Women's Lacrosse

Great Danes Take Back #AEWLAX Title!


SMITHFIELD, R.I. – After falling just short a year ago, UAlbany women’s lacrosse left no doubt in 2025 as they took down top seeded Bryant 14-10 on the road to clinch the program’s fourth #AEWLAX Championship.
 
UAlbany and Bryant were tied 7-7 at the half but the Great Danes went on a 4-1 run spanning the end of the third and the beginning of the fourth quarter to grab a 13-9 advantage. The defense did the rest, allowing just one goal over the final 21 minutes of action.
 
Midfielder Gracie McCauley was named the Most Outstanding Player after scoring an #AEWLAX tournament-record eight goals with two ground balls and one caused turnover. She was joined on the All-Championship team by Mackenzie Salentre, Kloey Roos, Mikaela Mooney and Grace Cincebox.
 
The Great Danes will learn their NCAA draw during the selection show on Sunday at 9:00 p.m. on ESPNU.
 
Jessica Colalillo, Gabriella Constant and Phoebe Fox were Bryant’s members of the All-Championship Team. Isabella Fontana and Katana Nelson were UMBC’s selections, while Audra Hanson and Daia Hansford were named to the All-Championship Team from UAlbany.
 
Bryant grabbed a 1-0 lead just 47 seconds into the contest and pushed its lead to 3-1 at 7:18. Gracie McCauley ended the run three minutes later and capped off three straight goals from UAlbany to pull in front 4-3 after one quarter. The teams traded goals throughout the second, with Amelia Piercy’s tally with just eight seconds left tying the game 7-7 at the half.
 
The Great Danes scored twice in the opening two minutes of the third to push the lead to 9-7. Elise Larsen pulled Bryant within one at 8:28, but Dylana Williams answered one minute later. Each team scored one more in the third for an 11-9 lead
 
McCauley tallied a pair of goals in the opening five minutes of the fourth to stretch the lead to 13-9. The Bulldogs were able to get one more score, but McCauley made 14-10 with 7:13 to go and the Great Dane defense did the rest to earn the program’s second championship in the last three years.
 
UAlbany’s Molly McGrath, a junior majoring in Human Biology, earned the women’s lacrosse Elite 18 award for having the highest cumulative GPA among today’s participants.
 
Visit Championship Central for box scores, highlights and recaps of the entire championship.
 
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Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference and its social media channels, @AmericaEast. 

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