ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The No. 11 St. John Fisher women's lacrosse team (0-1) opened the 2026 season with a 10-6 loss to the University of Rochester (2-0) on a rainy, dreary Saturday afternoon at Fauver Stadium. 

How It Happened

Rochester took an early 1-0 lead on an unassisted tally by Alyssa Gorney, but the Cardinals quickly responded with a pair of quick strikes by senior midfielder Kaley Griffin, their top returning scorer from last season, to take a 2-1 lead. Senior attacker Dharma Makarowsky had the assist on the first tally, while sophomore defender Chelsea Mesick had the helper on the second, which came with the Cardinals a player down. 

Gorny scored again for the Yellowjackets before the opening frame ended to tie the game at two. 

Rochester outscored Fisher 3–2 in the second period to take a 5–4 lead into halftime. The Cardinals briefly pulled ahead when Makarowsky scored unassisted at 14:17, but the Yellowjackets answered with three straight goals. Rose Bunting tied it at 12:00, Allison Weiden put Rochester in front less than two minutes later and Jenna Kessler stretched the lead to 5–3 at the 8:17 mark. Fisher cut the deficit to one when junior defender Leah Hilton converted a free‑position shot with 59 seconds left in the half. 

Rochester took control in the third quarter, scoring twice to build a three‑goal lead before St. John Fisher answered late. Anna Rogers broke the tie at the 10:29 mark off a feed from Bunting, and the pair connected again less than two minutes later when Bunting scored to make it 7–4. Fisher cut the deficit to 7–5 with 1:23 left when sophomore attacker Ally Stank scored a player‑up goal on an assist from Makarowsky. 

The Yellowjackets scored three straight goals in the fourth quarter to extend their lead to 10-5, putting the game out of reach. 

Makarowksy, who finished with four total points, scored her second goal of the day with 1:18 left in the contest. 

Game Notes

• The loss marked Fisher's first in a regular-season game since a 12-11 loss to Geneseo on April 9, 2024. 

• Hilton caused a career-high five turnovers. 

• Mesick and senior All-American defender Maddie Lowney each caused three turnovers. 

• Lowney led the Cardials with five draw controls and six ground balls. 

• Mesick recovered a career-high five ground balls. 

• Hilton's goal marked the first of her collegiate career. 

• Junior goalkeeper Maggie Cross made five saves. 

Up Next

The Cardinals face Clarkson at 4 p.m. on Wednesday at Growney Stadium.