Behind a dominant defensive effort, the No. 18/20 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team advanced to the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
On a rainy Friday in Beantown, the unseeded Seawolves (16-4, 8-0 CAA) opened their national tournament run against the unseeded, No. 16/17 Loyola Maryland Greyhounds (13-7, 9-0 PL) at Alumni Stadium, the home of the second-seeded, No. 2 Boston College Eagles — who received a first-round bye. Two years removed from being eliminated from the 2023 NCAA Tournament by Loyola, Stony Brook exacted revenge, securing a gritty, 11-8 win — its first-ever victory against the Greyhounds.
With the triumph, the Seawolves have still never been bounced in the first round of the national tournament, advancing to a 12th straight second round game.
“This time of the year, it’s bigger than lacrosse,” head coach Joe Spallina said in a postgame press conference. “It’s earning more time together as a group. It’s a faceless opponent, but the opportunity to earn another day.”
With rain in the forecast throughout the day, the downpour created slick conditions on the field, priming the contest to become a defensive battle. As both sides struggled with their handle early on, the opening 10 minutes almost went by without a single score. The teams traded saves and turnovers until 9:49 into the affair, when Stony Brook drew first blood. Midfielder Alexandra Fusco set a screen, clearing out the right side of the fan by taking away two defenders from the picture. With space, attacker Courtney Maclay — who was yet to have a signature game this season — began what would become the best outing of her career by rifling a low shot that nestled in the cage.
“It’s do-or-die at this point in the season,” Maclay said. “My whole [are] these girls and this team. We want another day, and that’s all you could think about. Whatever is going to get the ball in the back of the net, whatever is going to get us another day together. I’m going to put my life on the line for them, and tomorrow and the next day.”
The Seawolves’ tally seemingly woke up Loyola, though, as, after another three minutes of scoreless action, it surged with goals on consecutive attacking sets from its top weapons — midfielder Chase Boyle and attacker Georgia Latch.
With a minute left in the opening period, and now down 2-1, the Seawolves responded in a big way. First, Maclay equalized with 15 seconds remaining, pulling down a pass from attacker Charlotte Wilmoth and tying things at two apiece with a fluid, catch-and-release motion. The ensuing draw was controlled by midfielder Isabella Caporuscio, who went to work quickly with the clock winding down. She maneuvered past three defenders and reached the fan with three seconds to spare. Once there, Caporuscio — who was in tight space — raised her stick and drove the ball into the ground, bouncing it off the turf and just under the crossbar to give Stony Brook the lead after 15 minutes had passed.
The second frame was just as back-and-forth as the first for its majority. On the Greyhounds’ first possession of the quarter, Latch scored from a feed by Boyle to make it 3-3. Thereafter, Maclay continued to cause problems for Loyola, scoring twice in relative quick succession — handing the Seawolves a bit of a cushion at 5-3.
Nonetheless, the Greyhound bounced right back. Aided by carelessness by Stony Brook on the cards and turnover front, Loyola tied the contest back up. Still, to conclude the half, the Seawolves were the side to finish strong. After Boyle scored her team’s fifth goal, Stony Brook controlled the next two draws and turned both attacking sets into goals, heading into the locker room up 7-5.
The first half was largely statistically even, especially in the circle and giveaway department. While the Greyhounds had a slight 7-6 advantage in draws, each team committed seven turnovers through 30 minutes. However, the second half was a different story, particularly concerning the latter.
Loyola turned the ball over 12 times in the final two periods, with the Seawolves’ suffocating defense accounting for seven of those giveaways.
“Our assistants have been lights out,” Spallina said. “Clare [Levy] was in that defense for so long, she understands it in and out. They obviously have some established scorers, some great players, so we had to know where they were at all times. You [have] to beat us with seven players. It’s not going to take just one player the way our defense is designed.”
While its endline starred, Stony Brook’s offense struggled in the third frame, as it was not efficient with its shots. The Seawolves misfired on their first seven shots of the quarter, allowing Loyola — despite the turnovers — to stage another comeback and knot the affair at seven apiece. However, in another low-time scenario, Stony Brook finally got on the board in the third period. From the right side of the arc, Maclay charged toward X before slowing her momentum as she tip-toed around the crease, spun around Loyola midfielder Elisa Faklaris and broke free in front of the goal. In a one-on-one with Loyola goalkeeper Lauren Spence, Maclay went high for her fifth goal of the day.
“[Maclay] was incredible today,” Spallina said. “If you go back to preseason rankings, coach’s quote was that she was going to be a star. And what better time to be a star than in an NCAA playoff game.”
The final period was controlled by the Seawolves, with contributions coming from everywhere on the field. After controlling the frame’s first draw, Caporuscio scored herself to double the team’s advantage. With 9:43 left to play, goalkeeper Natalia Altebrando — who had a big first quarter with four saves but had just three stops in the middle periods — stuffed a shot by Latch.
“We’re so in-synch [on] defense,” Altebrando said. “[Levy] has been doing such a great job with us. We work every single day to the players we’re going against. I have so much faith in my defense that it’s literally just us against everyone else.”
Although the Greyhounds avoided falling into an even larger deficit on Stony Brook’s ensuing attacking set, defender Avery Hines responded with a caused turnover against Boyle and also picked up the ground ball. With possession, a two-goal lead and less than seven minutes remaining, the Seawolves called a timeout, hoping to come up with the dagger.
Coming off the break, Stony Brook shifted the ball to the left side of the field, giving Maclay another isolation opportunity. Facing Faklaris again, Maclay started her attack from the twenty-yard line and used her speed to create enough space for a low shot across the goal that snuck in.
Maclay’s final tally of the afternoon put the affair to bed, though Fusco added another insurance goal later. In her final collegiate game, Boyle got one for the road with 34 seconds left.
The Seawolves outshot Loyola 34 (21 shots on goal) to 24 (16 shots on goal).
Stony Brook lost the draw control battle 14-8, but scooped up 15 ground balls to the Greyhounds’ 12 and finished +9 (10-19) on the turnover differential.
Maclay recorded a career-high with six goals. Caporuscio scored a hat trick and Fusco tallied a pair, marking the Seawolves’ only other scores. Wilmoth and attacker Riley McDonald — although not finding the back of the net themselves — dished out an assist each.
Altebrando’s national tournament debut was a good one, as she made eight saves for a .500 save percentage. Conversely, Spence stopped 10 shots for a .476 mark.
Latch and Boyle each scored hat tricks, also adding two and one assists, respectively.
Stony Brook has a monumental challenge ahead. For its second round contest, it will take on Boston College — the 2024 NCAA Tournament champions — in hostile territory. The Eagles rank first in the nation in scoring offense and second in scoring defense. Their only two losses on the year have come to the University of North Carolina, the tournament’s top seed.
“We have an opportunity in front of us,” Spallina said. “What they have is what we want. They’re going to get the best we have to offer.”
Boston College has reached the national tournament title game seven consecutive times. The last time the Eagles failed to do so was in 2016, when the Seawolves eliminated them in the first round. However, they returned the favor in 2018, beating Stony Brook in the Elite Eight. Opening draw for these sides’ latest NCAA Tournament clash is set for Sunday at noon.
