HOBOKEN, N.J. (March 9, 2024) - Senior Emily Leiby and sophomore Stefanie Sellitto each scored two goals and added an assist as the No. 14 Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team defeated No. 8 York 9-7 in a non-conference contest Saturday afternoon at the DeBaun Athletic Complex.

The Ducks start the year 5-0 for the third-straight season. The victory was the fourth at home for Stevens this year. It is the first ranked victory for Stevens since March 12, 2023, when the Ducks beat then No. 15 St. Lawrence 18-8. York drops to 1-3 with the loss, with all three losses coming against top 15 teams.

The Ducks scored the first two goals of the game, both coming off of the stick of Leiby. Her first came just 45 seconds into the game, as the home side took momentum early. Graduate student Zoe Cook assisted on the play. Leiby scored again with 11:20 on the clock to take a 2-0 advantage, this time Sellitto assisting on the play. York would get one back late in the first, as the Ducks led 2-1 after one. To start the second, the Spartans scored the first two goals to take a 3-2 lead. With 10:14 left in the second, sophomore Maddie Hogan tied the game with her fifth of the season. Less than a minute later, sophomore Rebecca Guerra put Stevens back in front, with Zoe Cook tallying her second assist. Stevens was able to go back up by two with just over five minutes remaining as Sellitto scored her first with Leiby assisting. The Ducks would score again before the half, as Hogan scored from a free-position attempt, to give Stevens a 6-3 advantage at the break.

Neither team was able to tally a goal in the first nine minutes of the third as Stevens maintained their 6-3 lead. With 5:52 remaining, York ended an almost 20 minute goal drought as they trimmed the deficit to two. Stevens wasn't able to score in the frame, leading 6-4 going into the fourth. With 12:50 to go  in the fourth, the Spartans had a break away after a Duck turnover, but sophomore Felicity Heilferty stood tall and made a huge save to keep the Ducks up two. A few minutes later, Sellitto scored with a player advantage on an assist from Smart to restore Stevens' three-goal lead. York answered that goal with a goal of their own from a free-position at the 8:35 mark to make the score 7-5 in favor of the Ducks. That wouldn't discourage the Ducks, as junior Anna Velardi put the Ducks back up three with just under eight minutes to go. The teams would continue to trade goals, as York made it 8-6 before junior Emily Smart found the back of the net to put Stevens in front 9-6 with 5:08 to go. York would add another goal late, but it wasn't enough to force overtime as the Ducks held on for the 9-7 victory.

Top Performers

• Leiby and Sellitto each had three points.
• Hogan scored twice.
• Zoe Cook provided two assists.
• Smart added a goal and an assist.
• Sellitto led the Ducks with six ground balls. That mark was a career-high.
• Sellitto also led the Ducks with four caused turnovers and five draw controls.
• Heilferty (5-0) made eight saves.

The Opponent

• Madison Kurland scored three goals and added an assist.
• Sydney Mentzer scored twice.
• Bella Garabo made eight saves.

Around the MAC Freedom

• FDU-Florham 2, Montclair State 13 F/SAT
• TCNJ 16, Lebanon Valley 3 F/SAT
• King's 8, Virginia Wesleyan 10 F/SUN
• DeSales 10, John Carroll 6 F/MON
• Marietta 7, Delaware Valley 8 F/TUE
• DeSales 6, Sewanee 7 F/WED
• Mount Saint Vincent 17, King's 3 F/THUR
• Arcadia 13, Elizabethtown 8 F/FRI
• Mount Saint Mary College 11, FDU-Florham 16
• USMMA 15, Delaware Valley 6
• Vassar 12, Lebanon Valley 13

Up Next: The Ducks hit the road for Spring Break as they head to Colorado Springs, Colorado to take on Colorado College and No. 17 Chicago. The team faces Colorado College on Tuesday at 4 p.m. EST, and then Chicago Thursday at 1 p.m. EST. Links for live stats and video are posted to stevensducks.com