Despite a late comeback by Campbell, the Elon University lacrosse team held on to secure a 13-10 Senior Day victory, thanks to hat tricks from both freshman Lillian Austin and redshirt sophomore Ana Lee Vandiver.
Elon played like a fire was lit under them from the first whistle. Freshman Addie Gilner scored off a free position shot a minute into the game and buried the ball into the left corner of the net to get her eighth goal of the season. Vandiver followed with another goal less thana minute later, giving the Phoenix an early 2-0 lead.
Campbell scored a few minutes later, but it was an exception not the norm. Elon dominated the possession time in the first half as Campbell had a couple of good looks but they were far and few between. Elon had 9 first quarter shots to Campbell’s 3. The uneven possession time was a result of the 9-2 draw control difference at half, aided by sophomore MJ Santa Barbara, who recently returned from injury and tied her single game program record in her debut game with 15 draw controls. Santa Barbara followed up with 12 draw controls against Campbell, bringing her career total to 200 and setting a new school record.
However, Campbell’s defense did not go away quietly. Ranked among the best in the conference with 10.30 caused turnovers per game, the Fighting Camels forced a number of turnovers and shot clock violations in the opening minutes of the game. The Fighting Camels forced 11 first half turnovers, almost matching Elon’s average of 12.11 turnovers per game just in the first half — a total that ranks 11th in the nation. Campbell’s defense stalled Elon by shutting the Phoenix down by the goal. Its lockdown defense near the goal forced Elon to drain the shot clock through passes, hoping to find an opening.
Elon played patiently, waiting for Campbell’s stingy defense to make a mistake, and when they did, the Phoenix pounced. Vandiver got her second goal of the day from inside the crease off an assist from senior Sammy Fisher. Fellow senior Cierra Hopson, also made her mark on Senior Day with a goal that slipped through the legs of the Campbell goalie.
Head coach Josh Hexter praised the team’s ability to move the ball and said the heat — which was in the high 70s — forced them to slow down.
“It was so hot today, we came out fast and then we kind of slowed down,” Hexter said. “We got hot, and we got tired.”
Elon scored another 3 goals in rapid succession to start the second quarter. Early in the second quarter, starting goalie junior Caitlin Walsh was taken out for senior Chloe Herghelegiu. Shortly before halftime, Vandiver got a hat trick off an assist from Gilner that set up a catch-and-shoot goal.
Campbell tried to keep themselves in it with a goal that came with three minutes left in the first half to cut it to a 6 goal lead. After halftime, Campbell continued to try and bounce back by scoring 4 goals in the third quarter. Herghelegiu’s 6 saves, however, maintained a healthy Phoenix lead.
Hexter was impressed by Herghelegiu’s ability to come in and right away make an impact.
“She went in and right away, made a few saves to build the confidence,” Hexter said. “I was really proud of how she played. She stayed really confident throughout the game.”
It was a 10-6 lead for Elon going into the fourth, but Fisher came out of the break eager to put the game away. She notched a goal and an assist in the first four minutes of the quarter. Campbell responded scoring 3 goals in under 2 minutes making the score 13-9 with just over four minutes left in the game. Campbell scored another goal a couple minutes later to cut it to a 3 point deficit, but Elon played keep-away and preserved the lead to get a Senior Day win for the nine seniors on the team. Campbell’s comeback was aided entirely by the offensive firepower of two players, Joslin Hanbury and Sam Bischoff. The duo each scored 5 goals for Campbell.
Hexter said the team was able to weather the comeback by staying resilient and focusing on the next play.
“We've gotten really good at just understanding that we're pretty tough and resilient and a next-play attitude,” Hexter said. “So regardless of if we do something really well or a bad call, or if we make a mistake, it’s just onto the next play and try to stay consistent that way.”
Vandiver said accountability was the key to staying calm and focused as Campbell clawed its way back.
“It’s easy to just lose yourself in the score and something we always try and focus on is not focusing on the score and just playing our game,” Vandiver said. “We have to recognize early that the vibe might have shifted or Campbell just went on a run. We have to understand that and recognize that, and just know that lacrosse is a game of runs.”
The win continued a 7-game conference win streak dating back to last season for Elon, the longest in program history. The Phoenix moves to 3-0 in conference play and remain atop the Coastal Athletic Association standings alongside Drexel and Stony Brook.
With the CAA Tournament beginning May 1, Hexter said the team must develop better ball movement and be more aggressive offensively but is happy with the team’s current performance. Vandiver echoed his sentiment, but stressed the importance of finishing games strong and not allowing comebacks like Campbell’s
“We go through lulls and we need to put a whole game together where we're constantly putting in 100% effort and not having as many mental mistakes,” Vandiver said.
Elon plays next at Delaware on April 4.