2023 Women's Top 30: How Stony Brook Fared vs. Projections

Before USA Lacrosse Magazine looks ahead to what’s to come in 2024, our team of staff and contributors decided it was worth taking one last look at 2023.

After all, you have to look at the most recent results before making projections for what’s to come. To do that, we’re taking a journey through the top 30 teams in men’s and women’s lacrosse — what went right, what went wrong and what we should all think of that team’s season.

Was it a success? A failure? A mixture of both? You’ll find out our thoughts over the next month or so.

STONY BROOK WOMEN’S LACROSSE

Nike/USA Lacrosse Preseason/Final Top 20 Ranking: 4/10
2023 record: 15-4 (7-0 CAA)

WHAT WENT RIGHT

In its first year in the CAA, Stony Brook treated its new league similarly to the way it treated America East. The Seawolves ran the table in conference play, beating every team except Towson by double-digit margins in the regular season. And Stony Brook quickly dispatched the Tigers in a 19-4 win in the CAA title game.

In a back-and-forth affair in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Stony Brook pulled away with a three-goal fourth quarter to down Penn State, 12-8. Despite not having an All-American goalie in cage, the Seawolves' backer zone was once again stout, ranking fourth in Division I in scoring defense at 7.89 goals allowed per game.

Preseason Midfielder of the Year Ellie Masera pieced together an All-American junior season. Stony Brook’s clear offensive leader ranked in the top 10 nationally in goals per game (3.75) and points per game (5). Masera is listed as a midfielder but is often less active on the defensive end. Still, her contributions in the circle (team-high 120 draws) and on the ride (19 caused turnovers) cannot be questioned.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Stony Brook beat two teams in the postseason Top 20 (No. 13 Michigan and No. 15 Johns Hopkins), plus bounced No. 18 from the NCAA tournament. But the Seawolves lacked a top-10 win, playing No. 1 Northwestern and No. 3 Syracuse close in eventual losses. Perhaps the biggest blow to SBU’s season came in a 12-7 defeat at unranked Rutgers on April 12, which all but squashed hopes of hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Stony Brook bowed out in a 9-8 loss to No. 8 Loyola in the second round. Tied at halftime, the Greyhounds outscored the Seawolves 4-0 in the third quarter. Stony Brook rallied with four of its own in the fourth quarter, but Loyola also put one in. Jillian Wilson’s draw control win in the waning seconds kept Stony Brook from making its third-straight trip to the quarterfinals.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT

Running away with the program’s first conference championship as a member of the CAA, throttling Towson 19-4 just two weeks after eking out a 14-11 win over the Tigers.

VERDICT

Stony Brook might be a mid-major, but the Seawolves don’t act that way under head coach Joe Spallina. When Spallina took over a team that had won four games in 2011, his goal was a national championship appearance in 2012. The 2023 season was not “the one.” Still, it’s difficult to write off a season with 15 victories (including two against Big Ten teams), a conference title and an NCAA tournament first-round win as a lost opportunity. With players like Masera and defender Clare Levy back next season, it’s hard to see Stony Brook taking a step back — and anyone who has been following along knows the Seawolves will be back following an earlier-than-anticipated exit.