TOWSON, Md. - The third-seeded Elon University women's lacrosse team will take on top-seeded and 19th-ranked James Madison on Sunday afternoon, May 7, at 1 p.m. in the CAA title game at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Sunday's game cane be seen on American Sports Network and CAA.tv.
THE SERIES
Elon has dropped regular season conference meetings to JMU each of the last three years, the only three matchups between the two programs to date. Last season, Elon fell 9-7 to the Dukes at Rudd Field. In last month's meeting in Harrisonburg, Va., the Phoenix lost a 14-5 decision to JMU.
LAST TIME OUT
The Phoenix picked up its fifth win in a row Friday night, marking the longest winning streak in program history. It surpassed the three four-game streaks that came in 2015, 2016 and earlier this year to open the campaign. Defeating No. 17 Towson in overtime, Elon scored three unanswered to finish the game with a 10-9 win.
Stephanie Asher scored four times, including the game-winner, and
Rachel Ramirez made nine key saves in the cage.
SCOUTING THE DUKES (12-6, 5-1 CAA)
JMU advanced to the CAA title game with an 11-10 win in overtime against fourth-seeded Delaware on Friday. The win avenged a loss last weekend to the Blue Hens that ended JMU's run at a perfect CAA regular season. Conference Player of the Year Haley Warden netted the game-winner. This season, she has 48 ground balls, 42 caused turnovers and 58 draw controls to go with her 23 points and seven assists. Kristen Gaudian is JMU's leading goal scorer with 44 on the year. Katie Kerrigan leads the Dukes with 53 points thanks to 16 goals and 37 assists.
LACROSSE'S HEISMAN
On March 16,
Stephanie Asher and
Rachel Ramirez were added to the Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List. The two players represent the first Elon athletes to be named to the watch list for the sport's highest honor. Asher's 57 goals this season leads the CAA and is 20th in the country with her 3.17 goals per game 18th in the nation entering Sunday. Ramirez leads the CAA in saves and saves per game and ground balls. She has made 143 stops this year and has 57 ground balls.
CENTURY SCORER
Stephanie Asher became the program's first player to reach the 100-career goal mark when she scored in the second half against No. 9 Notre Dame back on Feb. 23. She scored at least five goals in a game on four occasions with her season high coming March 26 with six goals against Davidson. The junior set a new program record for goals in a single season with four against Drexel on Friday, April 14, in a 15-2 win at home over the Dragons. She is the only player to log at least 40 goals in a season in program history.
AN ACTIVE LEADER
With 139 career goals,
Stephanie Asher is 23rd on the NCAA's active goal-scoring list entering Sunday and her career 2.73 goals per contest is 15th-best in the country. She is one of just five juniors among the Top 25 active goal scorers in the country in just 51 games played. Asher is also the CAA's active goal scoring leader.
ON THE NATIONAL SCENE
This week, Elon received votes in both the IWLCA and Inside Lacrosse polls. Back on March 6 when Elon was No. 16 in the IL poll, it marked the first time in Elon's four-year history the team was ranked in a national poll and it climbed as high as No. 14.
SIGNATURE WINS
With the Feb. 11 win over No. 13 Virginia, the March 1 victory over No. 19 Virginia Tech and the CAA Semifinal win over No. 17 Towson, Elon has now defeated four nationally ranked teams over the course of the last two seasons. In 2016, the Phoenix went on the road to No. 10 Duke and won 7-6 in Durham, N.C. Elon owns an all-time record of 3-9 against ACC opponents. Overall against ranked teams, Elon is 4-13 in 17 games to date.
CAA TOURNAMENT INFO
With a win, Elon would clinch its first-ever berth to the NCAA Tournament with the CAA's automatic bid. Elon won its first conference tournament game in program history Friday night after falling to Detroit in the Atlantic Sun Tournament in 2014 and to Towson in last year's CAA Tournament.
CHASING RECORDS
Stephanie Asher is two goals away from tying four players at 59 goals for 10th-most in CAA history.
Sloane Kessler is one assist away from breaking her own program record of 22. Additionally,
Rachel Ramirez is three ground balls away from tying JMU's Gail Decker in 2003 for 10th-most in conference history.
--ELON--
