Adelphi women more than ready for Tampa in the NCAA Division II lacrosse final
The Adelphi women's lacrosse team defeated Slippery Rock, 15-13, on Thursday to return to the Division II national championship game for the second consecutive season..
It’s never a given for a team to get the chance to avenge a prior playoff loss, let alone a championship match. But that’s exactly the opportunity Adelphi women’s lacrosse has before them this weekend.
A rematch of the 2024 NCAA D-II women’s lacrosse championship against top-seeded Tampa kicks off at 5 p.m. on Saturday at Virginia’s Roanoke College. Adelphi (19-3) most recently played at Tampa (20-1) three months prior, falling, 20-6.
“We’re so much different than when we played them earlier in the season,” coach Pat McCabe said. “They’re a really good team; nobody gets here by accident.”
A strong start is critical, having allowed nine first-half goals to Tampa in February and eight first-half goals in last year’s national championship. There’s no doubt in Adelphi’s ability to finish games — just look at the Panthers’ 6-0 record in one-goal games — but getting the offense going early will be invaluable.
“That first game we lost pretty poorly, and that was not a good representation of who we are today,” midfielder Rita Sefransky said. “I’m excited to give it another shot with this team which has continued to get better and better with each game, and I think we’re ready for it.”
Manhasset’s Marielle Colalillo will play a major role in doing just that, with her 77 points being a major reason for Adelphi’s success. She had a dominant second half against Slippery Rock in Adelphi’s 15-13 semifinal win, finishing with a game-high six points.
Her ability to find space and score alongside Seaford’s Alexandra Leggio — who has 26 points through six playoff games — has been nothing short of brilliant throughout the postseason.
“Our connection, me and [Alexandra] Leggio, is just really great,” Colalillo said. “She feeds me the ball, and I can get it in the back of the net. We just have full faith in each other that we can make things happen on the field.”
It’ll take nothing short of Adelphi’s best to beat Tampa. The good news is that McCabe believes this team is close to being exactly that.
“We coach them not for who they are, but for who they can be,” McCabe said. “This group has continued to work and get better and is as close to as good as we believe they can be.”
Michael Sicoli covers high school sports for Newsday. He graduated from Quinnipiac in 2022 and left with a master’s degree in sports journalism in 2023.
