ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Already one game into the 2025 season and the College of Saint Benedict lacrosse team continues to showcase success through hard work, focus and perspective.

"This team looks strong already with their lacrosse knowledge and experience growing by the day," said CSB head coach Patrick Crandall, whose team opened 2025 with a 17-4 road win against Edgewood College in Verona, Wis.

That win is the 21^st across two plus seasons of play, which includes two regular season championships and a 12-0 regular season mark in the Midwest Lacrosse Conference. In that span, CSB has had 14 All-MLC selections, including seven first-team honors and seven named to second team.  

Additionally, CSB has had seven receive Academic All-MLC honors, four earn MLC Player of the Week recognition and the 2023 Rookie of the Year (Sami Hackley). In addition, the Bennies have reached the playoff championship in back-to-back years with a 2-2 playoff record.

Now that era with the MLC is in the past as the Bennies move into the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Crandall is proud of the work that his team has already committed to, and he sees that inner drive as key to the team's success.

"I think our skills are a lot better. And, as we are starting in a new conference. The competition is going to be stronger. The biggest thing that I see with this group is their want to play better and to be there for each other. And that's going to bring us a long way," said Crandall, whose next game is against the University of Chicago (3-2) at 1 p.m., on Sunday, March 9 in Chicago. It will be the first-ever matchup between the schools. "It will be a challenge in Chicago."

After the nonconference matchup, CSB will open its home schedule with a nonconference matchup against Hamline at 4:30 p.m., on Wednesday, March 12 at the CSB Athletic Field. Then, CSB plays its first-ever game in the WIAC at UW-River Falls at 5 p.m., March 26.

Senior Emma Schrepfer (Andover, Minn.) said this season and a new league is a challenge but also an opportunity.

"I think the WIAC will be really challenging but it is an opportunity that we're ready to take on," said Schrepfer who played her first career game as a goalie in the win over Edgewood, allowing four goals with a save in 60 minutes in the net. But on Sunday, she will be back in her attack position where she has started 28 games with 24 goals, 15 assists, 14 draw controls and 39 ground balls in three years.

"I think we are all getting really excited to go out there and compete," said Schrepfer.

Two-time All-MLC selection Sami Hackley also is ready and focused on the season ahead. "I think we are all great individual players, but we play as a team and that can take us far. I think we can have a lot of success," said Hackley of Plymouth, Minn. (Wayzata).

Hackley led the way in the win over Edgewood College with five goals and now has 95 in her career. In 28 games, she also has 20 assists and 115 points with 176 shots and a 76.1 percent shot on goal percentage. She has six game-winning goals, 74 ground balls and 76 draw controls in her career. Hackley scored 37 goals in 2023 and added a program-best 53 a year ago. In addition, she 23 multi-goal games and 12 consecutive games with multiple goals.

Junior Ella Steinke believes this group of Bennies will succeed this year and do so by having fun while building a unique bond.

"A successful season is, I would say obviously have fun, right? Get some good wins that we have worked hard for and just kind of picking up our flow," added Steinke. "What is special is really being able to just feel the game with everybody – flow it out kind of and just have fun."

After UW-River Falls, CSB faces Chapman U in Colorado Springs on March 29 and Colorado College on March 30 in WIAC play. The Bennies play a 15-game schedule, including 10 in WIAC play with the final six all league games. For the full schedule, click here.

Two years ago, the Bennies had an 11-3 season, which included a 7-0 mark in conference play and the regular season title. Then a year ago, CSB was 9-5 with a 5-0 mark in conference play.

Inside CSB – Player Notes
The Bennies return a number of veterans and have added a mix of talented newcomers. Aside from Hackley, Schrepfer, and Steinke, the Bennies have a solid core returning, including senior Emma Osland, a senior midfield player from Cottage Grove, Minn. (Park). In her career, the two-time All-MLC performer has scored 47 goals with nine assists for 56 points. She has 51 ground balls and 51 draws control. A year ago, she had 26 goals and scored 21 in 2023.

Sophomore midfielder Emma Nelson of Stillwater, Minn. (Stillwater Area) opened the season by scoring four goals with an assist against Edgewood. The All-MWLC player from 2024 now has 26 career goals and eight assists with 33 ground balls and 43 draw controls.

Sophomore attack Lizzie Schrubbe of Andover, Minn. (Andover) was All-MLC a year ago while ranking fifth in the MLC with 80 points, including a program-best 50 assists and 30 goals in 14 games. She recorded 35 ground balls, had three draw controls and registered two game-winning goals. In her first year, she had 10 multi-goal games with a high of five against Augsburg on April 12. Twice, she registered double-digit point totals, which was also a program-first. Schrubbe set the program record for points in a game with 12 and assists in a game with 11 against Hamline in a 15-13 win on April 24. Five times she had five or more assists in a game.

In each of the past two years, junior goalkeeper Chloe Lewis Brooklyn Park, Minn. (Osseo), was one of the MLC's top defensive players. Twice, she has been named MLC Defensive Player of the Week. In two seasons, she has a 19-7 record, including 9-4-0 in 2024. In back-to-back playoff games, she recorded 18 saves – in fact in each of her final three games last season had that total. She had seven games with double-digit saves and has that 20 times in her career. In the MLC, she ranked third in saves with 132 with a 49.4 save percentage. In her career, she has 274 saves with a 9.37 career per game saves average.

By the Numbers
St. Ben's has scored 380 goals across two seasons for an average of 190 or 13.5 per game. CSB has 172 assists or 86 per year and 6.14 per game. The Bennies have totaled 951 shots or 475.5 per year or 33.96 per game. Also CSB has recorded 134 shots on goal or 67 per year. In ground balls they have accumulated 623 or 311.5 per year and 22.25 per game. In terms of draw controls, the Bennies have recorded 284.5 per year with 13.46 per game. In terms of clears, CSB has been successful on 414-of-497 for an 83.2 success rate. Opponents have totaled 268 goals across two seasons or 134 season and 9.5 per game. They have 74 assists or 37 per season. In shots, opponents have 733 in two years and 366.5 per year and 26.17 per game. They have 524 ground balls or 262 per year and 18.71 per game. In terms of clears, they have converted 383-of-583 for a 65.6 percent clear rate.