HARRISONBURG, Va. - With the snow melting, and despite what
Punxsutawney Phil said, spring is almost here...and with it, comes the 2026 EMU lacrosse season. So with the first game on the horizon, let's take a look at upcoming 2026 campaign and what you can expect to see from your Royals this season.
Head Coach: Mikaela Brooks-Fauver - Fourth Season
2025 in Review
The Royals had their best season in team history in 2025, doubling their number of wins from the 2024 season with six. At 6-11 and 4-6 in the ODAC, EMU missed out on the ODAC Tournament by a deep tie breaker, falling to Ferrum and Averett in season goal differential. But despite not making the tournament, it was an outstanding season for EMU: one that saw them score 178 goals, which was 81 more than their previous season high of 97 set in 2023. They etched thier name into the EMU record books with a 22-1 win at Randolph on March 19, scoring the most goals in team history. They followed that up with a 21-5 win over Sweet Briar in their next contest, for a combined 43 goals in two games.
Preseason ODAC Poll: 8th Place (34 pts.)
ODAC Preview
2026 Schedule Highlights
Season & Home Opener: Saturday, Feb. 14 vs Methodist - 12:00 pm
ODAC Opener: Wednesday, Feb. 25 at Shenandoah - 6:00 pm
ODAC Home Opener: Saturday, Feb. 28 vs Washington and Lee - 12:00 pm
Senior Day & Rowdy Royals: Saturday, Mar. 28 vs Randolph - 2:00 pm
Home & Regular Season Finale: Wednesday, Apr. 22 vs Sweet Briar - 5:00 pm
Full Schedule
Key Losses: Amber Bonds, Courtney Crawford, Cristal Narciso, Alex Palizzi
Key Returners: Joelle Blosser, Briana Cruz-Dempsey, Shayleigh Sims, Kaylene Todd, Ava Walker
Outlook: The Royals have a lot to replace from its 2025 squad, with Bonds, Crawford and Palizzi combining for 73 goals, 30 assists, 91 ground balls and 104 draw controls. The Royals will look to
Ava Walker to build on her stellar freshman campaign, that saw her score a team-record 46 goals and add 12 assists.
Shayleigh Sims is the only other returner for EMU that had double-digit goals in 2025.
On the defensive side, Narciso started every game in net for the four years she was on campus at EMU, racking up 475 career saves. The Royals will look to first-year
Alyssa Hunter to mind the net for EMU, as she was a two-year starter at nearby Rockbridge High School. In the defensive backfield, the return of
Kaylene Todd,
Joelle Blosser,
Briana Cruz-Dempsey and
Leslie Aleman will bolster a defense that was in the middle of the ODAC last season in GAA.
Brooks-Fauver will rely on some new faces to help on both sides of the ball, as she brought in eight first-years and a sophomore transfer to the class of 2026. But with the way the 2025 season went, expectations will be high in 2026 and there's no reason to believe the team's first-ever berth in the ODAC Tournament isn't on the horizon.
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