NAC Preview

WATERVILLE, Maine – After a perfect 6-0 conference slate, Maine Maritime Academy has earned the top seed in the 2025 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Women's Lacrosse championship game in which the Mariners (12-1 overall) will host No. 2 Husson University on Saturday (7 p.m.) at Ritchie Field.

There will be no admission charge.

The winner of the NAC Tournament will earn the conference's automatic qualifier to the 2025 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship, which begins Saturday, May 10.

Maine Maritime, which trails 9-6 in the all-time series, defeated Husson twice during the regular season: 11-10 at Husson on March 27 and 24-13 in Castine on April 23.

The Mariners are led by three-time NAC Player and three-time NAC Defensive Player of the Week Hazel Stoddard, a senior midfielder. She tops the conference with 53 goals, 34 assists, 87 points, 98 shots and 57 draw controls. Her sister, Hadley who is a freshman midfielder, owns four conference weekly awards (1 player, 3 rookie) after recording 23 goals among 26 points heading into the postseason. Sophomore attack Lillian Diversi ranks second behind Hazel Stoddard in goals (46) and total points (61), while junior goalie Ella Bowes tops the conference with a career-best 6.64 goals-against average.

Maine Maritime is seeking its first NAC championship in women's lacrosse, making its second appearance in the title game. The first-time hosts missed the playoffs in 2024 after finishing as the NAC runner-up in 2022.

Husson received all five first-place votes and was selected as the favorite with 25 points in the NAC preseason poll, while MMA was picked second with 20 points.

(Editor's note: The NAC office contributed to this news release.)