BETHLEHEM, Pa. – No. 3 Loyola Maryland defeated No. 6, 13-7, and No. 4 Bucknell surged past No. 5 Holy Cross, 14-13, to advance to the semifinal round of the 2026 Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Championship on Thursday, April 30, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Md.
No. 3 Loyola Maryland erased a one-goal halftime deficit with a 6-0 run to open the second half to defeat No. 6 Boston University, 13-7, at Ridley Athletic Complex. Sophomore attack Morgan Quade posted a game-high six points on two goals and four assists and senior midfielder Elisa Faklaris added four points on three goals and one assist to lead the Greyhounds. Terriers’ senior midfielder Elle Stevenson led BU with a game-high four goals and one assist.
No. 4 Bucknell trailed by as many as three goals in the first half but scored seven straight goals between the third and fourth quarters, then held on to down No. 5 Holy Cross, 14-13. The Bison make the semifinal round of the Patriot League Championship for the first time since 2009. Bucknell senior attack Megan Krestinski posted three goals and one assist, and senior attack Katie Browne scored three goals. Holy Cross senior defender Racheli Levy-Smith broke a Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Championship single-game record with 21 draw controls.
The fourth-seeded Bison advanced through the first round, and will travel to Annapolis to take on top-seeded Navy on Thursday, April 30, at 3 p.m. to open the semifinal round of the Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Championship. The No. 2 Black Knights will take on No. 3 Loyola Maryland, with the opening draw scheduled for 7 p.m.
The 2026 Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Championship Game is scheduled for Saturday, May 2, with live coverage on CBS Sports Network beginning at 3:30 p.m. Jason Knapp and Rachael DeCecco will be on the call for the nationally televised championship game. Paige Messier will report from the sideline.
For more information about the 2026 Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Championship, visit Championship Central by
CLICKING HERE.
| First-Round |
Sunday, April 26 – Hosted by Higher Seed |
Time |
Results |
| Game 1 |
No. 6 Boston University at No. 3 Loyola Maryland |
Noon |
Loyola, 13-7 |
| Game 2 |
No. 5 Holy Cross at No. 4 Bucknell |
1 p.m. |
Bucknell, 14-13 |
| Semifinals |
Thursday, April 30 – Hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy |
Time |
Coverage |
| Game 3 |
No. 4 Bucknell at No. 1 Navy |
3 p.m. |
ESPN+ |
| Game 4 |
No. 3 Loyola Maryland at No. 2 Army West Point |
7 p.m. |
ESPN+ |
| Championship Game |
Saturday, May 2 – Hosted by the U.S. Naval Academy |
Time |
Coverage |
| Game 5 |
Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4 |
3:30 p.m. |
CBS Sports Network |
AT NO. 3 LOYOLA MARYLAND GREYHOUNDS (21-6, 7-2 PL) 13, NO. 6 BOSTON UNIVERSITY TERRIERS (8-9, 4-5 PL) 7
Ridley Athletic Complex/Baltimore, Md. Noon (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
BALTIMORE – Five different Greyhounds scored during a 6-0 run to open the second half, leading No. 3 Loyola Maryland to a 13-7 victory over No. 6 Boston University in the first round of the 2026 Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Championship.
*Senior midfielder Elisa Faklaris scored twice during the run, erasing a one-goal halftime deficit, to finish with four points, on three goals and one assist.
*Sophomore attack Morgan Quade posted a game-high six points on two goals and four assists, while junior midfielder Delaney Jackson recorded a hat trick for the Greyhounds.
*Greyhounds’ freshman defender Mae Murphy won 10 draw controls and senior goalkeeper Mackenzie Butler posted seven saves with seven goals allowed.
*Boston University senior midfielder Elle Stevenson led the Terrier with a game-high four goals and one assist, including three goals and an assist in the first half to help take a 6-5 advantage into the break.
*Terriers’ junior goalkeeper Natalie Aiosa posted 10 saves.
RECAPS:
BOSTON UNIVERSITY |
LOYOLA MARYLAND
AT NO. 4 BUCKNELL BISON (10-6, 5-4 PL) 14, NO. 5 HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS (7-10, 5-4 PL) 13
Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium/Lewisburg, Pa. 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
BOX SCORE
LEWISBURG, Pa. – No. 4 Bucknell scored seven straight goals between the third and fourth quarters, then survived a late 5-0 run by No. 5 Holy Cross to earn a 14-13 victory in the First Round of the 2026 Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Championship.
*Senior attack Megan Krestinski led the Bison with three goals and one assist, while senior attack Katie Browne scored her three goals consecutively to cap the Bison’s seven-goal, second-half run.
*Senior attack Caroline Sheridan posted two goals and two assists, while freshman attack Caleigh Cummiskey finished with two goals and one assist.
*The Crusaders led by as many as three goals in the first half, with sophomore attacker Hadley Cepiel scoring three goals. She added a second-half assist to finish with four points.
*Senior defender Racheli Levy-Smith posted a single-game Patriot League Championship record with 21 draw controls.
*Junior midfielder Annabel Brennan scored two goals during a 5-0 fourth-quarter run to bring the Crusaders back within one goal.
*Junior attacker Kate Avitabile finished with a team-leading five points on one goal and four assists.
RECAPS:
HOLY CROSS |
BUCKNELL
Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Championship Records
*Holy Cross’ Racheli Levy-Smith broke the Patriot League Championship single-game draw control record, finishing with 21 against No. 4 Bucknell. Levy-Smith passed Navy’s Reagan Roelofs, who posted 19 draw controls in the semifinal round against Army West Point in 2019.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.