Columbia
Lafayette
Lacrosse Hosts Lafayette in 2026 Home Opener
2/17/2026 3:00:00 PM | Lacrosse
First draw is set for 2 p.m. at Kraft Field
LAST TIME OUT
The Lions opened the 2026 season with a commanding 14-5 win over Sacred Heart last Saturday afternoon at Campus Field in Fairfield.
It was a career day for both Michelle Zhai and Cecelia Messner. Zhai finished with four goals and four assists for eight points, setting career highs in both goals and total points. Her eight-point performance the fourth-most in a single game in program history. Cecelia Messner added three goals and a career-high four assists, good for a new career-high of seven points.
Anna Becker contributed two goals and two assists, while Maddie Brogan scored twice in the victory. Grace Hoverman scored the first goal of her career in the second quarter, and Kate Quigley and Emma Row did the same to cap the scoring in the fourth quarter.
In goal, Ava Kimche made 11 saves in 57:40 to earn the win.
For her efforts, Zhai was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. After delivering one of the top single-game performances in program history, she became the first Columbia Lacrosse player to win an Ivy League player of the week accolade since Lindsey Ewertsen all the way back in 2019 when she helped lead the Lions to a 13-7 win over UConn with a career-best eight points.
SCOUTING LAFAYETTE
The Leopards head into Wednesday's contest also with a win under their belt, taking down Merrimack 17-11 on Saturday morning.
Last season, Lafayette finished 6-10 overall with a 2-7 record in the Patriot League. In the 2026 Patriot League Preseason Poll, the Leopards were predicted to finish 10th in the conference after finishing in eighth in 2025.
Columbia last took on Lafayette in its 2024 season opener, also at Kraft Field. A goal from Becker gave the Lions an 8-4 lead, but Lafayette would not go down without a fight. The Leopards would score three unanswered goals late in the period to pull within one goal of tying things up, but the Columbia's defense survived and the Lions came away with a thrilling 8-7 victory.
Georgia Swarr is off to an incredible start to the season, leading the team with four goals and five points. Emma Toner has a team-high four caused turnovers, and Katie Marrs leads the squad with four draw controls.
ROSTER - SCHEDULE - STATS
ON DECK
Columbia remains in NYC for a week, and will host Lehigh at 2 p.m. on Sunday before welcoming Howard on Tuesday at noon.
The Lions' full 2026 schedule can be found HERE.
HOW TO FOLLOW
All Columbia home games and all Ivy League contests will be streamed via ESPN+. You can find tomorrow's game also on ESPN+, HERE.
Live stats will be available via Columbia's website, HERE.
For the latest on Columbia lacrosse, follow @CULionsLax on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/ColumbiaLax and on the web at GoColumbiaLions.com.
