Women's Lacrosse | 5/5/2026 12:00:00 PM
PITTSFORD, N.Y. – The NCAA Tournament-bound St. John Fisher women's lacrosse team claimed four major Empire 8 awards and had a conference-high 12 players named to All-E8 teams for the 2026 season, the league office announced on Tuesday afternoon.
The Empire 8 named junior attacker Ellie Leisen its Offensive Player of the Year, senior midfielder Kaley Griffin its Midfielder of the Year and senior defender Maddie Lowney its Defensive Player of the Year. The Cardinals' coaching staff, led by Marykate Edmunds, garnered E8 Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
Leisen, Griffin and Lowney also earned first-team All-E8 honors along with senior defender/midfielder Paige Miller, junior attacker Chelsea Lopata and sophomore midfielder Chelsea Mesick. The Cardinals placed six others on the second team, including senior attackers Dharma Makarowsky and Megan McGrath, sophomore midfielder Athena Lazina, sophomore defender Jess Andrews, junior defender Leah Hilton and junior goalkeeper Maggie Cross.
Fisher's list of All-Empire 8 selections includes nine first-time honorees – Leisen, Lopata, Mesick, Makarowsky, McGrath, Lazina, Andrews, Hilton and Cross.
In addition to her All-E8 selection, Mesick was chosen as St. John Fisher's representative on the conference's Tomorrow's Leaders Team. The Tomorrow's Leaders Team recognizes a student-athlete from each E8 team who has demonstrated leadership in competition, in the classroom and in their community.
Lowney, now a three-time Empire 8 Defensive Player of the Year, has been nothing short of spectacular this season, as she leads the Cardinals with 63 caused turnovers, 65 ground balls, and 76 draw controls. In April, she surpassed St. John Fisher Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Laurie Quackenbush for the program and Empire 8 record for career caused turnovers (Lowney currently has 166). She later bested the program's single-season record for caused turnovers, which she set just last season.
A four-time first-team All-Empire 8 selection, Lowney is the only player in program history with more than 120 caused turnovers, 200 ground balls and 200 draw controls. She currently ranks fourth in program history in draw controls (264) and ground balls (229).
Griffin joins former teammate Sydney Carpenter as the second-ever Empire 8 Midfielder of the Year. The four-time All-Empire 8 selection has made significant contributions all over the field for the Cardinals this season with 47 total points on 36 goals and 11 assists to go with 72 draw controls, 22 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers. Griffin is seventh in program history with 131 career goals and ninth with 153 draw controls.
Leisen, who had her 2025 season cut short due to an injury after a strong start, has been an offensive force for the Cardinals all year. She leads the team with 49 goals, 38 assists and 87 total points, all career highs. She stands third on Fisher's single-season top-10 list for points and sixth on its single-season top-10 list for assists.
The sixth different player in program history to be named Empire 8 Offensive Player of the Year, Leisen has recorded five or more points in 11 contests. She erupted for a career-high 10 on four goals and six assists in a 22-1 victory over Hartwick on April 25.
Miller, a first-time All-Empire 8 first-team selection, has also been an integral part of the Cardinals' defense. She has played in all 19 games to this point, setting career highs with 23 caused turnovers, 43 ground ball recoveries and 13 draw controls.
Despite missing the first five games of the season, Lopata is third on the team with 54 total points on 35 goals and 19 helpers. She has pushed her career assist total to 73, the seventh most in program history.
Mesick is third on the team with 26 caused turnovers and 36 ground ball recoveries. She has also produced on the offensive end after finishing her freshman season without a point. Through 19 games, she has 12 points on eight goals and four assists.
Makarowsky and McGrath have enjoyed breakout seasons, as they have set career highs across the board offensively. Makarowsky has piled up 63 total points on 44 goals and 19 assists, while McGrath has 28 goals and eight assists for 36 points. Makarowsky leads the team with 11 goals on free-position shots.
Lazina has 34 points, with 32 of them coming on goals. She had just seven points in sparse action as a freshman.
Andrews and Hilton have been Fisher's breakout players on the defensive side. Andrews has caused 25 turnovers and picked up 31 ground balls, and Hilton stands second on the team with 36 caused turnovers and third with 46 draw controls. She has picked up 25 ground balls.
Cross has played and started in all 19 games in net, making a career-high 74 saves with a 6.53 goals against average.
A 2014 St. John Fisher graduate, Edmunds returned to her alma mater as head coach last summer after Linda Michele, one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history, announced her retirement. Edmunds and her staff, which includes Logan Chase, Cassidy King and Alexis Bower, guided the Cardinals to their 14th consecutive Empire 8 Championship and 16th overall this past weekend. This season marks St. John Fisher's 11th with 15 or more victories since 2012.
The Cardinals (15-4) face WestConn in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday in Middlebury, Vermont.
