NCAA Women's Lacrosse Preview: A New Era for No. 14 Stony Brook

USA Lacrosse Magazine is beginning its countdown to the 2025 women's lacrosse season by releasing one team preview per day beginning on Monday, Jan. 13.

We continue the countdown with No. 14 Stony Brook, a team forced to fully embrace a by-committee approach in 2025.

Joe Spallina boasts a typical Long Island bravado, and his made-for-TV-news soundbites can come off as hyperbolic, especially in writing. But he’s not exaggerating when he says that 2025 is the “next era” for Stony Brook.

More than a dozen players returned to Stony Brook for a fifth year in 2024, and they’re gone. That includes Ellie Masera, the program’s second-ever Tewaaraton Award finalist and leader in goals (77), points (177) and draws (145).

In fact, the Seawolves lose all six of their leading scorers. All-American defender Clare Levy returns … as a coach, and starting goalie Emily Manning and primary backup Aayliah Jones are also gone. But graduations are a common theme across Division I entering 2025.

It's also a theme and question Spallina has answered before — prior to seasons, and more importantly, on the field.

“It’s similar to when Kyle [Ohlmiller] and [Courtney] Murphy graduated, and everybody thought we were going to be done,” Spallina said. “Nobody knew about how great Ally Kennedy was going to be.”

Spallina hyped Kennedy in the build-up to the 2019 season. While it may have sounded hyperbolic then, the midfielder became a star in the college, professional and international ranks.

Spallina rinsed, washed and repeated — and was also right — with Masera. So, who’s next?

TOP RETURNERS

Courtney Maclay, A, Sr. (14G, 3A)
Avery Hines, D., Sr. (66CT, 44GB)
Jordan Forte, D, Sr. (14GB, 3CT)

Let’s not bury the lede.

“I'm sure — much like Northwestern would that they're not going replace Izzy Scane with one player — we’re not going to replace Ellie Masera with one player,” Spallina said. “We've become a little bit more by committee and system based.”

Senior attacker Courtney Maclay is chairing the committee’s board. Spallina likens her to another Stony Brook great: Dorrien Van Dyke, except a bit quicker and with an explosive first step.

“Courtney Maclay is going to absolutely be a household name by the end of the season,” Spallina said. “She checks all the boxes.”

Those boxes include shooting on the run with both hands, athleticism and size (5-9).

The defense has fewer questions, especially with Hines, the leader in caused turnovers, back. Forte is a solid low-post player, and Spallina says Levy is mentoring her likely successor at the top of the zone, Allie Masera, who started two games last year before sustaining a toe injury.

KEY ADDITIONS

Charlotte Wilmoth, A, Gr. (55G, 20AA, 13GB, 10CT at UMass)
Julia Fusco, M, Fr. (Bayport-Blue Point High School, N.Y.)
Ava Yancey, G, Fr. (Strath Haven High School, Pa.)

Stony Brook saw success with another UMass fifth year last season in Alex Finn (53A), and they’re hoping lightning strikes twice.

“I've been doing this a long time, and Charlotte Wilmoth is one of the best pure goal scorers I've ever coached as far as being able to put the ball on the goal,” Spallina said. “I put her in the Courtney Murphy-esque [role] with the ability to finish.”

Julia Fusco joins sister, Alexandra, in the midfield, and Spallina says she has a similar blue-collar style. And Ava Yancey is neck and neck with junior Francesca Viteritti in a four-goalie race for the starting nod along with sophomores Hannah Hudson and Natalia Altebrando. Neither returning netminder played in more than five games last year.

NOTABLE DEPARTURES

Graduations: Ellie Masera, M; Kailyn Hart, A; Alex Finn, A; Charlotte Verhulst, M; Morgan Mitchell, A; Jaden Hampel, M; Clare Levy, D; Erin MacQuarrie, M; Rachel Rosenberg, D; McKenzie Mitchell, D; Emily Manning, G; Aaliyah Jones, G

X-FACTOR

Casey Colbert, A, Sr.

Spallina gave two X-factors — Maclay was the other, but we already covered her. Colbert has risen the depth chart and is a prime candidate to occupy the starting spot at X. Colbert saw time in six games as a junior and 13 games as a sophomore after not playing her freshman year in 2022. She was a USA Lacrosse All-American during her tenure at North Shore (N.Y.) High School.

“She emerged this fall as dynamic,” Spallina said. “She’s really balanced. She can feed, but she’s so fast and two-handed. She’s a good dodger at X, too.”

With so much new on Long Island, versatility and the ability to quarterback an offense will be pivotal as Stony Brook’s offense looks to find its stride.

THE NARRATIVE

Stony Brook has been here before and rinsed, washed and repeated as conference champions. The program has never backed down from a challenge, turning question marks into fuel to make a statement.

New York stereotypes aside, Spallina enjoys the player development side of turning a page.

“This year, we’ll rely a bit more on X’s and O’s rather than individual players to press the easy button to get us out of a jam,” he said. “We’re going to get back to what our program is about — giving players a chance and relying on the depth of the players we recruited.”

The by-committee offense will include junior attacker Zoey Kruger and freshman Angela Beardsley. An athletic midfielder in Haydin Eisfeld is expected to contribute, and Molly LaForge will likely see more time after playing in 20 games and scoring four goals in 2024.

Nabbing the CAA automatic qualifier won’t be easy. Drexel goalie Jenika Cuocco had Stony Brook in a jam with a 17-save performance in the CAA championship game, a Seawolves come-from-behind win.

After entering the portal, Cuocco returned to the Dragons. But with players hungry to write their names in the Stony Brook history books after years of playing behind COVID fifth years, teasing a plot-twist ending involving a runner-up (or worse) conference finish reads like a preseason stretch.