WINCHESTER, Va. – The eighth-seeded Guilford College women's lacrosse team (8-9, 3-6 ODAC) saw its historic 2026 campaign come to a close on Saturday afternoon, falling 24-5 to fifth-seeded Shenandoah University (11-7, 6-3 ODAC) in the opening round of the ODAC Tournament. Despite the outcome at Aikens Stadium, the contest marked a major milestone for the program, representing the Quakers' first postseason appearance since 2021.
Guilford concludes the year with eight victories, the most in a single season for the program since 2015. Along the way, the 2026 squad etched its name in the record books, breaking multiple program records during their resurgent run.
Marlene Nusraty (Damascus, Md.) remained a workhorse in the cage for Guilford, recording 13 saves and leading the team with five ground balls. On the host's side, Shenandoah utilized a trio of goalkeepers to secure the victory. Maddie Gaboury earned the win with two saves in 30 minutes of play, while Madison Perry and Erin Nash combined for three saves in the remaining 30 minutes.
The Hornets were led by Addison Harmel, Natalie Opatovsky, and Ayla Jantz, who all contributed four goals to Shenandoah's total.
Hannah McMasters (Browns Summit, N.C.) and
Carm DeFeo (Shelton, Conn.) led Guilford's scoring effort with two goals apiece, while
Emma Garland (Hampstead, N.C.) added one score. Defensively,
Brenna Holden (Kernersville, N.C.) tallied two ground ball pickups, while
Trinity Whitfield (Greensboro, N.C.) and
Natalia Rubio (Greensboro, N.C.) each recorded a caused turnover to disrupt the Hornets attack.
Guilford struck first as Garland opened the scoring unassisted just two minutes into the first quarter. However, Shenandoah pushed back, using an 8-0 run to pull away.
The Quakers showed resilience in the second quarter, outscoring the Hornets in the first ten minutes of the frame. McMasters ignited the run with back-to-back unassisted goals, followed by a strike from DeFeo off a McMasters assist to trim the deficit. However, Shenandoah responded with four straight goals before the intermission to lead 13-4 at the half.
Shenandoah extended their lead with an 8-0 third-quarter surge.
DeFeo provided the final highlight for the Quakers in the closing minute of the game, converting a free-position shot to finalize the scoring at 24-5.
With the conclusion of the ODAC Tournament run, Guilford turns its attention to the off-season, looking to build upon a year that saw the program return to both winning form and postseason play.
#GoQuakes
