Women's Lacrosse | 5/4/2026 3:31:00 PM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – Highlighted by Most Valuable Player Maddie Lowney, the St. John Fisher women's lacrosse team had a conference-high five players named to the 2026 Empire 8 All-Tournament Team.
Additionally, senior midfielder Kaley Griffin received the Empire 8 Torchbearer Award, presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average (GPA) participating in the championship game for each E8 sport. To be eligible for the Empire 8 Torchbearer Award, a student-athlete must be a junior or senior and in at least their second season of competition with their current team. Griffin, an accounting and finance major, boasts a 3.97 GPA.
Griffin, senior defender Paige Miller, junior defender Leah Hilton and junior attacker Ellie Leisen are the Cardinals' other four E8 All-Tournament selections.
The No. 1-seeded Cardinals beat No. 4-seeded Utica 17-4 in the semifinals on Thursday and No. 2-seeded SUNY Geneseo 12-10 in the championship game on Saturday to capture their 14th consecutive Empire 8 title. St. John Fisher will face Western Connecticut State in the first round of the NCAA Division III Tournament at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, at host Middlebury College's Peter Kohn Field.
As she has done all season – and throughout her entire collegiate career – Lowney wreaked havoc on the defensive end of the field for the Cardinals in the E8 Tournament. Over the two games, the senior defender caused 10 turnovers, recorded 10 ground ball recoveries and controlled eight draws. The 10th different player to win E8 Tournament MVP in Fisher history, Lowney caused six turnovers, scooped up six ground balls and controlled four draws in the championship game alone.
Griffin tallied three points on two goals and an assist to go with four draw controls and two caused turnovers in the tournament. She scored both of her goals in the semifinals against Utica.
Miller picked up nine ground balls, including five in the championship game, and caused three turnovers over the two contests.
Hilton controlled 13 draws, caused six turnovers and recovered three ground balls. Her seven draw controls against Geneseo marked a career high.
Leisen led the Cardinals on the offensive end in the tournament, tallying nine points on five goals and four assists. She scored three goals in the championship game against Geneseo.
