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KENNESAW, Ga. - The Kennesaw State lacrosse team will achieve another historical milestone this week when it travels to Jacksonville, Fla., for the first-ever Atlantic Sun Conference Lacrosse Championship. The Owls will take on host Jacksonville on Friday (April 26) beginning at 1 p.m. (ET).
Kennesaw State (1-9, 1-3) enters the tournament as the No. 4 seed, and will need a strong defensive performance when it meets the regular-season champion and No. 1-seed Dolphins (11-5, 4-0), who lead the A-Sun this season in goals scored (221).
Friday’s first-round game will feature No. 2 Detroit (4-13, 3-1) versus No. 3 Stetson (2-13, 2-2) at 3:30 p.m. The two winners on Friday will play for the first-ever A-Sun Conference championship on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m. (ET).
LIVE COVERAGE: Live audio and video will be available at www.A-SunTV.com.
SERIES VERSUS JACKSONVILLE: Friday’s game marks the second time the two teams have faced each other. In the first matchup earlier this season, Jacksonville defeated the Owls 22-2 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium on March 30.
A LOOK AT JACKSONVILLE: Leading the conference in almost every statistical category, the Dolphins (11-5) handily won the inaugural A-Sun regular season title after posting a 4-0 conference mark. The Jacksonville program spent its first three years in the National Lacrosse Conference (NLC). Head Coach Mindy McCord is in her fourth season at Jacksonville, compiling a record of 44-20 (.456). She helped establish the four-year-old program, and was named Co-NLC Coach of the Year after leading the Dolphins to an 8-11 record in their inaugural season. Jacksonville had five players named to the A-Sun All-Conference First Team that was announced earlier this week.
LAST TIME OUT: The Kennesaw State lacrosse team concluded its inaugural regular season with a 22-3 loss to Detroit in both teams’ Atlantic Sun Conference finale Sunday at Titan Field. The Owls (1-9, 1-3) now will focus their attention on the A-Sun Conference Tournament that opens Friday on the campus of Jacksonville University. Kennesaw State earned the No. 4 seed and will face top-seed and regular-season champion Jacksonville at 1 p.m. (ET). Freshman Senneca Ward tallied a pair of goals and junior Emily Collins added a score and assist for Kennesaw State. Ward accounted for the Owls’ lone goal, scoring 1:10 into the game to equal to tie the score, 1-1. From there, the Titans (4-13, 3-1) controlled the game, accounting for the next 15 goals to take a 16-1 halftime lead. Detroit also won the statistical battle, outshooting Kennesaw State, 34-11, and holding a 22-4 advantage on draw controls.
SENNECA WARD EARNS TOP CONFERENCE HONORS: Midfielder Senneca Ward earned Co-Freshman of the year, and was named a member of the First-Team A-Sun all-conference and all-freshman teams after leading the conference in goals per game (3.10), points per game (3.20), and draws per game (3.50). Ward started all 10 games for the Owls and was named the conference’s Player of the Week (Mar. 2) following a six-goal performance against Coastal Carolina. She has eight multi-scoring games and has been the Owls’ offensive leader during the program’s inaugural season.
MARLA OUZTS UNANIMOUS SELECTION FOR ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM: Carrying a 3.4 GPA through her freshman year, Marla Ouzts’ strong work ethic on and off the field was honored by the conference as she was named to the A-Sun All-Academic Team. The psychology major has started all 10 games for the Owls, and becomes the program’s first player to earn the honor.
EMILY COLLINS GARNERS PROGRAM’S SECOND A-SUN PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOR: The Atlantic Sun Conference named junior midfielder Emily Collins Player of the Week (Apr. 15) after totaling a program-record seven goals, including the game-winner, and leading the Owls to their first-ever victory against A-Sun rival Howard (Apr. 12). Collins joins teammate Senneca Ward as the two players to be honored by the conference.
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).
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Kennesaw State is celebrating 30 years of intercollegiate athletics during the 2012-13 academic year.
