{"id":20717,"date":"2026-10-22T14:46:26","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/?p=20717"},"modified":"2026-10-22T14:46:26","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T18:46:26","slug":"ella-royer-unstoppable-on-and-off-the-field","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/2026\/10\/22\/ella-royer-unstoppable-on-and-off-the-field\/","title":{"rendered":"Ella Royer: Unstoppable On and Off the Field"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>.kadence-column20717_d9f23e-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-bottom:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-lg, 3rem);}.kadence-column20717_d9f23e-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column20717_d9f23e-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column20717_d9f23e-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column20717_d9f23e-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column20717_d9f23e-40{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column20717_d9f23e-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column20717_d9f23e-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column20717_d9f23e-40\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><sup><strong><em>Ella Royer dodges a defender on her way to the goal in a CACC contest against Holy Family University.<\/em><\/strong><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When <strong>Ella Royer<\/strong> arrived at Wilmington University from Alberta, Canada, she was unsure how quickly she\u2019d find her footing, both academically and as a member of the Wildcat women\u2019s lacrosse team. Four years later, she leaves as a record-setting NCAA Division II scorer who balanced elite athletic ability with academic accomplishment, earning a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/behavsci.aspx\">bachelor\u2019s degree in Behavioral Science<\/a> and a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wilmu.edu\/behavioralscience\/criminal-justice-certificate.aspx\">certificate in Criminal Justice<\/a> while building a second family far from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Royer, the academic mission was always central. \u201cEarning a degree was obviously the most important part about coming to WilmU,\u201d she says. \u201cHowever, the past four years have given me so much more than that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And her academic journey is not over. \u201cI\u2019m planning on continuing my education and getting a Bachelor of Education back home,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignleft size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"533\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ella-royer-2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-20720\" style=\"width:388px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ella-royer-2.jpg 533w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ella-royer-2-250x225.jpg 250w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The 5-foot-2 midfielder quickly became one of the most feared scorers in Division II history, despite facing defenses that focused on her. Says her coach, Kevin Day: \u201cElla\u2019s stats speak for themselves, but what I would like everyone to realize is that she broke scoring records while spending most of her career in a face-guarded situation. Most teams would put a player on her tightly to try to deny her the ball, but her speed and IQ allowed her to get away from those defenders, and her teammates were always keeping an eye out for when she came screaming through the critical scoring area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Day says Royer\u2019s impact extended beyond the playing field. \u201cElla was a pleasure to have on the team for four years,\u201d he says. \u201cNot only because of her ridiculous athletic ability, but because she\u2019s a hard worker and is one of those players who makes her teammates want to work harder. Although she came in with some crazy skill to start, she remained very coachable and continued to get better every time she stepped on the field.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Off the field, Royer found a community that shaped her personally and academically. \u201cPlaying lacrosse here has been a life-changing experience,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019ve made friendships that will last a lifetime. As someone from so far away without a huge support system in the area, my teammates and their families became my family.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She credits the Wildcat lacrosse program with teaching her leadership, resilience, and the ability to balance academics with her athletic pursuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Her next chapter includes continuing her work with the Robin Hood Association, a nonprofit that supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, where she has already spent four years. She\u2019s also still competing, now with the Mimico Mountaineers women\u2019s box lacrosse team in Ontario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI have learned so much at WilmU, academically but also just about life,\u201d Royer says. \u201cI\u2019ll take that with me into my next chapter.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>\u2014Bob Yearick<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<style>.kb-row-layout-wrap.wp-block-kadence-rowlayout.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98{margin-top:0em;}.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-column-wrap{align-content:center;}:where(.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-column-wrap) > .wp-block-kadence-column{justify-content:center;}.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-column-wrap{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );row-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );max-width:var( --global-content-width, 1290px );padding-left:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-right:var(--global-content-edge-padding);padding-top:0em;padding-right:0em;padding-bottom:0em;padding-left:0em;grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-layout-overlay{opacity:0.30;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr) minmax(0, 2fr);}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 > .kt-row-column-wrap{grid-template-columns:minmax(0, 1fr);}.kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98{border-top:1px solid #eeeeee;border-right:1px solid #eeeeee;border-bottom:1px solid #eeeeee;}}.wu-text-col,.wu-img-col {\tmin-height: 114px;}.wu-text-col &gt; div,.wu-img-col &gt; div {\tflex: 1;}<\/style><div class=\"kb-row-layout-wrap kb-row-layout-id18054_2a03df-98 alignnone FULL wp-block-kadence-rowlayout\"><div class=\"kt-row-column-wrap kt-has-2-columns kt-row-layout-right-golden kt-tab-layout-inherit kt-mobile-layout-row kt-row-valign-middle kb-theme-content-width\">\n<style>.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-none, 0rem );}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;align-items:center;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:row;flex-wrap:wrap;justify-content:flex-start;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > *, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-image, .kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > figure.wp-block-kadence-image{margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{flex-grow:1;}}.kadence-column18054_056c48-40 figure.image-is-svg {-webkit-margin-after: 1em;  margin-block-end: 1em;}img[src$=\".svg\"] {  max-width: 220px;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column18054_056c48-40 kb-section-dir-horizontal wu-img-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\"><style>.kb-image18054_2c3578-23.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .kb-image18054_2c3578-23 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{max-width:273px;width:100%;}.wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image18054_2c3578-23.kb-image-is-ratio-size, .wp-block-kadence-column > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image18054_2c3578-23 .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:unset;}.kb-image18054_2c3578-23{max-width:273px;}.image-is-svg.kb-image18054_2c3578-23{-webkit-flex:0 1 100%;flex:0 1 100%;}.image-is-svg.kb-image18054_2c3578-23 img{width:100%;}.kb-image18054_2c3578-23:not(.kb-image-is-ratio-size) .kb-img, .kb-image18054_2c3578-23.kb-image-is-ratio-size{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.kb-image18054_2c3578-23 .kb-image-has-overlay:after{opacity:0.3;}<\/style>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-kadence-image kb-image18054_2c3578-23 size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"750\" height=\"225\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WU-Logo_L-Web_FullColor-750x225.png\" alt=\"Wilmington University Logo\" class=\"kb-img wp-image-20626\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WU-Logo_L-Web_FullColor-750x225.png 750w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WU-Logo_L-Web_FullColor-250x75.png 250w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WU-Logo_L-Web_FullColor-768x230.png 768w, https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/WU-Logo_L-Web_FullColor.png 1500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<style>.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{display:flex;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{padding-right:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);padding-left:var(--global-kb-spacing-sm, 1.5rem);}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .kb-image-is-ratio-size{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .wp-block-kadence-advancedgallery{align-self:stretch;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{background-color:#eeeeee;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:auto;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}@media all and (max-width: 991px){.kt-row-column-wrap > .kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:center;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65{align-self:auto;}.kt-inner-column-height-full:not(.kt-has-1-columns) > .wp-block-kadence-column.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;align-items:stretch;}}.kt-row-column-wrap &gt; .wp-block-kadence-column {align-self: stretch;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 &gt; div {  padding-block: 1em;}.kadence-column18054_182255-65 p:last-of-type {  -webkit-margin-after: 0;  margin-block-end: 0;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column18054_182255-65 kb-section-dir-vertical wu-text-col\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<p class=\"NoMargin wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-size:1rem\"><em>Want to read more in-depth stories? Explore our latest <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/category\/magazine\/\">magazine articles<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ella Royer dodges a defender on her way to the goal in a CACC contest against Holy Family University. When Ella Royer arrived at Wilmington&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":20718,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[135],"tags":[98,90,1090,14,15,948],"class_list":["post-20717","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-magazine","tag-athletics","tag-college-of-social-and-behavioral-sciences","tag-magazine-fall-2026","tag-wilmington-university","tag-wilmu","tag-womens-lacrosse"],"acf":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":135,"label":"MAGAZINE"}],"post_tag":[{"value":98,"label":"Athletics"},{"value":90,"label":"College of Social and Behavioral Sciences"},{"value":1090,"label":"Magazine Fall 2026"},{"value":14,"label":"Wilmington University"},{"value":15,"label":"WilmU"},{"value":948,"label":"womens lacrosse"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ella-royer-480x480.jpg",480,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Rachel Marchione","author_link":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/author\/rachel\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":135,"name":"MAGAZINE","slug":"magazine","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":692,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":457,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":135,"category_count":457,"category_description":"","cat_name":"MAGAZINE","category_nicename":"magazine","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":98,"name":"Athletics","slug":"athletics","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":655,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":15,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":90,"name":"College of Social and Behavioral Sciences","slug":"college-of-social-and-behavioral-sciences","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":647,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":75,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":1090,"name":"Magazine Fall 2026","slug":"magazine-fall-2026","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1647,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":25,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":14,"name":"Wilmington University","slug":"wilmington-university","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":571,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":423,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":15,"name":"WilmU","slug":"wilmu","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":572,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":357,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":948,"name":"womens lacrosse","slug":"womens-lacrosse","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1505,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":2,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20717","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20717"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20717\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20858,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20717\/revisions\/20858"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20718"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20717"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20717"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.wilmu.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20717"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}