Women's Lacrosse | 4/27/2026 3:00:00 PM
Top-seed St. John Fisher University is looking to win its 14th straight league title, as six teams will vie for the 2026 Empire 8 Women’s Lacrosse Championship, which begins Tuesday, April 28 and concludes on Saturday, May 2.
No. 3 SUNY Brockport hosts No. 6 Utica University, while No. 4 Nazareth University hosts No. 5 Hartwick College in first round action on Tuesday, April 29. St. John Fisher will host the winner of Nazareth and Hartwick, while No. 2 seed SUNY Geneseo will host the winner of Brockport and Utica in semifinal action on Thursday, May 1, while the two semifinal winners will play in the title game on Saturday, May 3, with all games played at the higher seed.
The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Championship, which begins with first and second round action May 9-11.
Final 2026 Empire 8 Women’s Lacrosse Championship Seeds
No. 1 – St. John Fisher University (9-0 E8, 13-4 Overall)
No. 2 – SUNY Geneseo (8-1 E8, 10-7 Overall)
No. 3 – SUNY Brockport (7-2 E8, 11-5 Overall)
No. 4 – Utica University (6-3 E8, 10-6 Overall)
No. 5 – Hartwick College (5-4 E8, 7-9 Overall)
No. 6 – Nazareth University (4-5 E8, 4-13 Overall)
The 2026 Empire 8 Women’s Lacrosse Championship schedule is below. For the most up to date information on this year's championship, follow the Empire 8 Conference on X and Instagram (@Empire8).
2026 Empire 8 Women’s Lacrosse Championship Schedule
Tuesday, April 28 – First Round
No. 6 Nazareth University at No. 3 SUNY Brockport – 4 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
No. 5 Hartwick College at No. 4 Utica University –
4 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Thursday, April 30 – Semifinals (at Higher Seed)
Winner of Utica/Hartwick at No. 1 St. John Fisher University – 7 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Winner of SUNY Brockport/Nazareth at No. 2 SUNY Geneseo –
4 p.m. – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
Saturday, May 2 – Championship (at Highest Remaining Seed)
Winner of Semifinal #1 vs. Winner of Semifinal #2 – TBA at Highest Remaining Seed – VIDEO/LIVE STATS
St. John Fisher enters the 2026 Championship with a 13-4 record overall and 9-0 mark in E8 play, having out-scored opponents, 270-98 on the season. The Cardinals are looking for their 14th straight league title and 16th overall in program history and enter the tournament having won 75 straight games against E8 opponents (regular season and postseason) dating back to 2018 and 26 straight E8 Tournament games dating back to 2012. Four different players have at least 30 goals for the Cardinals and seven have at least 20 goals. and six have at least 40 points. Junior Ellie Leisen leads the team in scoring with 78 points on 44 goals and 34 assists. Dharma Makarowsky has added 38 goals and 55 points, while Chelsea Lopata has 33 goals and 49 points in just 12 games. Kaley Griffin has 33 goals and is tied for the team lead with 68 draw controls. Defender Maddie Lowney leads the Cardinals with 55 ground balls, 53 caused turnovers and is tied with Griffin with 68 draw controls, while Leah Hilton has 33 caused turnovers. In net, Maggie Cross has a 6.49 goals against average while playing in 17 games for the Cardinals.
No. 2 SUNY Geneseo enters the Empire 8 Tournament having finished 8-1 in league play and 10-7 overall. The Knights are out-scoring opponents, 248-150 this season, including 167-38 in nine league games. Five different Knights have at least 20 goals this season. Rosemary Mahoney leads the Knights and with 60 points on 27 goals and 33 assists to go along with 47 ground balls. Natalie Long has a team-high 39 goals, while Olivia Luchetti has a team-best 66 draw controls, while Rajkowski has 45 draw controls and 26 goals. Mahoney and Allison Dodge are tied for the team lead with 22 caused turnovers apiece. Grace Geary leads Geneseo with 42 ground balls and is second with 29 caused turnovers. Goalkeeper Teagan Culhane has played in all 17 games for Geneseo and has nine wins.
SUNY Brockport earned the No. 3 seed in its inaugural Empire 8 season, finishing 7-2 in league play and is 11-5 overall. Eight different Golden Eagles have scored at least 10 goals this season. Hailey Lewkowich leads Brockport in scoring with 52 points on 42 goals and 10 assists, while Karaline McCarthy has 32 goals, a team-best 17 assists and 59 points. McCarthy also leads Brockport and is among the E8 leaders with 62 draw controls. McCarthy, Journey Naab and Kaeli McCarthy have combined for 16 caused turnovers each to pace the Golden Eagles. Goalkeeper Arianna Reed leads the league with a .517 save percentage and has made 92 saves.
Utica is the No. 4 seed, making its ninth overall appearance in the E8 Tournament and eighth in a row. Maria Stuhlman leads the team in scoring with 45 goals and 65 points in 14 games to go along with 66 draw controls, while Alyssa Specchio has 39 goals and 55 points, while Jessica Marciano has 30 goals. Six different student-athletes have at least 10 goals. Stuhlman and Alexis Altieri have 19 caused turnovers each. Makayla Purdy has played in all 16 games for the Pioneers and has 10 wins and a .470 save percentage, tied for second in the E8.
Hartwick enters the tourney as the No. 5 seed with a 5-4 mark in E8 play. The Hawks feature eight players with at least 10 goals. Lily Dempsey and Adelyn Esce are tied for the team lead with 47 points apiece. Dempsey has 29 goals and 18 assists, while Esce has 20 goals and a team-best 27 assists. Parker Laurin has a team-high 35 goals. Jammie Decker leads Hartwick with 59 draw controls, 34 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers to lead the team. Goalkeeper Brooke Lynett has played in 16 games for the Hawks in 2025, recording seven wins and a .462 save percentage.
No. 6 seed Nazareth is looking for its fifth E8 title and first since 2006. Grace Gardner leads Nazareth and is among the league leaders with 70 points on 37 goals and 33 assists to go along with 44 draw controls. Emma Bossard has 19 caused turnovers, while Briana Panko has 18. Goalkeeper Allie Klestenic has appeared in all 17 games in net for the Golden Flyers and has a .470 save percentage and leads the league with 154 saves.
Looking ahead to the opening round, SUNY Brockport defeated Nazareth, 12-4 on April 22, while Utica defeated Hartwick, 15-5, also on April 22. St. John Fisher defeated potential semifinal opponent Utica, 16-4 on April 1 and earned a 22-1 win over Hartwick on April 25. SUNY Geneseo defeated potential semifinal opponent SUNY Brockport, 14-7 on April 1 and recorded a 16-5 win over Nazareth on April 11.