Stony Brook Checked Every Box for Sofia Chepenik

Sofia Chepenik grew up in Florida, but she knew all about a Stony Brook program that came of age in the 2010s.

“When I got into lacrosse, Kylie Ohlmiller was the face of it — the eye black, everything was Kylie Ohlmiller,” Chepenik said. “When I heard she was coming to do a clinic in Apopka, Fla., I was like, ‘Dad, you have to sign me up for this clinic.’”

He did. About a decade later, Ohlmiller was one of several Stony Brook stars to try to reel Chepenik to Long Island’s North Shore. She called Chepenik. All-American midfielder Isabella Caporuscio took her to dinner. Sophomore midfielder Julia Fusco and head coach Joe Spallina employed a full-court press.

“For us, it’s about winning,” Spallina said. “It’s about the team. One of the things we told Sofia when we talked to her is, ‘You have one chapter left in your college career, and I want to help you write it.’ We empower our players.”

Empowerment is a core value of Chepenik, who runs the online mentorship program “Sofia’s Squad” for athletes. So are winning and passion, and Stony Brook checked all three boxes. She saw it up close when her previous team, South Florida, played the Seawolves in fall ball last year.

“The passion and energy they bring to the field is something I’ve brought ... and they care so much,” Chepenik said. “When you hear about Coach Spallina’s teams, you always hear about the grit and passion they play with and how fast they play, and I felt that was something I wanted to be a part of.”

Stony Brook is Chepenik’s third NCAA program. At Clemson and USF, Chepenik was a part of two fledgling programs. She joined the Tigers as a freshman in 2023, their first season, and tallied 33 goals and 22 assists. The 2024 season was a redshirt one for Chepenik after she transferred to USF, where she’d play for Mindy McCord, whose clinics she also attended in Florida. She made her Bulls debut in USF’s first season in 2025 and led the Bulls with 52 goals that year, following it up with a team-high 51 goals in 2026.

Her initial commitment was to Oregon, a decision she made while in high school. She never played for the Ducks, instead flipping that commitment to Clemson.

Some might call her a program-hopper. Chepenik isn’t listening.

“A lot of people from the outside looking in have a lot of questions, especially taking my grad year somewhere else,” Chepenik said. “People can create their narratives about, ‘Oh, she’s transferring for a third time.’ At [Clemson and South Florida], I had great experiences, built relationships, learned from amazing people and grew as a player and person. I took something valuable from each chapter and have a lot of gratitude in my heart, but I felt that each decision I made was the best decision for me at that moment in my life.”

Through new programs at Clemson and USF, she learned to handle change and pivot. It was formative, and she uses what she learns daily in Sofia’s Squad, which played heavily into her decision to transfer to Stony Brook.

“We always say, ‘Focus on the outcome that you want, not what you are trying to avoid,’ and ‘dream big,’” Chepenik said. “Those two anchors align with the experience that I have had, and I look at it through a positive lens. But this chapter of my life is about committing to the goals I’ve set for myself and putting myself in a position to achieve them.”

Those goals include playing post-collegiate lacrosse and winning a national championship. Stony Brook came within one goal of advancing to the final four in 2026 and brings key contributors back, including Caporuscio (68G, 19A), Fusco (54G), Mirabella Altebrando (21G, 59A), Keira Martin (29G, 36A) and Haydin Eisfeld (48G, 10A).

The Seawolves have also added Josie Lakosky via the transfer portal. She scored 105 goals during the spring at Division II Northern Michigan.

“Stony Brook is in a position to [compete],” Chepenik said. “I am excited to step in and be challenged and pushed every day by my coaches and teammates and see how far that takes us. I’m excited to learn from them, and that’s what this year is about for me: Growth and giving myself the best chance to chase the dreams that I’ve been working toward my entire lacrosse career.”

But Chepenik won’t face pressure to be a one-woman show with much of the Seawolves’ offense returning. Spallina said his players encouraged him to try to get her the moment she hit the portal.

“She’s not going to have to dodge for every goal. She’s going to be able to do it in different ways,” Spallina said. “With Caporuscio back, she’ll have multiple All-Americans around her and has the potential of shattering scoring records. This sets us up. We had to work a bit harder to score goals this year. We had to stay on script at all the times. I think adding a player like Chepenik allows us to be more free-flowing.”

Courtney Murphy’s 2018 single-season program scoring record (100 goals) is one Spallina said could fall with Chepenik on the field. Chepenik has long shattered expectations and ceilings. She signed a lifetime NIL deal — reportedly the largest and longest for a women’s lacrosse player — during her freshman campaign at Clemson. She brought it with her to USF.

“I don’t think it’s added pressure,” Chepenik said. “When the NIL passed in 2021, I sat down with my parents and said, ‘This is a unique opportunity, how could we benefit from it?’ I’ve always been about establishing myself on the field first and then asking what brand I want to be and what I want to stand for. Something I always stood for is women’s empowerment, and the NIL is special because it's never been about the deals. It’s been about building Sofia’s Squad and partnering with the brands who believe in the same mission.”

The money wasn’t at the forefront of Chepenik’s decision to attend Stony Brook, either. It was the style of play, development and commitment to women’s lacrosse. In Seawolves Country, lacrosse is baked into the brand.

“Stony Brook University is known for women’s lacrosse,” Chepenik said. “That is their sport. I felt they understood the moment and the importance of women’s sports. Being able to play on Long Island — a place that loves lacrosse so much — was another reason I came to Stony Brook. It didn’t come down to the NIL. The NIL was an added benefit. I want to use the NIL to impact the little girls that I once was and to make sure they know they can achieve anything if they work hard.”

For his part, Spallina doesn’t shy away from the business side of the sport. He’s long held positions in professional lacrosse, currently serving as the general manager for the Premier Lacrosse League’s California Redwoods. Two of his children, Alexa Spallina (Clemson) and Joey Spallina (Syracuse ‘26, Maryland Whipsnakes) were the top recruits in their classes.

“I had these conversations with Alexa, and Joey is Jesus upstate, so these are the things that, I think, for her, were comforting,” Spallina said. “She’s going to get a coach who is going to get the most out of her and present her with an opportunity for her to be seen to play pro.”

And it will allow Chepenik to show up as authentically herself — filter-free.

“I am a very passionate person,” she said. “Some people don’t understand different levels of passion. I know from watching Coach Spallina’s teams play that they play with that level of passion. Talking to him and the players, we have similar personalities. I know what I’m getting myself into.”

And she’s ready to put her money where her mouth is — or walk the talk, as they say at Stony Brook.

“USF was also a home to me, and Stony Brook is going to be a new home to me that will enable me to leave a legacy and grow in every part of my game,” Chepenik said. “It was a hard decision, but I preach to little girls every day to follow their dreams and chase them. I can’t preach something that I am not willing to do every day. I’m excited for what the future holds and to be able to leave a different legacy at Stony Brook.”