STANDISH, Maine – #1 Saint Joseph's College (16-3, 13-0 GNAC) will host #2 Emmanuel College (15-4, 12-1 GNAC) in the 2026 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) women's lacrosse tournament championship on Saturday at 12:00 PM.
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The GNAC champion earns an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship, which begins Saturday, May 9.
2026 GNAC Women's Lacrosse Tournament Schedule
Quarterfinals – Saturday, April 25 (Hosted by higher seeds)
- #1 Saint Joseph's (Maine) def. #8 Rivier, 16-3
- #2 Emmanuel def. #7 New England College, 10-8
- #3 Norwich def. #6 University of Saint Joseph (Conn.), 13-12
- #5 Colby-Sawyer def. #4 Lasell, 12-8
Semifinals – Tuesday, April 28 (Hosted by remaining higher seeds)
- #1 Saint Joseph's (Maine) def. #5 Colby-Sawyer, 7-6
- #2 Emmanuel def. #3 Norwich, 13-5
Championship – Saturday, May 2 (Hosted by highest remaining seed)
- #1 Saint Joseph's (Maine) vs. #2 Emmanuel - 12:00 PM.
HOW THEY GOT HERE
Saint Joseph's advanced to the GNAC Championship with wins over #8 Rivier and #5 Colby-Sawyer. The top-seeded Monks defeated Rivier, 16-3, in the quarterfinals after scoring the first 13 goals of the game. Ella Highbarger led the offense with five goals, while Celia Melanson and Taylor Dumond added four apiece.
In the semifinal on Tuesday night, Saint Joseph's held off Colby-Sawyer, 7-6. Sophia Burton scored three goals with one assist, including a fourth-quarter man-up tally that gave the Monks a 7-4 lead. The Chargers scored twice late, but Julia Price made key saves down the stretch to preserve the win. Melanson added four assists and broke the program's single-season assists record, finishing the night with 78 on the year.
Emmanuel advanced to the GNAC Championship with wins over #7 New England College and #3 Norwich. The second-seeded Saints defeated NEC, 10-8, in the quarterfinals after overcoming a 5-2 second-quarter deficit with a five-goal run. Madeline Wright scored five goals, Anna Nichols added three, and Halle Miller led the defense with seven caused turnovers and seven ground balls.
In the semifinal, Emmanuel defeated Norwich, 13-5. Wright posted three goals and two assists, while Emilia Ferraro, Hannah Hoenshell, Nichols, and Ella Marschitz scored twice apiece. The Saints led 7-2 at halftime and later used a four-goal run to extend the margin to 13-4. Keira Walsh made nine saves in the win.
HOW THEY STACK UP*
Saint Joseph's entered postseason play as one of the top teams in the GNAC, leading the conference in goals (231), assists (138), goals per game (17.77), shots (498), shots on goal (379), ground balls (316), goals allowed (64), goals-against average (4.95), and save percentage (49.2%). The Monks also rank second in draw controls (196) and draw controls per game (15.08), while placing among the top three in shots on goal percentage (76.1%) and caused turnovers (195).
Emmanuel led the GNAC in shooting percentage (51.5%) and ranked second in shots on goal percentage (79.2%). The Saints also ranked third in the conference in ground balls (273), goals allowed (87), and goals-against average (6.69) and fifth in goals (191) and goals per game (14.69). Emmanuel finished the regular season ranked sixth in the GNAC in draw controls (166), draw controls per game (12.77), and caused turnovers (167).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
The Saint Joseph's offense is led by senior Celia Melanson, who has totaled 99 points on 21 goals and a GNAC-high 78 assists. Sophomore Ella Highbarger has scored 59 goals with 71 points, while junior Taylor Dumond has added a team-high 60 goals and 64 points. Senior Sophia Burton (33 goals, 49 points) and sophomore Zoey Lailer (26 goals, 45 points) provide additional production.
In the possession game, sophomore Ava Molineaux leads the team with 91 draw controls, 72 ground balls, and 51 caused turnovers. Highbarger has contributed 52 draw controls, 38 ground balls, and 31 caused turnovers, while Dumond has added 48 draw controls and 39 ground balls. Defensively, senior Elle Hall has recorded 26 caused turnovers and 29 ground balls, senior Alexis Copp has totaled 20 ground balls, 15 caused turnovers, and 15 draw controls, and freshman Kya Duprey has added 18 caused turnovers.
In goal, junior Julia Price has logged 699:01 with 68 saves, a 6.70 goals-against average, and an 11-2 record, while senior Alexis Eldridge has made 47 saves with a 7.18 goals-against average and a 4-1 record.
The Emmanuel offense is led by Madeline Wright, who has totaled 89 points on 71 goals and 18 assists. Avery Robillard has added 49 points on 23 goals and a team-high 26 assists, while Emilia Ferraro (30 goals, 38 points) and Anna Nichols (28 goals, 35 points) provide additional scoring. Ella Stein has contributed 21 goals and 12 assists for 33 points.
In the possession game, Wright leads the team with 95 draw controls, while Robillard has added 44 draw controls and 49 ground balls. Defensively, Robillard has recorded 34 caused turnovers, followed by Stein (15) and Abigail Graham (23). Halle Miller has contributed 47 ground balls, and Madeline Wright has added 32 ground balls.
In goal, Keira Walsh has handled the majority of the workload, logging 989:17 with 115 saves, an 8.79 goals-against average, and a 15-4 record.
ON THE SIDELINES
Saint Joseph's: Lydia Dexter '23 (2nd season, 28-9, .757)
Emmanuel: Liz Maloney (6th season, 77-30, .720)
EARLIER THIS SEASON
March 21, 2026: Saint Joseph's def. Emmanuel, 7-6 (Standish, Maine)
Saint Joseph's scored three times in the fourth quarter to defeat Emmanuel, 7-6, in conference play on Saturday, March 21.
Emmanuel opened a 2-0 lead on goals by Emilia Ferraro and Rylie Hogan, but Saint Joseph's answered with three straight, including two man-down goals from Taylor Dumond and a score by Sophia Burton, to take a 3-2 halftime edge. The Saints regained a 5-4 lead late in the third behind Ferraro and Avery Robillard, but the Monks responded in the fourth. Zoey Lailer tied the game before Dumond scored twice in a 1:02 span to make it 7-5. Emmanuel closed within one on an Ella Stein free-position goal, but Saint Joseph's held on.
Saint Joseph's held a 29-19 edge in ground balls and forced 25 Emmanuel turnovers. Dumond finished with four goals, while Burton added a goal and three assists. Ferraro led Emmanuel with two goals, and Madeline Wright recorded a goal and six draw controls. Julia Price made seven saves in the win, while Keira Walsh stopped five shots for the Saints.
SERIES HISTORY
With the win in Standish, Saint Joseph's improved to 15-4 in the all-time series with Emmanuel College. The teams split a pair of meetings last spring, with the Monks earning a 16-8 regular-season victory before the Saints claimed a 9-4 decision in the GNAC Tournament semifinals.
*Versus GNAC opponents
