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KENNESAW, Ga. - Following a nearly two-week break, the Kennesaw State lacrosse team returns to action on Friday (Mar. 15) when it travels to Rock Hill, SC, to take on Winthrop at Eagle Field beginning at 4 p.m. (ET).
The contest will mark the fourth road contest in five games for the Owls (0-4), who made their home debut against Coastal Carolina on Mar. 2, and fell 21-12 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
LIVE COVERAGE: A live video stream of Friday’s Kennesaw State-Winthrop contest will be available at www.bigsouthsports.com. Live stats also will be available at www.winthropeagles.com.
SERIES VERSUS WINTHROP: Friday’s game marks the first-ever meeting between Kennesaw State and Winthrop.
A LOOK AT WINTHROP: Winthrop enters Friday’s contest with a 4-4 record following a 14-11 loss at Longwood on Wednesday in the Eagles’ Big South Conference opener. The 2013 campaign marks the inaugural season of women’s lacrosse at Winthrop. The Eagles, who are one of eight first-year programs introduced in 2013, debuted with a 20-10 victory at Howard. Head coach John Sung was named head coach in May of 2012 after compiling a 46-19 (.708) in four seasons at Adrian College in Michigan.
LAST TIME OUT: Kennesaw State established several firsts during its home debut during a 21-12 loss to Coast Carolina at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on Mar. 2. Before the Owls lined up for the opening draw, a program record already had had been established as the two teams took the field in 37-degree weather that included snow flurries, marking the coldest temperature the Kennesaw State has played in this season. However, freshman midfielder Senneca Ward (Peachtree City, Ga. / McIntosh HS), who entered the contest as Kennesaw State’s co-leader in scoring with four points, set a program single-game record with six goals. A record was set just 15 seconds into the game when Coastal Carolina’s Kimmy DeLonge scored to give the Chanticleers a 1-0 lead. The advantage did not last long as freshman Taylor Southerland (Acworth, Ga. / Harrison HS) tied the score 14 seconds later. DeLonge’s goal marked the quickest an opponent has scored to begin a game, while Southerland’s score represented the earliest that the Owls have scored. The two first-year programs played evenly throughout the first half and Coastal Carolina held an 11-8 advantage at the break. The Owls, however, were unable to keep pace in the second half as the Chanticleers outscored Kennesaw State, 10-4, in the second half. The combined 33 goals marked the most in a Kennesaw State game and the 12 by the Owls are a season-high. The Owls received scoring from four different players as Ward and Southerland were joined by junior midfielder Emily Collins (Snellville, Ga. / Decatur HS), who scored a career-high four goals, and freshman attacker Jessica Alderdice (Cumming, Ga. / South Forsyth HS), who tallied her first career score.
SENNECA WARD NAMED A-SUN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE WEEK - Freshman midfielder Senneca Ward became the first Kennesaw State player in program history to be named Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week when she received the honor on Mar. 4. The Owls’ freshman earned the award after totaling a team single-game record six goals versus Coastal Carolina on Mar. 2.
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: Accommodating 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.
