Jacksonville women’s lacrosse completes Lucy Strong Weekend sweep, defeats Marquette 15-13 at Rock Stadium
Jacksonville closes commemorative weekend with second win in three days
Jacksonville University’s women’s lacrosse team capped its “Lucy Strong Weekend” at Rock Stadium on Sunday, March 1, 2026, with a 15-13 victory over Marquette, completing a weekend sweep that began with a 16-10 win against Brown on Friday, Feb. 27.
The weekend is part of the program’s ongoing tribute to Lucy Donmoyer, a childhood cancer patient who was embraced by the team as an honorary co-captain during the 2022 season and died on Sept. 26, 2023, after a three-year battle with neuroblastoma. In recent seasons, Jacksonville has used the “Lucy Strong” designation to center remembrance activities around a home game and related events.
How the Marquette game unfolded
Sunday’s contest followed a shifting script. Jacksonville opened with early pressure that produced a 4-1 lead, but Marquette responded with a five-goal run to turn the game and take a 6-4 advantage by the end of the first quarter. The Golden Eagles extended the lead to 7-4 early in the second period.
Jacksonville regrouped before halftime, closing the second quarter with a 6-1 run to take a 10-8 lead into the break. Marquette briefly pulled even at 10-10 in the third, but Jacksonville regained separation during a stretch in which Marquette went nearly a full quarter without scoring. The Dolphins’ late-game possession management helped preserve the two-goal margin.
Final score: Jacksonville 15, Marquette 13 (Sunday, March 1, 2026).
Halftime score: Jacksonville 10, Marquette 8.
Weekend results at Rock Stadium: Jacksonville 16, Brown 10 (Friday, Feb. 27); Jacksonville 15, Marquette 13 (Sunday, March 1).
Discipline and in-game adjustments shaped the middle quarters
A key first-quarter turning point came when Jacksonville midfielder Maeve Brennan received two yellow cards for dangerous play, which removed her from the remainder of the game and erased one Jacksonville goal in the sequence. The setback coincided with Marquette’s surge, but Jacksonville’s response before halftime and again after the third-quarter tie demonstrated an ability to reset tactically under pressure.
Notable individual production and what comes next
Marquette’s Sarah Beth Burns scored four goals, while freshman Dani Serrano posted two goals and four assists. Marquette also changed goalkeepers at halftime, with Mikayla Yang taking over from Jillian Howell for the second half.
For Jacksonville, the win extended an unbeaten start to the 2026 season through the weekend and reinforced early-season trends: a high-output offense, multi-scorer balance, and the capacity to swing momentum after conceding runs. Marquette was scheduled to continue its road stretch with a Friday matchup at Youngstown State.
The Lucy Strong tradition has been used by the program to connect performance with remembrance, keeping Donmoyer’s story present in team culture and game-day observances.