HOBOKEN, N.J. (April 6, 2024) – Graduate student Zoe Cook and senior Emily Leiby each scored five times as No. 13 Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse defeated Misericordia University 21-2 Saturday in a MAC Freedom matchup at the DeBaun Athletic Complex. 

Junior Anna Velardi dished out a career-high five assists and sophomore Stefanie Sellitto finished with four goals and an assist for the Ducks, who won their fourth straight conference opener to improve to 8-1 on the year and to 1-0 in league play. Stevens improved to 5-2 all-time against Misericordia. 

Rachel Shook and Skylar Dowling each netted unassisted goals to account for Misericordia's offense as the Cougars fell to 2-7 on the year and to 0-1 in the MAC Freedom. The Cougars have dropped their last four contests.

Sophomore Felicity Heilferty made one save in earning her eighth victory of the year. Classmate Emma Guzowski and first-year Kailyn Vautour combined for three saves in the second half to close out the win. Natalie McKinney stopped five shots in a losing effort for Misericordia. 

Prior to the contest, the women's lacrosse program honored Leiby and classmate Carly Walker for their contributions to the program. Over the course of their four years together, the senior duo has helped guide the Ducks to a 53-12 record, a mark that now includes Saturday's win.  

The Rundown

• Stevens scored eight times in the first period to break the game open. Sellitto opened the scoring after converting a pass from junior Emily Smart on the Ducks' opening possession of the game. Misericordia had won the opening draw control, but an unforced turnover quickly ended the Cougars' possession.
• Sellitto corralled the ensuing draw control and Velardi found Cook for the latter's 20th of the season. The pair would hook up again two minutes later as Stevens would score on each of its first five shots of the game. 
• The Ducks forced six Misericordia turnovers in the first quarter, including three on clearing attempts.
• Cook would again convert a Velardi feed to complete her fifth hat trick of the season. Leiby would follow with another goal to push the lead to five. Sellitto netted her second of the day, taking advantage of a Jaden Pare green card. 
• Dowling put Misericordia on the board with her fourth goal and Stevens responded with two goals in the final 15 seconds to take an 8-1 lead into the second quarter. After Cook collected the draw control after Dowling's marker, Smart found a cutting Sellitto to complete her third hat trick of the year. Sellitto won the draw control and found junior Rebecca Guerra, who beat McKinney with just three seconds left in the period. 
• Sellitto opened second-quarter scoring, with Cook following with consecutive goals to reach the 10-goal margin that brought the running clock. Stevens would score four more times before halftime, including first-year Callie Slabaugh, who netted her first career goal.
• First-year Tory Seaton had the Ducks' first tally in the third quarter before Leiby added a short-handed goal to make the score 17-1. Sophomores Maddie Hogan and Hana Yang found the back of the net late in the fourth quarter, before Leiby scored twice in a three-minute span to provide the final margin of victory.

Top Performers

• Cook's five-point performance moved her within nine of 200 career points. 
• The Ducks' 21 goals marked a season high.
• 12 different players recorded at least one point, including first-year Abby O'Brien, who assisted on Hogan's fourth-quarter goal for her first collegiate point. 
• Smart finished with three assists. She is within six of 100 for her career.
• Hogan finished with two goals and junior Alison Lax had a goal and an assist to round out the Ducks' multi-point performances.
• Leiby (4) and Sellitto (3) combined for seven of the Ducks' 13 draw controls.
• Sophomore Lauren Sullivan paced the Ducks with two caused turnovers, while classmate Lindsay Esposito picked up a game-high four ground balls.
• The Ducks went 3 for 4 on free-position shots and were 16 for 20 on clears, including a perfect 8 for 8 in the first half. 

For the Opponents

• Misericordia outearned the Ducks 14-13 in the circle. Shook finished with a game-high six to lead all players.
• The Cougars went 0 for 2 on eight-meter attempts and were only successful on eight of their 14 clearing attempts.

Around the MAC Freedom 

• DeSales @ Ramapo (Apr. 3) – postponed
• Delaware Valley 20, Notre Dame (Md.) 5 (F/Apr. 3)
• Messiah 15, Lebanon Valley 9 (F/Apr. 3)
• Arcadia 19, FDU-Florham 10 (F/Apr. 4)
• Lebanon Valley 22, King's 7
• DeSales 21, Delaware Valley 4

Up Next

• In a late addition to the schedule, No. 13 Stevens will head to No. 7 Gettysburg on Tuesday, April 9. The teams have met four times in their respective histories, although Tuesday's meeting is the first since 2013 and will be the first contested between the teams outside the state of Florida. Links for live stats and video are posted to StevensDucks.com.

Athletic Department Social Media
Facebook: "Like" Stevens Athletics         
X (Formerly Twitter): @stevensducks
Instagram: @stevensducks

Women's Lacrosse Social Media
X (Formerly Twitter): @Stevenswlax
Instagram: @stevens_wlax

#AllRise