When: Thursday, April 30 at 2:30 p.m.
Where: Lavalle Stadium | Stony Brook, N.Y.
Team Records: No. 3 seed Towson (7-10, 5-2 CAA) vs. No. 2 seed Hofstra (10-6, 6-1 CAA)
Broadcast: FloCollege
Series: Towson leads 13-9
STONY BROOK, N.Y. - The Towson University women's lacrosse team opens Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Conference Semifinal play against Hofstra on Thursday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at LaValle Stadium on the campus of Stony Brook University. Towson enters the matchup as the No. 3 seed, while Hofstra holds the No. 2 spot. The Tigers are back in the postseason for the first time since 2023 and are riding momentum from a 12–11 overtime win against Monmouth last Saturday. The Tigers will be coming into Kristen Carr's third season as the head coach for the Black & Gold.
Instant Impact
Hannah Lewis has made a significant impact at attack for the Tigers this season. The redshirt junior leads the team in points (51) and goals (41). Lewis ranks sixth in the CAA in goals per game (2.41 avg/g).
Jenna Cardeno is continuing to make her mark in her sophomore season between the pipes. She currently ranks third in the CAA with 8.53 saves per game (145 total) and sits 25th nationally in the same category. Last week, Cardeno eclipsed 300 career saves and has posted double-digit saves in seven of 16 games this season. As a freshman, she was the only goalkeeper named to the CAA All-Rookie Team.
Postseason Recognition
Three Tigers earned postseason honors from the CAA. Redshirt junior Hannah Lewis earned All-CAA First Team Honors while seniors Valerie Thompson and Ocea Leavy secured All-CAA Second Team recognition.
Preseason Accolades
The Tigers were voted to finish in third place in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Preseason Coaches' Poll, earning 33 points. The Black & Gold were picked behind CAA defending champion Stony Brook and Drexel. Senior midfielder Valerie Thompson and junior Katie Roszko were named to the All-CAA team, while senior Ocea Leavy and sophomore Jenna Cardeno earned honorable mention recognition.
Welcome (Back) to Towson!
Kristen Carr was named the Women's Lacrosse Head Coach in July 2023. The two-time gold medalist has made assistant coaching stops at North Carolina, Delaware, Stanford, Ohio State and Johns Hopkins. Carr was an IWLCA All-American defensive midfielder at North Carolina, where she made four NCAA Tournament appearances. Alongside Rebecca Lane, Lyndsey Muñoz and Kristin O'Neill, Carr will be welcoming back Milana Zizakovic as the team's Director of Player Development.
Fresh Faces
Kristen Carr welcomes a class of eleven newcomers this season with seven freshmen and four transfers. Carr brought in senior attack Acacia Connor (Syracuse), sophomore midfielder Jacinda Connor (USF), graduate attack Elise Smigiel (Penn State) and graduate goalie Sienna Parekh (University of Nottingham). Carr's freshmen class consists of Courtney Xippolitos (defender), Tabi Reardon (midfielder), Karsen Hippert (mid/def), Annie Minoglio (attack), Emma Dulin (goalie), Lisa Magill (midfielder) and Kylie Trainor (midfielder).
Staying Home
The 2026 squad has 12 student-athletes that call Maryland home. Casey Meredith (Hampstead), Valerie Thompson (Sykesville), Annie Minoglio (Bel Air), Acacia Connor (Towson), Katie Roszko (Bel Air), Elise Smith (Ellicott City), Kylie Ritter (Ellicott City), Sydney Casserly (Baltimore), Bella Wojcik (Perry Hall), Harli Hamlett (Sykesville), Emma Dulin (Centreville) and Jacinda Connor (Towson) will all represent their home state.
Scouting Hofstra
The Hawks enter Thursday's matchup with a 10-6 overall record and a 6-1 record in CAA play. The Pride heads into the postseason having won five of its last six games. Most recently, Hofstra secured a 15-2 win over Wiliam & Mary. Redshirt junior Nikki Mennella leads The Pride in points (84), goals (59) and assists (25).
Up Next
The two semifinal winners after tomorrow's games will meet on Saturday for a 12:30 p.m. tilt for the CAA Title at LaValle Stadium. The game will be streamed on FloCollege.
