2026 Empire 8 Women's Lacrosse Players to Watch

Women's Lacrosse | 2/13/2026 11:30:00 AM

The 2026 Empire 8 women's lacrosse season is set to begin on Saturday, February 14, 2026 with SUNY Brockport taking on Ithaca College in a non-league matchup. The Cardinals of St. John Fisher Univeristy will attempt to win their 14th straight Empire 8 crown as 10 teams will battle for the 2026 E8 Championship. League play gets started on Saturday, March 14.

The top six teams will advance to the Empire 8 Championship Tournament, which will take place with first round games Tuesday, April 28, semifinal action Thursday, April 30 and the championship game on Saturday, May 2. The Empire 8 Champion will receive an automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship

Fans can watch the action all season long, free of charge on the Empire 8 Network.  
ALFRED UNIVERSITY - Head Coach Erin Schurr
Molly Howlett, Jr., G, Brockport, NY/Brockport – Howeltt was in between the pipes in all thirteen games she played in 2025. She earned six wins with 91 saves. Her season goals against average was 12.58 and held a .361 save percentage. 

Megan Rinker, Sr., A/M, Le Roy, NY/Le Roy - Rinker was a big player on the offense for the Saxons in 2025. She totaled 20 goals and six assists, earning 26 points. She was equally as valuable on defense where she picked up 25 ground balls and caused 22 turnovers. 

SUNY BROCKPORT - Head Coach Bryana Glasser
Karaline McCarthy, So., M/A, Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville - McCarthy, the 2025 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, had a stellar debut season. She earned first team all-conference and second team all-region honors. She was second in scoring for the Golden Eagles with 34 goals and 31 assists. She added 23 ground balls, 10 caused turnovers and a team-leading 93 draw controls. 

Christina Ross, Jr., D, Waterloo, NY/Waterloo - Ross, a 2025 first team all-conference team member, was an important defender for the Golden Eagles. She picked up 18 ground balls on the season and caused 10 turnovers. 

SUNY GENESEO - Head Coach Julie Decker
Grace Geary, Jr., D/M, Liverpool, NY/Liverpool - Geary, a 2025 first team all-conference selection, held it down on the defense last year. She totaled 45 ground balls, a team-high, and caused 36 turnovers. She also tallied 32 draw controls, landing her second on the team. 

Natalie Long, Jr., A, Auburn, NY/Auburn - Long earned a spot on the 2025 second team all-conference team last season. She was the team-leader in goals with 60 and added 10 assists putting her at 60 points on the season. On defense, she added 23 ground balls, 10 caused turnovers and 31 draw controls. 

HARTWICK COLLEGE - Head Coach Nora Fallon-Oben
Jammie Decker, Sr., M, Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan Academy - Decker started all 16 games for the Hawks in 25. She totaled six goals with six points offensively. On defense, Decker picked up 12 ground balls, caused 11 turnovers and had eight draw controls. 

Parker Laurin, So., A, Saratoga Springs, NY/Saratoga Springs - Laurin will be expected to be a big contributor on offense for the Hawks this season. In 2025, she had 25 goals with five asssits, earning her 30 points. She added 16 ground balls and two caused turnovers. 

KEUKA COLLEGE - Head Coach Courtney Lafler
Lainie Forde, So., A, Waterloo, NY/Waterloo - Forde was a big contributor on offense for the Wolves in 2025. She was second on the team in points (24) with 18 goals and six assists. She added 26 ground balls and three caused turnovers. 

Elizabeth Spin, Sr., M, Auburn, NY/Auburn - Spin started all 14 games for the Wolves in 2025. She made a big difference on the defense tying for second on the team in ground balls (28) and caused 16 turnovers. 

NAZARETH UNIVERSITY - Head Coach Diana Schmitt
Grace Gardner, Sr., A/M, Goshen, NY/Goshen - Gardner, in all 19 games, registered 31 points on 17 goals and 14 assists. She added 11 ground balls with one caused turnover and one draw control. 

Allie Klestinec, Sr., G, Geneva,NY/Geneva - Klestinec, the 2025 Empire 8 Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, had an impressive junior season. She started in all 19 games between the pipes and earned first team all-conference and second team all-region honors. She ranked second in the E8 in save percentage (.469) and third in saves per game (9.16). She totaled 174 saves and 11 wins.

SUNY POLY - Head Coach Charles Rosaschi
Madyn LaFleur, Sr. A, Jordan, NY/Jordan-Eldbridge - LaFleur in 11 games played, totaled 12 points with 10 goals and two assists. She added eight ground balls, one caused turnover and 14 draw controls. 

Katelynn Truax, Sr., D, New Hartford, NY/New Hartford - Truax was a leader on defense for the Wildcats. She picked up 25 ground balls and caused a team-high 14 turnovers. She had 28 draw controls. She even had some success on offense with nine goals and five assists. 

RUSSELL SAGE COLLEGE - Head Coach Geri Seif
Alexis Crossman, Jr., M, Corinth, NY/Corinth - Crossman was a force on both sides of the field in 2025. On defense, she picked up a career-high 57 ground balls, caused 50 turnovers and grabbed 63 draw controls. On offense, she totaled 37 points with 31 goals and six assists.

Maia Hunter, So., M, Theresa, NY/Indian River - In her debut season with the Gators, Hunter had 20 ground balls, 15 caused turnovers and 14 draw controls. She added one goal and three assists on offense. 

ST. JOHN FISHER UNIVERSITY - Head Coach Marykate Edmunds
Kaley Griffin, Sr., M, Penn Yan, NY/Penn Yan Academy - Griffin finished the 2025 season with 58 total points on 44 goals, the third-most on the team, and had 14 assists. Additionally, she controlled 49 draws, scooped up 21 ground balls and caused 10 turnovers. She earned second team all-conference and was named MVP of the 2025 Empire 8 Championship Tournament.

Maddie Lowney, Sr., D, Baldwin, MD/McDonogh - Lowney, the back-to-back Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, broke a single-season record in turnovers (44), picked up a team-high 53 ground balls and controlled 75 draws, landing her second on the team. Lowney earned first team all-conference and first team all-region accolades three years straight. In 2025, she was named a second team all-american.

UTICA UNIVERSITY - Head Coach Andrea Cofrin
Alexis Alteri, Gr., M, Clinton, NY/Clinton - Alteri started all 15 of the games she played in in 2025. Offensively, she totaled 16 points with 10 goals and six assists. On defense, she picked up 24 ground balls, caused 10 turnovers and grabbed 35 draw controls.

Maria Stuhlman, Jr., M, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro - Stuhlman, the 2024 Empire Rookie of the Year, earned second team all-conference honors in her sophomore season. She was second for the Pioneers in scoring with 48 points. She had 41 goals and seven assists. On defense, she led the team in both ground balls (47) and caused turnovers (17), and added 53 draw controls, putting her second in that category.

Final 2025 Empire 8 Women's Lacrosse Standings
St. John Fisher (19-1, 9-0 E8) - League Champions
Geneseo (12-7, 8-1 E8) 
Brockport (9-9, 7-2 E8)
Nazareth (11-8, 6-3 E8)
Hartwick (8-8, 5-4 E8)
Utica (7-9, 4-5 E8)
Alfred (6-10, 3-6 E8)
Russell Sage (3-11, 2-7 E8)
Keuka (4-10, 1-8 E8)
Poly (1-13, 0-9 E8)

2025 Empire 8 Women's Lacrosse Tournament Recap
First Round
No. 3 SUNY Brockport defeated No. 6 Utica University, 16-2 – BOX SCORE
No. 4 Nazareth University defeated No. 5 Hartwick College, 15-5 – BOX SCORE

Semifinals
No. 1 St. John Fisher University defeated No. 4 Nazareth, 22-4 – BOX SCORE
No. 2 SUNY Geneseo defeated No. 3 SUNY Brockport, 13-9 – BOX SCORE

Championship
No. 1 St. John Fisher defeated No. 2 SUNY Geneseo, 13-6 at – BOX SCORE 

2025 Empire 8 Women's Lacrosse Championship Tournament Most Valuable Player
Kaley Griffin, Jr., M, St. John Fisher
 

• Maddie Lowney, St. John Fisher, Sr., D, Baldwin, MD/McDonogh - 2025 Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, 2024 Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, 2023 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, 2025 IWLCA First Team All-Region, 2024 IWLCA First Team All-Region, 2023 IWLCA First Team All-Region, 2025 IWLCA Second Team All-American
• Kaylee Gadol, St. John Fisher, Jr., G, Otisville, NY/Minisink Valley - 2025 Empire 8 Co-Goalkeeper of the Year
• Allie Klestinec, Nazareth, Sr., G, Geneva, NY/Geneva - 2024 Empire 8 Co-Goalkeeper of the Year, 2025 IWLCA Second Team All-Region
• Karaline McCarthy, Brockport, So., M/A, Scotia, NY/Scotia-Glenville - 2025 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year, 2025 IWLCA Second Team All-Region
• Maria Stuhlman, Utica, Jr., M, Whitesboro, NY/Whitesboro - 2024 Empire 8 Rookie of the Year