Tyler Kraft/UMBC Athletics

Women's Lacrosse 4/17/2026 10:29:00 AM

Women's Lacrosse Travels To Bryant for Critical America East Battle

UMBC (6-6, 1-3 America East) at Bryant (8-6, 3-1 America East) | Smithfield, RI | Saturday, April 18, 11:00 a.m. | Watch | Live Stats

Dawg Bytes

UMBC will look to end a four-game losing streak when it travels to Bryant on Saturday afternoon. The Retrievers will need to win their final two games of the season to earn a berth in the upcoming America East Tournament.
The Dawgs lead the circuit in goals per game (12.42), shots per game (31.33), shots on goal per game (23.08), fewest turnovers per game (12.08), goals against per game (9.12), and saves percentage (.491).
Emily Knapp leads the America East in goals per game (3.33, 11th in the NCAA) and points per game (4.08, 35th in the NCAA).
Knapp has recorded 87 goals and 30 assists (117 points) in just 28 career appearances (4.17 ppg.)
Reese Macintosh ranks fourth in the AE with 1.58 assists per game and is 8th in points per game (3.42).
Libby Staples is eighth in assists per game (1.33) and 12th in points per game (2.75). She's also 15th in draw controls (2.08 per game).
Ella Killian ranks 7th in the league in draw controls (3.17 per game).
Olivia Worden is fourth in the league with 3.50 draw controls per game.
Goalie Emine Luznar leads the AE with an 8.68 goals against average (10th NCAA) and a .513 saves percentage (4th NCAA). Her 17 saves against UMass Lowell were the second-most in the league this season.

Last Time Out

UMBC dropped an 11-10 decision in sudden-death overtime against the UMass Lowell River Hawks on Saturday afternoon at Cushing Field.
Retrievers' sophomore goalie Emine Luznar kept her team in the game as she made a career-high 17 saves, including several in spectacular fashion. Redshirt sophomore attacker Emily Knapp led the offense with three goals and an assist, and now has nine games with three or more goals this season. Her final tally was her 40th of the season. Sophomores Reese Macintosh and Tess Curtis added a pair of goals, as did senior Lizzie Bateman. Senior Ella Killian recorded seven draw controls, and sophomore defender Ave Martin caused three turnovers.
UMBC jumped out to a 3-0 lead with 8:52 left in the opening quarter. Curtis scored just forty-nine seconds into the contest on a shot from point-blank range. Macintosh followed up to make it 2-0 after retrieving a ground ball off an initial free position save by Lauren Lorentzon. Freshman Claire Moffitt scored in transition on a Woman Up goal to finish the run. The hosts (5-8, 1-3 AE) answered with three straight of their own to even the game with 8:42 left in the second period on a tally by Grace Lydon.
In response, the Retrievers rattled off four consecutive goals, building their biggest lead, 7-3, with 11:19 left in the third quarter. Knapp and Curtis found the net in the final 2:17 of the second, putting the visitors ahead 5-3 at intermission.
Carrying that momentum, Knapp scored the first two goals of the third to make it 7-3. The River Hawks, however, responded with a 5-1 spurt to draw even at 8-8 late in the quarter. Macintosh briefly restored UMBC's lead, 8-6, with 2:58 left, but Hilbert and Shultz netted back-to-back goals to tie the contest heading into the fourth.
Early in the fourth, Bateman put the Dawgs back in front, 9-8, on a broken play with 9:12 left. Brezynskie answered after a strong dodge with 4:37 remaining, and Lydon gave the hosts their first lead of the day, 10-9, with 1:31 left. Undeterred, Bateman muscled in her second goal with thirty-eight seconds left to force overtime.

In the overtime period, Chiarra Pompei scored the game-winning goal for UMass Lowell with just 1:04 left, capitalizing on a feed from Brezynskie.

About Bryant

The Bulldogs put together a furious rally in the final four minutes but were unable to tie the game as UAlbany earned a 9-8 victory in a battle of conference unbeatens on Saturday afternoon at Casey Stadium
Riley O'Mara, Elise Larsen, and Emily DeGeorge all scored twice, while Julia Girad out-dueled the America East's top draw specialist.
Jessica Tosone posted three ground balls, two draw controls, and three caused turnovers.
Girard posted seven draw controls.
Sierra Donis made seven saves.
Gabriella Constant is third in the league with 3.15 goals per game, and DeGeorge is fourth with 3.00.
Larsen is third in assists per game (1.62).
Jessica Tosone ranks first with 2.62 caused turnovers per game.

Series History

UMBC is 1-3 against Bryant in a series that dates back to 2023.
The Retrievers are 0-2 in Smithfield.
The Dawgs dropped a 12-9 decision last season in Baltimore. Katana Nelson scored three goals for UMBC while O'Mara and Constant each recorded hat tricks for the Bulldogs.

Head Coach Amy Slade

2021 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee Amy (Appelt) Slade is in her 14th season at the helm of the Retrievers and 17th overall with the program. Slade served as a co-head coach for her first two seasons at the head of the program after being hired as an assistant coach in August of 2009.
Slade had a career record of 110-100 (.526).
She enjoyed 11-win seasons in 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2024-25.
Slade, who won the prestigious Tewaaraton Trophy and led the University of Virginia to a national championship in 2004, joined the UMBC women's lacrosse staff in August 2009. She was inducted into the 2020 class of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame after an illustrious career with the Cavaliers, where she was a four-time All-American at Virginia, set school records for career goals (258) and points (373), and ranks second in career assists (115). Her goals and points totals are in the top 10, respectively, in the NCAA Division I record books, and she set an NCAA record by scoring a goal in 66 straight games.

Preseason Honors

The America East Conference announced its Preseason All-Conference Team and Preseason Coaches' Poll in January. Sophomore attacker Emily Knapp, senior defender Ella Killian, and sophomore midfielder Tess Curtis were all recognized by the league's coaches.
Knapp burst upon the season in 2025 after earning a redshirt in 2024 and was named the America East Rookie of the Year. Knapp was second in the league with 4.25 points per game (68 points) and finished fifth with 2.94 goals per game (47 goals). She has also added 21 assists, 24 ground balls, and 11 caused turnovers. Knapp was the third Retriever to be named Rookie of the Year and the first since 2022.
The speedy and fearless Killian is a significant reason why UMBC ranked 15th in the country in clearing percentage. Killian, who finished sixth on the circuit with 4.44 draw controls per game, also compiled 24 ground balls and caused 12 turnovers.
Curtis ranked seventh on the squad with 20 points (18 goals, two assists). She recorded hat tricks against La Salle and New Hampshire in her first season as a Retriever.

2025 Rewind

UMBC finished the 2025 season with an 11-5 record and has been picked to finish fifth out of seven teams this year. Last season, the Dawgs placed fourth with a 3-3 conference record.
The Dawgs return six players who started at least half of the squad's contests last season (attacker Emily Knapp, attacker Libby Staples, attacker Lizzie Bateman, defender Lauren Flynn, defender Ella Killian, and defender Emily Renehan)
UMBC will look to replace All-Conference performers Grace Bruce (48 goals, 11 assists), Katana Nelson (55 goals), and goalie Isabella Fontana (10.44).

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Players Mentioned

#11 Lizzie Bateman: Attack; 5' 7"; Junior

#28 Isabella Fontana: Goalie; 5' 1"; Graduate Student

#2 Ella Killian: Defense; 5' 2"; Junior

#7 Katana Nelson: Midfield; 5' 7"; Senior

#3 Emily Renehan: Defense; 5' 5"; Junior

#24 Grace Bruce: Attack; 5' 3"; Senior

#6 Libby Staples: Attack; 5' 6"; Junior

#14 Lauren Flynn: Defense; 5' 3"; Sophomore

#23 Emily Knapp: Attack; 5' 5"; Freshman

#19 Reese Macintosh: Attack; 5' 1"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

#11 Lizzie Bateman
: 5' 7"; Junior
: Attack

#28 Isabella Fontana
: 5' 1"; Graduate Student
: Goalie

#2 Ella Killian
: 5' 2"; Junior
: Defense

#7 Katana Nelson
: 5' 7"; Senior
: Midfield

#3 Emily Renehan
: 5' 5"; Junior
: Defense

#24 Grace Bruce
: 5' 3"; Senior
: Attack

#6 Libby Staples
: 5' 6"; Junior
: Attack

#14 Lauren Flynn
: 5' 3"; Sophomore
: Defense

#23 Emily Knapp
: 5' 5"; Freshman
: Attack

#19 Reese Macintosh
: 5' 1"; Freshman
: Attack