ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict lacrosse team (2-2) returns home Wednesday to host UW-River Falls (6-2) in a 5 p.m. matchup at CSB Athletics Turf Field. The contest marks the WIAC home opener for the Bennies.

The Bennies opened the season with back-to-back dominant home wins—21-2 over Edgewood and 21-1 against Milwaukee School of Engineering—before facing a tougher stretch in losses to Carroll (17-7) and No. 18 Chicago (19-6). Now, Saint Benedict looks to regroup on its home field against a high-scoring Falcons squad.

FISCHER EARNS WIAC HONOR
Early in the season, first-year Ashley Fischer (Madison Lake, Minn.) has anchored the Bennies in goal. Her efforts were recognized March 17 when she was named Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Kwik Trip Defensive Player of the Week.

Fischer was nearly flawless in the 21-1 win over MSOE, recording six saves and holding the Raiders scoreless for more than 51 minutes before surrendering a fourth-quarter goal. Through four games, she owns a 9.75 goals-against average with 25 total saves.

INSIDE CSB – BY THE NUMBERS
Through four contests, Saint Benedict has outscored opponents 55-39 while holding a significant advantage in shots (38.0 to 20.5 per game). The Bennies are 6-for-14 on free-position attempts, have collected a 107-68 edge in ground balls, and have successfully cleared 76.1 percent of attempts (54-of-71).

Offensively, senior Sami Hackley (Plymouth, Minn.) continues to lead the way with 14 goals and five assists. She now owns 145 career goals and a program-record 179 points, along with 36 multi-goal games. Hackley opened the season with seven goals against Edgewood and added five more against MSOE.

Ava Mosley (Stillwater, Minn.) has totaled 12 goals and five assists, bringing her career marks to 62 goals and 15 multi-goal performances. She recorded three goals and four assists versus MSOE after a five-goal opener and added three more against No. 18 Chicago.

First-year Rayna Malmberg (Stillwater, Minn.) has contributed 12 points (six goals, six assists), while junior Lizzie Schrubbe (Andover, Minn.) has posted three goals and nine assists. Schrubbe's five-assist performance against MSOE highlighted her impact, and she now has 51 career goals and 77 assists.

Additional scoring depth comes from first-year Emma Theisen (Rosemount, Minn.) with nine goals and Lilly Fandel Thompson (St. Louis Park, Minn.) with seven.

SCOUTING UW-RIVER FALLS
UW-River Falls enters at 6-2 under head coach Talia Hayes, who has guided the Falcons to 57 wins since 2021. The Falcons are coming off wins over Oglethorpe (24-13) and Berry College (10-6) on March 18-19.
This season, UW-River Falls has outscored opponents, 128-61, while averaging 36.4 shots per game. The Falcons have been efficient in transition, clearing at an 80 percent rate (100-of-125), and hold a 228-157 advantage in ground balls.

Samantha Hayek leads the offense with 31 goals and 21 assists for 52 points in eight games. Avery Watzke has added 22 goals, while Elizabeth Clough has contributed 19.

SERIES NOTES
Saturday's contest marks the fourth meeting between the programs. The Bennies are 0-3 all-time against UW-River Falls, including a 13-7 loss on March 26, 2025, along with setbacks in 2024 (16-11) and 2023 (16-5).

UP NEXT
Saint Benedict remains at home following the weekend, hosting Colorado College on March 27.