win over Rivier (6-7 GNAC, 8-9 overall), which rounds out the field as the No. 8 seed.
Quarterfinal action begins Saturday, April 25, followed by the semifinals on Tuesday, April 28. The GNAC Championship will be held on Saturday, May 2, with the tournament winner earning the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship.
2026 GNAC Women's Lacrosse Tournament Schedule
Quarterfinals – Saturday, April 25 (Hosted by higher seeds)
- #1 Saint Joseph's (Maine) vs. #8 Rivier, 11:30 AM
- #2 Emmanuel vs. #7 New England College, 1 pm
- #3 Norwich vs. #6 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), 2 pm
- #4 Lasell vs. #5 Colby-Sawyer, 11 am
Semifinals - Tuesday, April 28 (Hosted by remaining higher seeds)
- Winner of 1/8 vs. Winner of 4/5, TBD
- Winner of 2/7 vs. Winner of 3/6, TBD
Championship – Saturday, May 2 (Hosted by highest remaining seed)
