ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. | The historic 2026 season for the Young Harris College women's lacrosse team came to an end Thursday evening in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship. The sixth-seeded Mountain Lions fell to third-seeded Saint Leo University by a score of 19-11 at the Saint Leo Lacrosse Field.
Young Harris concludes the season with a 14-6 overall record after capturing both the Conference Carolinas regular season and tournament championships for the first time in program history while also earning the program's first-ever NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship appearance.
The Lions struck first with two early goals before the Mountain Lions answered with three consecutive scores in a span of 34 seconds to take a 3-2 advantage midway through the opening quarter. Riley Parker opened the scoring for Young Harris on a player-up opportunity before Addison Heiser scored back-to-back player-up goals to give Young Harris its lone lead of the contest.
Saint Leo responded with the final two goals of the first quarter before adding another score early in the second to extend the lead to 5-3. Heiser answered with her third goal of the night off an assist from Megan Magill, but the Lions scored four straight goals to build separation. Parker added another late goal for Young Harris before Saint Leo carried a 10-5 lead into halftime.
The Lions continued to push the advantage in the third quarter, outscoring the Mountain Lions 7-2 in the frame. Young Harris continued to battle in the final quarter, scoring the final four goals of the game. Mary Troyer, Parker, and Kayla Lynn each found the back of the net during the closing stretch, but Saint Leo secured the 19-11 victory.
Heiser and Parker led the Mountain Lions offensively with four goals apiece. Troyer added one goal and two assists, while Lynn and Magill each finished with a goal and an assist. Parker also led Young Harris with six draw controls while Troyer added four.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Heiser finished with four goals on eight shots
- Parker recorded four goals, six draw controls, and five shots on goal
- Troyer totaled three points with one goal and two assists
- Young Harris converted on two of its three free-position opportunities
- McKenna Graf made nine saves in goal while Alyssa Rosenfeld added five saves in relief
- Saint Leo held advantages in shots (51-20)
Up Next:
The Mountain Lions close the year as Conference Carolinas regular season and tournament champions while setting a new standard for the program with the first NCAA Tournament appearance in school history. Congratulations to coach Hatton and her team, as they now turn the page to 2027 with unbridled confidence.
