WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. — Katie Lowe scored her first career goal in the 88th minute but it wasn't enough as the fourth-seeded Elon women's soccer team fell to fifth-seeded Towson 2-1 in the CAA Championship quarterfinals Thursday at Hesse Field on The Great Lawn.
 
The Phoenix finishes the year with a 9-6-3 overall record.
 
"I'm immensely proud of the group," said head coach Neil Payne. "The last four or five games, we looked very strong and got better and better with each game. We had a positive start to today's game, created some good chances and played some really good soccer in the first half.  We made some good adjustments later in the second half, and it felt like had we played a little longer we would've gotten the equalizer; however, we have to give credit to a strong Towson team for capitalizing on their chances and scoring two very good goals. We wish them the best of luck in the next round.
 
"I'm disappointed for the seniors because obviously you want to keep playing for as long as you can. But I can't speak highly enough of this senior group. They've helped change our program, and they won a championship along the way. They should be proud of not only their performance tonight but the legacy that they've left over the last four years."
 
THE RUNDOWN
 

• Elon came out on the attack, notching three shots within the first 10 minutes. None was more threatening than when Rachel Buckle fired a shot from about 30 yards out in the fourth minute that the Towson goalkeeper, Riley Melendez, just got a glove on.
• Despite the Phoenix having more chances, it was the Tigers who struck first, as Nia Christopher — the CAA's leading goalscorer — scored a breakaway goal in the 22nd minute.
• Both teams came close to putting another goal on the scoreboard over the final 23 minutes of the first half. In the 23rd, Jessica Carrieri chased down a long pass from Abby Fusca in the box and pushed a shot just wide left. Then, in the 36th, Towson's Rebecca Groseibl rocketed a shot off the left post. Beky Myers and Buckle later came close to connecting for a header, and with seconds left, Kennedy Jones got off a header that required a great save by Melendez.
• The Tigers logged the first quality look of the second half when Christopher slipped behind the Elon defense in the 54th minute. McKenna Dalfonso charged out of the net to disrupt the attack, though, and then made a miraculous recovery to make a diving save on a shot by Phoebe Canoles.
• About 10 minutes later, the Phoenix earned its first corner kick of the second half, and Kerri Coffman headed a shot off the crossbar.
• Towson tacked on to its lead in the 75th minute when Canoles placed a shot in the upper right corner of the net.
• Despite being down 2-0, the Phoenix didn't let up. Carrieri made a great run in the 78th minute that resulted in a shot that missed just wide left. Lowe then scored in the 88th minute on a free kick by Emilia Cappellett, but Elon couldn't muster another chance.

NOTES
 

• Christopher's goal marked the first allowed by the Phoenix since the 81st minute of its Oct. 9 match at the College of Charleston — a span of 301 minutes, 37 seconds.
• Lowe's first career goal came in her 44th match. It also accounted for her first and only points of the season.
• Cappellett's assist was her third of the season and career. All three have come on set pieces.
• Fusca finishes her career tied for the fourth most games played among Elon field players (81). Her 74 starts are also the fourth most by a Phoenix field player since the statistic started being tracked in 1992.