Stevenson Lacrosse Teams Finish as MAC Commonwealth Runners-Up
It was a bittersweet Saturday for Stevenson University lacrosse, as both the men’s and women’s teams fell to top-seeded York (Pa.) in their respective 2025 MAC Commonwealth Championship games, each finishing as conference runner-up after hard-fought campaigns.
The men’s season continues this weekend, however, because the Mustangs were selected for the 40-team NCAA Division III Tournament, and earned a first-round bye. Stevenson (14-5) opens with a second-round matchup at 3 p.m. Saturday against the University of Lynchburg (13-6) in Newport News, Virginia.
The winner on Sunday takes on either host Christopher Newport University (16-3) or the winner of Wednesday’s first-round game between Grove City (13-7) and Albion (12-8). Sunday’s game is also set for 3 p.m.
Here’s the full tournament bracket.
Men’s Lacrosse: Mustangs Battle but Fall Short in Title Match
The No. 2 seeded Stevenson men’s lacrosse team came up short in the MAC Commonwealth Championship, falling 16-10 to the top-ranked York Spartans. York set the tone early with six unanswered goals before Gavin Gossen ended the streak at the 4:29 mark. The Spartans, however, tacked on two more to take an 8-1 lead after the first quarter.
Max Racich sparked some momentum with back-to-back goals to open the second frame, but York answered again, sending Stevenson into the half down 10-3.
In a high-scoring third quarter, Stevenson netted five goals from Racich, Gossen, Grant Zick, Dillon Linhardt, and Taz Delaney, though York still maintained a firm grip on the lead at 16-8.
The Mustangs held York scoreless in the fourth and added two goals from Linhardt and Racich, but the deficit proved too steep to overcome.
Racich finished with four goals, while Gossen notched two goals and two assists. Zick and Delaney each added a goal, and Tyler Merchant recorded 15 saves in net.
Stevenson concludes the season with a 14-4 overall record and a 6-1 MAC Commonwealth mark.
After a postseason run that included a semifinal win over Eastern, the Mustangs now shift their focus towards the NCAA tournament where they will first face the University of Lynchburg.
Senior midfielder Grant Zick said the team is ready to learn from the loss and prepare for a rematch with the University of Lynchburg. “Every loss is a learning opportunity, I think the biggest takeaway is that we have to start faster. It’s hard to get down big early and try to come back.”
He also shared that the team is excited to be returning to the tournament for a second consecutive season. “I think it’s great, this is what we want the standard to be so I’m glad we can get that trend going in the right direction again.”
Women’s Lacrosse: Second-Half Surge Not Enough in Championship Loss
The Stevenson women’s lacrosse team capped its season as MAC Commonwealth runner-up, falling 17-11 to top-seeded York (Pa.) in Saturday’s championship match.
The Spartans jumped out to a dominant 7-0 lead in the first quarter and extended it to 8-0 early in the second before Kara Yarusso broke the silence with the Mustangs’ first goal.
York led 9-1 at the half.
Refusing to go quietly, Stevenson erupted in the third quarter with four straight goals from Erin Steinberg, Olivia Galati, and Kellyann Coccia, assisted by Isabelle VanEmburgh, Alice Petersen, and Galati.
York answered back with a five-goal burst of its own to take a 14-5 lead into the final quarter.
The Mustangs showed heart in the fourth, outscoring York 6-3 with goals from Yarusso, Galati, Steinberg, and Katherine Friedman.
Galati and Yarusso each recorded hat tricks and an assist to lead the team in points.
Steinberg added three goals, while Coccia and VanEmburgh each notched two points. Friedman contributed one goal, and Petersen tallied an assist.
Sophia Murray commanded the draw circle with eight draw controls and added five ground balls and multiple caused turnovers.
Yarusso led all players with seven ground balls, while goalkeepers Anna Johnston and Regan Torbert combined for 10 saves.
Graduate student Sophia Murray says her transfer to Stevenson was one of the best decisions she ever made. “It could not have turned out better.”
She also said her advice to the team is to remember the feeling. “I think my advice to them would just to be to remember this feeling, knowing that they saw those moments of when we played at our best, when we did super well, and knowing that if we had kept that up, if we had that consistency, that we could have taken this team,” Murray said.
Murray also shared how much faith she has in the team moving forward. “I honestly know that they will take that grit and take this heart into the upcoming seasons for them because they can see how much everyone cared.”
The Mustangs finish their season with a 12-7 overall record and a 5-2 conference showing. As the No. 3 seed, they upset No. 2 Messiah in the semifinals before falling to York in the final.
