Buena Vista, VA - After an offseason that featured perhaps the biggest roster turnover in program history, the Southern Virginia University women's lacrosse team shook off the loss of a strong senior class to produce its fourth consecutive winning season, culminating in a semifinal loss in the USA South Tournament to the eventual champion, Meredith College.

Head Coach Olivia Cope was quick to praise her team's perseverance during the season. 

"I am very proud of the way this group has created a foundation of unity, adaptability, and determination for the future of our program. They faced big challenges and met them with admirable positivity that any coach would be proud of." 

Since joining the USA South four seasons ago, the Knights have won at least 10 games three times, and have advanced to the conference tournament semifinal each season. With just two seniors on the roster and 10 true freshmen, the young squad was determined to continue a winning tradition.

Regular Season

The season opened just 60 miles north of Buena Vista on the campus of Eastern Mennonite. In its first ever matchup with the Royals, Southern Virginia was sure to leave with a victory, using a five goal second quarter to outlast its regional foe, 12-8.

Mackenzie Mickelsen was impressive in her collegiate debut, scoring four goals and collecting four draw controls to lead both teams, signaling that it would be a year to remember for the freshman. Kenzie Poulsen, Ellie Patterson, and Reagan Bullock also scored multiple goals for a successful start to the campaign.

The team traded wins and losses over the next few weeks before putting together their first winning streak. The Knights defeated Greensboro and William Peace by a combined score of 38-3, improving their overall record to 5-5 and 2-1 in league play. They rolled over several conference opponents during the regular season, and gave the reigning champions, Meredith, a tough test leading into the postseason.

Cope noted that their regular season performance against Meredith was a great boost of confidence. The Knights found the back of the net 9 times against one of the best defensive teams in the country to keep the contest close. Throughout the season, Meredith conceded just an average of 5 goals to its opponents.

One of the most impressive individual achievements during the season came in a 20-5 victory over Brevard, courtesy of attacker Kenzie Poulsen. Poulsen's 8 goals tied a three-year old program record for most goals in a single game. It was just a fraction of her 52 total goals scored during a career season for the sophomore.

After break out seasons from several players, Southern Virginia was well represented on the USA South All-Conference teams. Mackenzie Mickelsen made program history as the first conference Rookie of the Year. The former leading scorer in the state of Utah became just the second Knight to finish with over 100 draw controls in a season and is the first freshman to crack the 50 goal mark.

Kenzie Poulsen and junior captain Ellie Patterson enjoyed historic seasons to earn all-conference recognition, as well as Sydney Bastian and senior Mariela Perez who were key cogs in the defense all season. Poulsen also notched 50 goals to become just the fourth Knight in history to accomplish the feat. 

"Ellie Patterson took more of a midfield role this year as opposed to her normal defensive role. She excelled in the offensive end wasa huge voice and leader for a really young team," stated Cope.

In her first year taking on a new position, Patterson made her own history by finishing with 71 points, the fifth most during a season in program history. She also posted the fourth most assists in a season in history with 24.

Postseason

By the end of the regular season, the Knights had managed to clinch the conference's fourth seed and home field advantage for the first round of the USA South tournament. They faced a familiar opponent in Brevard College, the same team they eliminated in the first round of last year's tournament.

After scoring in the opening possession, the game quickly became a rout in favor of the Knights. 15 first half goals gave them a huge lead at the midway point before the defense shut the door in the second half, allowing just one goal during the final two quarters. Freshman Mia Richards had one of the best games of her young career, finishing with two goals and two assists and Ellie Patterson led the way with a monster performance which included six goals and ten points.

After the season, Cope credited much of the defensive success to senior Mariela Perez. "Mar stepped up and was the single returning low defender amongst brand new defenders and was able to lead, teach, and create a solid team defense for us."

Despite a momentum building first round victory, the team couldn't reproduce its offensive magic during the semifinal with Meredith. The Knights would lose the game, ending their season one game short of the tournament final.

Despite the loss, the Knights achieved success that some might not anticipate for the young, retooling squad. They produced one of their best offensive seasons with 229 goals and have set themselves up well for the future. This year's team bids farewell to two seniors, Mariela Perez and Reagan Bullock.

Bullock had her final season disrupted by injury, but Coach Cope noted that her achievement on the field and academically shouldn't be overshadowed. "Reagan has a strong self-determination and is always eager to implement new team offensive strategies." 

As the program heads into just the second full offseason under the leadership of Head Coach Olivia Cope, there is optimism for what's on the horizon for the Southern Virginia women's lacrosse program. Strong performances from a large freshmen class and vocal, experienced leaders returning to the team have the team motivated for a successful 2026.

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightwlax on Instagram.