ST. JOSEPH, Minn. — Experience, confidence and enthusiasm are shaping expectations for the College of Saint Benedict lacrosse team as it prepares for the 2026 season.

Now entering its fourth year as a program, Saint Ben's has quickly built a culture centered on both winning and enjoying the game. With a veteran core returning from last year's runner-up finish in the WIAC, the Bennies believe their experience can help take the next step.

"We have the capabilities of being No. 1 in the conference," said CSB head coach Patrick Crandall, who has guided the Bennies to a 31-14 record since the program launched in 2023. "I think our goal has always been to get to the NCAAs. Wins and losses will come, but team camaraderie and our culture — everything kind of builds off itself."

That culture helped the Bennies to an 11-6 record in 2025, including a 7-2 mark that placed them second in the WIAC standings. Saint Ben's offense produced 244 goals on 558 shots for a .437 shooting percentage while averaging 32.8 shots per game. The Bennies were successful on .780 (230-of-295) of their clears, held a 420-to-335 advantage in ground balls and forced 191 turnovers.

Saint Ben's, which was picked to finish second in the WIAC preseason poll, will look to build on that success Saturday when it opens the 2026 season at 3 p.m., at the CSB Athletics Turf Stadium against Edgewood (Wis.). The Bennies hold a 1-0 edge in the series after a 17-4 win last season in Verona, Wis., when Sami Hackley (Plymouth, Minn.) scored five goals. Edgewood enters the matchup at 1-2 with a win over Augustana (Ill.), 11-7, and losses to Carroll, 12-4, and UW-River Falls, 20-2.

CSB finished second in WIAC in 2025 - continuing program's success

Last season marked the Bennies' first in the WIAC, and they responded with a playoff appearance and a 1-1 postseason mark, including a 15-13 win over UW-La Crosse in the third-place game.

Success has been a constant for the Bennies since the program began. Saint Ben's captured two regular-season championships and went a combined 12-0 in Midwest Lacrosse Conference regular-season play across the program's first two seasons. The Bennies finished 11-3 (7-0 MLC) in 2023 and 9-5 (5-0 MLC) in 2024 while producing 14 All-MLC selections, including seven first-team honorees, and reaching the conference championship game both years. The transition to the WIAC in 2025 resulted in another strong season as Saint Ben's finished tied for second with its 7-2 league mark.

Among the returners is sophomore Ava Mosley (Stillwater, Minn.), who made an immediate impact in 2025. Mosley earned first-team All-WIAC honors and was named WIAC Newcomer of the Year after scoring 50 goals — becoming just the second player in program history to reach that mark in a season. She finished with 66 total points, 12 multi-goal games and three game-winning goals while scoring 12 goals during the WIAC playoffs.

Senior Sami Hackley (Plymouth, Minn.) enters the season as one of the program's most accomplished players and a key veteran leader.

"The laughter — we have so much fun," Hackley said. "We had a ton of fun our first year, but now when we're out there we're having a blast. The skill level is just… it's so good now. It's so different, but everyone is still having fun. It would also be nice to end the way we came in. We won the conference our first year. That was the MWLC, but now it's the WIAC. I think that would be pretty special — to walk away with that again."

Hackley has earned all-conference honors in each of her three seasons, including selections in the Midwest Lacrosse Conference in 2023 and 2024 and in the WIAC in 2025. Last season she scored 41 goals with 11 assists for 52 points while posting a .713 shot-on-goal percentage with 62 shots on goal among her 87 attempts. She added 29 ground balls, three draw controls, three game-winning goals and 11 caused turnovers.

She enters the season with 131 career goals and a program-best 160 points. Hackley has scored at least 37 goals in each season at Saint Ben's — 37 in 2023, a program-record 53 in 2024 and 41 in 2025. She also owns the program record with nine career game-winning goals and has recorded 13 multi-goal games last season and 33 in her career. Hackley has totaled 101 ground balls, 79 draw controls and 255 shots (190 on goal).

Senior Ella Steinke (Plymouth, Minn.) is another experienced presence who understands the level of competition the WIAC brings each week.

"The WIAC as a whole has pretty big competitors," Steinke said. "We've learned not to beat ourselves up over losses but to learn from those setbacks. We've learned a lot about ourselves and how well we handle stressful situations."

Steinke has appeared in 45 career games, scoring 48 goals with 25 assists while recording 99 draw controls and three game-winning goals.

The Bennies' experience extends throughout the lineup. Junior Lizzie Schrubbe (Andover, Minn.) returns after setting a school record with 50 assists in 2024 and adding 16 more last season. In 31 career games she has 48 goals and 116 points along with 70 ground balls.

Also back is Merrill Delich (Andover, Minn.), who totaled 17 goals, eight assists and 27 draw controls last season. Sophomore Hannah Kurowski (Inver Grove Heights, Minn.) returns after scoring 16 goals, while sophomore Kamryn Peterson (Lindstrom, Minn.) added 10 goals in 2025.

In total, Saint Ben's returns 15 players and welcomes seven first-year additions, giving the Bennies both experience and depth heading into the season.

Following Saturday's opener, Saint Ben's hosts Milwaukee School of Engineering on March 14 at noon before traveling to face Carroll on March 21 and Chicago on March 22. The WIAC schedule begins March 25 when UW-River Falls visits St. Joseph. For schedule, click here.