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KENNESAW, Ga. - With its first-ever game now a part of history, the Kennesaw State lacrosse team will be in search of the program’s initial win when it travels to Buies Creek, N.C., to take on another fledgling program when it visits Campbell at Barker-Lane Stadium on Saturday (Feb. 23) beginning at 7 p.m.
Head coach Kristina Llanes and her Owls team began writing a new book when it travled to Nashville, Tenn., to take on Vanderbilt on Feb. 10. Although Kennesaw State lost its opener, it was a milestone achievement and a point to build from.
Now with a game behind them, the Owls seek to even their record when they take on Campbell, which will be playing its first-ever game. The two teams are part of a group of eight institutions that are in their inaugural season.
LIVE COVERAGE: Live stats for Saturday’s game will be available at www.gocamels.com.
A LOOK AT CAMPBELL: Saturday’s game marks the program debut for Campbell, which is one of eight NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse programs making their debut in 2013. The Camels are coached by Phil Schuman, who was named head coach in November of 2012 after serving one year as an assistant at High Point.
SERIES VERSUS CAMPBELL: Saturday’s contest marks the first-ever meeting between Kennesaw State and Campbell.
A LOOK AT DAVIDSON: Davidson enters Monday’s contest with an 0-1 record after opening the season with a 12-8 loss to Virginia Tech on Wednesday (Feb. 20). The 2013 campaign marks the sixth season of lacrosse at Davidson after the program debuted in 2008. Head coach Kim Wayne is in her fifth year leading the Wildcats and has compiled and overall record to date of 29-41 (.414).
SERIES VERSUS DAVIDSON: Monday’s game marks the first-ever meeting between Kennesaw State and Davidson.
LAST TIME OUT: The Kennesaw State women’s lacrosse team made history on Sunday (Feb. 10) when it played the first-ever game in program history against Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn. Freshman Senneca Ward (Peachtree City, Ga. / McIntosh HS) scored two goals, including the first in Owls’ history, and Taylor Southerland (Acworth, Ga. / Harrison HS) added another as Kennesaw State (0-1) fell 22-3 to the Commodores (1-1) in a steady rain at the Vanderbilt Lacrosse Complex. Although the Owls came up short, the experience provided an opportunity for first-year head coach Kristina Llanes an opportunity to assess the team’s progress. After Vanderbilt scored the first two goals of the game, Ward put herself in the Kennesaw State history books when she converted a free position shot to cut the lead in half at 2-1 three and a half minutes into the game. Southerland joined Ward on the tally sheet when she scored an unassisted goal with 21:15 left in the opening period that made the score 6-2. The Owls’ final score of the contest came with 34 seconds remaining in the first half when Ward again struck on a free position shot.
SOUTHERN PIONEERS: Kennesaw State made additional history when it played its inaugural game at Vanderbilt on Feb. 10. The Owls became the first Division I women’s lacrosse program in the state of Georgia.
EIGHT NEW PROGRAMS DEBUT IN 2013: Kennesaw State is one eight Division I institutions that is beginning its first season of women’s lacrosse in 2013. The seven other programs include Campbell, Coastal Carolina, Delaware State, Marquette, USC, Stetson and Winthrop. Four of those teams (Campbell, Coastal Carolina, Stetson and Winthrop) are on the Owls’ schedule this year.
A-SUN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT: Kennesaw State will be competing in the Atlantic Sun Conference, which is sponsoring women’s lacrosse for the first year. The league is comprised of Detroit, Howard, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State and Stetson. The A-Sun Conference will host a four-team championship tournament with the winner advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The A-Sun Tournament is scheduled for April 26-28 in Jacksonville, Fla.
NCAA TOURNAMENT: Accomodating the impressive growth of the sport on a national level, the NCAA has expanded the lacrosse tournament field from 16 to 26 teams in 2013. All 13 conference champions will receive automatic bids while 13 additional teams will earn at-large selections. The top eight teams will be seeded in the bracket and host first- and second-round games. The top six seeded teams receive byes into the second round and serve as hosts for a neutral-site first-round game. The first-round winners then play at the top six seeded teams. Seventh and eighth-seeded teams also will host, but will play a first-round game. The national quarterfinals are scheduled for May 18 or 19, with the four winners advancing to the finals May 24-26 in Villanova, Pa.
LLANES SIGNS 12 DURING EARLY SIGNING PERIOD: While preparing for the inaugural 2013 season, Llanes also has been out on the recruiting trail in an effort to lay the foundation for the future. The time on the road proved to be successful as she signed 12 players during November’s early signing period. The group will help comprise the 2014 Owls team includes: Madison Christian (Attack/Midfielder; Serverna Park, Md.; Serverna Park HS), Samantha Farwick (Attack; Columbus, Ohio; Upper Arlington HS), Sydney Farwick (Midfielder, Attack; Columbus, Ohio; Upper Arlington HS), Olivia Hokanson (Attack; Crofton, Md.; South River HS), Taylor McGhee (Midfield; Marietta, Ga.; Sprayberry HS), Maci Murdock (Goalie; Powder Springs, Ga.; Hillgrove HS), Megan Nicholetti (Attack; Cumming, Ga.; North Forsyth HS), Katherine Ocheda (Defense; Perry Hall, Md.; Institute of Notre Dame), Haley O’Donoghue (Attack; North Tustin, Calif.; Foothill HS), Lyndsay Parris (Midfield; Grayson, Ga.; Grayson HS), Adrianna Smith (Midfield/Attack; Lebanon, Ohio; Lebanon HS) and Megan Tobias (Defense; Abingdon, Md.; Mercy HS).
Kennesaw State is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
