STONY BROOK, N.Y. - The Towson University women's lacrosse team opened Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Semifinal play on Thursday with a trip to Long Island. The No. 3 seed Towson Tigers (8-10, 5-2 CAA) defeated the No. 2 seed Hofstra Pride (10-7, 6-1 CAA), 14-11, to advance to the CAA Championship for the first time since 2023.
Luca DeMaio led the Tigers with six goals, matching a career high. Valerie Thompson and Elise Smigiel each recorded hat tricks, while Hannah Lewis added two goals.
Key Stats vs. Hofstra
- Towson controlled the draw circle, 17–9.
- Jenna Cardeno recorded nine saves, compared to five by Hofstra.
- The Tigers picked up 21 ground balls, while The Pride finished with 18.
How it Happened vs. Hofstra
- Both teams traded possessions early in the first quarter before Valerie Thompson connected with Elise Smigiel at the 4:34 mark to open the scoring.
- Thompson followed with an unassisted goal, giving Towson a 2-0 lead heading into the second quarter.
- Hofstra's Nikki Mennella struck just 23 seconds into the second to get The Pride on the board. Smigiel answered on a woman-up opportunity, restoring the Tigers' two-goal advantage.
- Mennella responded quickly to cut the deficit to one, but Smigiel navigated through traffic to complete her hat trick and push Towson back ahead by two. Mennella countered once again to keep Hofstra within reach.
- With five seconds remaining in the half, DeMaio fired a shot past three defenders to give Towson a 5-3 lead at the break.
- DeMaio carried that momentum into the third quarter, scoring 90 seconds in to extend the Tigers' lead to its largest of the game. The teams then traded pairs of goals before Hofstra closed the quarter on a 2-0 run, narrowing the score to 8-7 entering the fourth.
- Thompson wasted no time in the final quarter, scoring just 16 seconds in to put Towson back up by two. The teams again exchanged goals, with the Tigers maintaining their edge.
- Hofstra used another two-goal run to tie the game for the first time, but Thompson responded with her third goal of the day, becoming the third Tiger to record a hat trick.
- Towson followed with a decisive 2-0 run to pull away and secure a 14-11 victory, clinching a spot in the CAA Championship.
Inside the Numbers vs. Hofstra
- Towson snapped a three-game losing streak against Hofstra.
- The Tigers improved to 28-21 all-time against The Pride.
Up Next
Towson will face Stony Brook in the CAA Championship on Saturday, May 2. Opening draw is set for 12:30 p.m. and will be streamed on FloCollege.
