When: Saturday, May 2 at 12:30 p.m. 
Where: Lavalle Stadium | Stony Brook, N.Y. 
Team Records: Towson (8-10, 5-2 CAA) vs. No. 11 Stony Brook (16-2, 7-0 CAA) 
Broadcast: FloCollege 
Series: Stony Brook leads 13-0 

STONY BROOK, N.Y. - The Towson University women's lacrosse team returns to LaValle Stadium on Saturday with an opportunity to capture its eighth Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) title and first since 2016. After a three-year absence from the CAA Championship, the Tigers will face No. 11 Stony Brook for the second straight time in the title game; the Seawolves won the 2023 matchup, 19-4.

The No. 3-seeded Tigers enter Saturday's contest following a 14-11 upset of the No. 2-seeded Pride on Thursday. Towson is competing under head coach Kristen Carr, now in her third season leading 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 (53) and goals (43). Lewis ranks sixth in the CAA in goals per game (2.39 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 8.56 saves per game (154 total) and sits 26th 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.

Championship History
The Tigers will be making their 12th appearance in the CAA Championship, last doing so in 2023. A win in tomorrow's game would mark the second time in program history that Towson secured a CAA Title as the No. 3 seed. The third seed has secured the championship just three times in total.

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 No. 11 Stony Brook
The Seawolves enter Saturday's matchup with a 16-2 overall record, including a 7-0 mark in CAA play. Stony Brook is coming off an 18-6 victory over No. 4-seeded Elon in the CAA semifinals.

With a win, the Seawolves would join Towson and James Madison as the only programs in conference history to capture four consecutive CAA titles. Stony Brook was ranked No. 11 in both the IWLCA Coaches Poll and the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll in Week 12 of the season.

Individually, Hailey Huebner was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year, while Mirabella Altebrando earned Rookie of the Year honors. Head coach Joe Spallina was also recognized as Co-Coach of the Year for the fourth straight season.

Up Next
A win would secure Towson a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers will learn their opponent during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday, May 3 at 9 p.m. on ESPN.