DECATUR, Ala. — The No. 3 SCAD Savannah women's lacrosse team saw its remarkable postseason run come to a close on Friday evening, falling 18-10 to No. 1 Benedictine (KS) in the NAIA National Championship game.
RECORDS: The Bees conclude an incredible season with a 14-4 overall record, finishing as the NAIA National Runner-Up. Benedictine concludes the season with an 18-0 record.
HOW IT HAPPENED: Benedictine established control early, scoring the first goal of the game and pulling ahead to an early advantage in the first quarter.
McKinsey Brown found the back of the net in the opening 15 minutes, to put SCAD on the board.
The Bees' offense improved in the second quarter, with a pair of goals from
Maddie Krohn, but the Ravens answered with four to maintain the lead going into the halftime break.
SCAD continued to fight relentlessly in the second half, with three different Bees scoring in the third quarter and finding an offensive rhythm late with four more goals in the final frame. However, Benedictine secured the 18-10 victory in the National Championship.
INSIDE THE BOX SCORE:
- Ellen Benintendi led the SCAD scoring effort with a hat trick, netting three goals while also doing heavy lifting in the center circle with a team-high six draw controls.
- Annise Berkeley paced the offense as a facilitator, recording one goal and two assists for a three-point performance.
- McKinsey Brown also notched a three point game on two goals and an assist.
- Maddie Krohn scored two goals on three shots, including a crucial power-play strike.
- Karley Holland and Maddy Hahn each found the back of the net once for the Bees.
- The SCAD defense battled hard, picking up 15 ground balls and forcing eight caused turnovers as a unit. Chloe Zundel and Riley O'Keefe each collected a team-high three ground balls.
- Goalkeeper Chloe Zundel got the start in the cage, battling against a potent Benedictine attack and recording 11 saves.
WHAT'S NEXT? SCAD closes out the 2026 season with a 14-4 record, an undefeated regular-season conference title, and an appearance on the grandest stage as the NAIA National Championship Runner-Up.
