HOBOKEN, N.J. – Three different players finished with five points and four players finished with at least two goals as the Stevens Institute of Technology women's lacrosse team opened the 2025 season with a commanding 16-1 victory over Montclair State Wednesday afternoon from Debaun Athletic Complex.
Stefanie Sellitto had a game-high five goals and nine draw controls,
Maddie Hogan added a hat trick, and the
Emily Smart/
Emily Leiby duo finished with two goals and three assists each. Defensively, the Ducks caused 17 turnovers,
Quincy Connell leading the way with four.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Hogan and Leiby each scored off free-position opportunities within the opening 90 seconds before Montclair State had even registered a possession. Sellitto added her first two of the day, off assists from Smart and Leiby, respectively, putting the Ducks up 4-0 just shy of the 8:00 mark.
After Montclair State recorded its first shot of the game, hitting the post at the 5:41 mark, Smart recorded her first of the game and
Alison Lax made it 6-0 with three minutes left in the opening quarter; Hogan made it 7-0 in the final seconds.
The Emily squared connection opened the second quarter scoring, with Leiby feeding Smart at the 12:50 mark; Leiby later added her first of the day on a free-position opportunity for a 9-0 Ducks' lead. Leiby continued wrecking havoc on the Red Hawks' defense, assisting on a
Rebecca Guerra goal just 40 seconds later.
With the running clock in motion, Montclair State had a shot and free-position opportunity less than 30 seconds apart, but came away empty on both. After missing wide earlier in the quarter, Seaton found the back of the net, sending the Ducks to the locker room up 11.
Hogan completed her hat trick early in the third quarter and
Anna Velardi, coming off a career-high 23 goals last season, followed with her first of the year. The Smart-to-Sellitto connection struck twice more as the Ducks opened a 15-0 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Montclair State spoiled the Stevens' shutout attempt, finally finding the net just shy of five minutes gone in the fourth quarter, but Sellitto put the finishing touches on her and the Ducks' big days, adding her fifth at the midway point of the quarter, the final goal of the day.
Inside the Box Score
- Sellitto notched at least five goals for the seventh time as a Duck, all seven games coming since the start of the 2024 season.
- Leiby and Smart finished with multiple goals and multiple assists for the 10th and seventh times in their Stevens' careers, respectively.
- Connell, Sellitto, Leiby, and Eran Gleason all finished with multiple ground balls and multiple caused turnovers.
Up Next: The Ducks head to Rhode Island on Saturday for a 3:00 pm opening draw with Roger Williams, the first matchup all-time between the programs.
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