PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y. – Powered by a game-high eight points from freshman Ava Franco (Coram, N.Y./Longwood), the No. 3 seeded Mercy University Women's Lacrosse Team earned their first NCAA Tournament win in program history with a 19-10 win over No. 6 seeded Southern Connecticut State University in the First Round of the 2026 NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship on Thursday afternoon at Northwell Stadium.
The Mavericks (16-3) have won five games in a row and match the school record for wins in a season. Mercy earns their first NCAA Tournament win in program history and will play at No. 2 seed Pace in the Second Round on Saturday, May 9th at 1 p.m. The Owls (12-6) fall to the Mavericks for the second time this season and see their season come to an end in the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
Mercy opened the first quarter with strong offensive control, as Franco secured the draw and junior Riley Wallace (Islip, N.Y./Islip) scored the first goal at 14:19, assisted by junior Juliana Talenti (Bethpage, N.Y./Bethpage). Franco continued to dominate the draw controls, allowing Mercy to maintain possession and capitalize with a second goal by sophomore Kayden Meyer (Mastic, N.Y./William Floyd) at 12:02, giving the Mavericks a 2-1 lead. Franco later made it 3-2, off an assist from Meyer, before a Macy Vail goal tied the game at 3-3 at 8:44.
Mercy regained the lead with Franco's woman-down goal at 6:58 and continued to build momentum. Sophomore Ashlinn Kelly (Farmingdale, N.Y./Farmingdale) and freshman Jessica Grzelaczyk (Seaford, N.Y./Seaford) extended the lead with goals assisted by Wallace and Meyer, respectively, pushing the score to 6-3. Southern Connecticut State managed another goal from Abigail Nolan, but Mercy's offense remained relentless.
The quarter concluded with Mercy pulling away, securing additional goals from Meyer, senior Andrea Mott (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place), and a late goal by Grzelaczyk, assisted by Franco, bringing the score to 9-4 at the end of the first quarter.
Mercy opened the second quarter with an early goal by Mott, assisted by Franco, making it 10-4. This momentum was briefly countered by Southern Connecticut State, who managed to find the net through Anna Meserve. Shortly after, Mercy regained its momentum as Mott scored again, assisted by Kelly, making it 11-5 at 7:21
Mercy continued to dominate the quarter with successive goals by Franco and Talenti, both assisted by Grzelaczyk, expanding the lead to 13-5 with 4:13 left in the half. Franco added another goal in the final seconds of the quarter, assisted by Meyer, capitalizing on a woman-up advantage.
The half concluded with Mercy holding a firm 14-5 lead, showcasing effective offensive execution and defensive resilience.
The third quarter saw Mercy maintain its momentum with a strong performance. After Southern Connecticut State opened the scoring with a goal by Bailey McDermott at 13:08, Franco responded for Mercy with a free position goal at 7:09, giving the Mavericks a 15-6 lead. Meyer further extended the advantage with a goal at 3:35, putting Mercy firmly in control at 16-6.
Throughout the quarter, Mercy's defense held steady, repeatedly causing turnovers and executing successful draw controls. As the quarter closed, Mercy led Southern Connecticut State with a score of 16-6, reflecting their effective play on both ends of the field.
Wallace set the tone early in the fourth quarter for Mercy with a goal at 14:12, making it 17-6. Wallace also contributed defensively by causing a turnover and picking up a ground ball. Despite a response from Southern Connecticut State with a goal by Anna Meserve, Mercy maintained its momentum.
Grzelaczyk, assisted by Franco, answered back with a goal at 08:35, extending Mercy's lead to 18-7. Southern Connecticut State continued to press with two woman-up goals, but Kelly, assisted by Wallace, secured another goal at 02:30, giving Mercy a 19-9 lead.
As the quarter wound down, Southern Connecticut State scored once more with a free position goal by Macy Vail, but Mercy's defense held strong, securing the final possession with a ground ball pickup by sophomore Leanna Kwarta (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst). Mercy cruised to the 19-10 win, securing their first NCAA Tournament win.
Mercy was led by Franco who had a career-high-tying eight points on a career-high five goals to go with three assists, four draw controls and two ground balls. Meyer added three goals and three assists and Grzelaczyk recorded three goals and three assists. Wallace added two goals, two assists, five draw controls and three caused turnovers. Wallace recorded her 100th career goal and 100th career draw control. Mott added three goals and Kelly contributed two goals, an assist, a game-high seven ground balls and three caused turnovers. Talenti added a goal and an assist and senior Emily Marino (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) had three ground balls and one caused turnover. Senior Olivia LaMonica (Oak Ridge, N.J./Jefferson Township) made four saves with three ground balls to earn the win.
Southern Connecticut was led by Vail who had a team-high five points on three goals and two assists. Caelan Connors made a game-high seven saves to take the loss.
Mercy held a 32-19 edge in shots, a 22-12 edge in ground balls and the Owls held an 18-13 edge in draw controls.
Head Coach Dawn Sachs and the Mavericks resume action on Saturday, May 9th when they play at Pace in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament at 1 p.m.
