Elon (2-8, 1-0 CAA) vs. No. 6 Towson (10-2, 2-0 CAA) & No. 4 JMU (11-1, 2-0 CAA)

Date | Time	TOW: Friday, April 13 | 6 p.m. JMU: Sunday, April 15 | 1 p.m.
Location	Rudd Field (Elon, N.C.)
Series Record	TOW: Towson leads 4-1 JMU: James Madison leads 4-0
Last Meeting	TOW: May 5, 2017 | Elon, 10-9 JMU: May 7, 2017 | JMU, 15-7
Live Stats	Towson James Madison
Watch	Towson (Lax Sports Network) James Madison (Phoenix All-Access)
Game Notes	Elon
Twitter	@ElonWLax | @ElonPhoenix | @ElonScores

 

---

ELON, N.C. – The only three remaining CAA women's lacrosse programs unbeaten in conference play will all converge on Rudd Field this weekend with Elon University set to host No. 6 Towson on Friday, April 13, at 6 p.m. on Lax Sports Network before welcoming No. 4 James Madison on Sunday, April 15, at 1 p.m. on Phoenix All-Access. 

THE SERIES
Against some of the CAA's best over the years, Elon has struggled to a deceiving 1-8 combined record against Towson and JMU. The Phoenix has played tight games with both programs, though, and beat Towson in the CAA Semifinals last season in Maryland on May 5, 2017, with Stephanie Asher scoring the game-winner in overtime to advance Elon to its first conference tournament title game in program history. Additionally, Elon dropped two-goal games to both teams during the 2016 season, falling 11-9 during the regular season and 8-6 in the CAA Tournament against Towson to go with a 9-7 contest against JMU. 

SCOUTING TOWSON
At 10-2 on the season, Towson has earned its No. 6 ranking with its only losses to top-ranked Stony Brook and in double overtime on the road against No. 16 Loyola (Md.). Towson is currently on a five-game winning streak that includes wins over No. 6 Florida, Oregon, Yale, Drexel and Delaware. In its first two CAA games, Towson outscored its opponents 36-12. Emily Gillingham leads the Tigers with 34 goals and seven assists for 41 points. But Towson has a well-rounded attack with four players having scored at least 22 goals and three players above the 30-point mark. In the circle, Natalie Sulmonte has 60 draw controls.

SCOUTING JAMES MADISON
Climbing as high as No. 2 in the nation in some polls, JMU has won three games in a row since its lone defeat of the season - a 15-12 road loss to No. 4 Maryland. This season, the Dukes are outscoring their opponents 189-108, an average of 15.8 goals per game to 9.0. James Madison is paced by Kristen Gaudian's 43 goals and 10 assists for 53 points. Elena Romesburg has also scored 40 goals this season with two others notching 23. Preseason CAA Player of the Year Haley Warden has scored 23 goals with eight assists for 31 points to go with 59 draw controls, 24 caused turnovers and 23 ground balls.

LAST TIME OUT
Elon got hot in the final 12 minutes of both halves Friday, April 6, to pull away from Hofstra in the CAA opener for a 12-8 victory. Maeve Cowley netted her fourth-career hat trick and Stephanie Asher finished with two goals and three assists for five points to lead the offense. Tori Cipollone made a career-high 10 saves in the cage to help Elon to the win.

OUR CAA WINNING STREAK
Having won each of its last five games against CAA teams during the regular season, Elon's current streak is the longest active streak in the conference.

PACING THE NATION
With 167 career goals, Stephanie Asher ranks ninth-best among active players nationally. The senior from Glenelg, Md., has tallied 27 times this year, including five in the season opener against Duke, five on March 1 against High Point, four against Stanford on March 4 and four against Coastal Carolina on March 18.

DEFENSIVE STALWART
Alexis Zadjura became the second player in program history and the first field player to reach 100 ground balls in a career. Former Phoenix netminder Rachel Ramirez holds the program record with 338 from 2014-17. Zadjura reached the mark March 24 in a 14-12 loss to No. 16 Virginia Tech. 

CONTROLLING THE DRAW
Over the course of the last three games, Stephanie Asher has pulled in 26 draw controls. With 10 against Coastal Carolina on March 18, she set a new program record for most in a single game. Her nine against Virginia Tech places second. Both totals passed Elle Hvozdovic's eight against Liberty on Feb. 21, 2014, in the team's second competitive game. Now with 52 this season, Asher's total stands tied with Hvozdovic's 52 during the 2014 campaign for the most in program history.

TEWAARATON WATCH LIST
For the second  year in a row, Stephanie Asher has been named to the Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List. Announced Thursday night, March 1, Asher was one of 50 players to initially be named to the list for the prestigious award. On the night of the announcement, Asher tallied a game-high five goals against High Point.

PRESEASON HONORS
Stephanie Asher became the first player in program history to earn Preseason All-America accolades when she was named an Inside Lacrosse honorable mention in early February. The recognition came on the heels of Asher and Alexis Zadjura being named Preseason All-CAA honorees. Asher has now been a Preseason All-CAA honoree three years in a row and Zadjura was an honorable mention in 2017 before making First Team in 2018. 

ELON ON LAX SPORTS NETWORK
Elon had two regular season games air on Lax Sports Network as part of the CAA Game of the Week package. First, Elon defeated Hofstra 12-8 in Hempstead, N.Y., on April 6. The second game comes Friday night, April 13, against Towson. Additionally, the CAA Championship semifinals and finals are set to air on LSN. The 2018 season marks the second year the CAA has partnered with LSN to expand the reach of CAA lacrosse. 

2017 TIDBITS
-Three CAA teams, including Elon, went to the NCAA Tournament. It marks the most in one tourney since 2001 when James Madison, Loyola (Md.) and William & Mary all went dancing.
-Two programs - Elon and Colorado - were added prior to the start of the 2014 season. Both teams went to the NCAA Tournament in 2017 in their fourth year of competition. Elon lost to Virginia in the first round and Colorado fell 13-7 to UMass, also in the first round.
-A year ago, Elon posted a program-record 13 wins. It also made its first trip to the CAA title game after beating second-seeded Towson on a Stephanie Asher goal in overtime. Asher set the new program record for goals scored (58) and points (69).