WLAX: Monks Collect First GNAC Title Since 2022; Earns League's AQ For 2026 NCAA Tournament
Release Courtesy of Saint Joseph's (Maine) Athletic Communications
STANDISH, Maine – Top-seeded Saint Joseph's College (17-3) defeated #2 Emmanuel College (15-5), 12-3, to win the GNAC Championship on Saturday afternoon at the SJC Athletic Complex.
Saint Joseph's has now won three GNAC Championships, adding the 2026 title to previous crowns in 2015 and 2022.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The Monks have earned the GNAC's automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament and will learn their first-round opponent during the NCAA Selection Show on Monday, May 4 at 10:30 AM on NCAA.com. The first round is scheduled for Saturday, May 9.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Saint Joseph's took control early and never trailed, scoring five times in the opening quarter behind two goals from junior Taylor Dumond(Minisink, N.Y.) and three from sophomore Ella Highbarger (Kennebunk, Maine). Highbarger added two more goals late in the second quarter to give the Monks a 7-0 lead at halftime.
Dumond opened the third quarter with back-to-back goals to push the lead to 9-0 before Emmanuel got on the board with an Emilia Ferraro tally at the 10:32 mark. Dumond answered with her fifth goal of the game to make it 10-1, but Ferraro scored again late in the quarter to cut the Saint Joseph's lead to 10-2 heading into the fourth.
Anna Nichols scored early in the final frame for Emmanuel before Highbarger netted a man-up goal off a Zoey Lailer feed and junior Dinah Wadleigh (Augusta, Maine) capped the scoring with 2:12 remaining to seal the 12-3 championship victory.
STATS OF THE GAME:
Saint Joseph's held advantages in shots (36-12), shots on goal (22-6), ground balls (39-24), and clears (30-for-35), while forcing 32 Emmanuel turnovers.
THE KEEPERS:
Saint Joseph's:
- Julia Price (Jr., Newbury, Mass.) – 60:00, 3 GA, 3 saves
Emmanuel:
- Keira Walsh – 60:00, 12 GA, 13 saves
LEADERS – SAINT JOSEPH'S:
- Ella Highbarger – 6 goals
- Taylor Dumond – 5 goals, 5 draw controls
- Celia Melanson (Sr., Waterford, Maine) – 5 assists
- Dinah Wadleigh – 1 goal
LEADERS – EMMANUEL:
- Emilia Ferraro – 2 goals
- Anna Nichols – 1 goal
- Ella Marschitz – 1 assist
HISTORICALLY SPEAKING:
With the triumph, Saint Joseph's improves to 16-4 all-time versus Emmanuel College and has now won two consecutive meetings with the Saints.
BROKEN RECORD:
Senior Celia Melanson broke the program's career assists record during Saturday's GNAC Championship victory. Melanson entered the game with 159 assists, two shy of the previous mark held by Head Coach Lydia Dexter '23, who recorded 161 helpers in 65 career games.
Melanson finished with five assists in the title-game win and now has 164 assists in 73 career contests.
GNAC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM:
MVP - Taylor Dumond, Saint Joseph's
Celia Melanson, Saint Joseph's
Julia Price, Saint Joseph's
Ava Molineaux, Saint Joseph's
Ella Highbarger, Saint Joseph's
Halle Miller, Emmanuel
Madeline Wright, Emmanuel
Avery Robillard, Emmanuel
Bailey Ingala, Norwich
Vivian Buntin, Norwich
Rose Finlayson, Colby-Sawyer
Brooke Farquhar, Colby-Sawyer
ABOUT THE GREAT NORTHEAST ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 4000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience.
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