QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University women's lacrosse team earned its first victory of the 2026 season in convincing fashion on Friday, defeating Concordia-St. Paul 19-10 at QU Stadium. The win also marked Quincy's third consecutive victory over the Golden Bears and served as head coach Abbie Belknap's first career head coaching victory. The Hawks controlled possession, capitalized on extra-player opportunities, and used a balanced offensive attack to build a lead they would never relinquish.

Concordia-St. Paul opened the scoring early, but Quincy answered immediately behind Emily Leal, who netted back-to-back unassisted goals to give the Hawks their first lead. After the Golden Bears tied the contest at 2-2 midway through the opening quarter, Quincy responded with three straight scores. Anni Moran started the surge before Amelia Ham scored twice, including a man-up goal assisted by Leal, to push the Hawks ahead 5-2 at the end of the first period.

The Hawks broke the game open in the second quarter. Alaina Wilkinson converted a man-up opportunity to extend the lead before Amelia Ham scored twice in under a minute to widen the gap. Concordia-St. Paul briefly halted the momentum, but Quincy continued to answer. Raena Crews finished a feed from Leal, Wilkinson added a free-position goal, and Leal closed the half with a free-position strike to send the Hawks into the break with an 11-4 advantage.

Concordia-St. Paul attempted to claw back into the contest early in the third quarter, scoring twice to trim the deficit, but Quincy quickly regained control. Amelia Ham responded with a goal before teaming with Leal for another scoring connection. Wilkinson added two more goals during the period, including one assisted by freshman Eileen Hosty, who recorded her first collegiate point. The Hawks carried a commanding 15-6 lead into the final quarter.

The Golden Bears opened the fourth quarter with back-to-back goals, but Quincy maintained its composure and continued to dictate play. Mikenna Ham scored to restore momentum, while Moran added another goal off a Leal assist. Amelia Ham struck again late, and  Crews capped the scoring to secure the 19-10 victory.

Quincy finished with advantages in shots (37-21), shots on goal (25-13), draw controls (18-13), and ground balls (12-10), while forcing 21 Concordia-St. Paul turnovers and converting 12 of 13 clear attempts. The Hawks also capitalized on extra-player opportunities and maintained possession control throughout the contest.

Individually, Amelia Ham led the offensive surge with six goals and two assists, surpassing 200 career points in the process. Leal delivered a career performance with four goals and four assists for a career-high eight points. Wilkinson added four goals, while Crews and Moran each scored twice. Mikenna Ham contributed a goal and four ground balls while reaching the 100 career ground ball milestone. Hosty recorded her first collegiate point with an assist during the third-quarter scoring run.

The Hawks will return to action on Sunday, March 1, when Quincy hosts the Saints of Thomas More University at 12:00 PM.