ELON, N.C. – The inaugural season of Elon University women’s lacrosse is almost three months away and Phoenix head coach Josh Hexter released the upcoming 2014 schedule today, Nov. 6. As a member of the Atlantic-Sun Conference, the Phoenix will play three Atlantic Coast Conference and seven Big South opponents in its first season. All home Elon matches will be played in the friendly confines of Rhodes Stadium.
“We are looking forward to our first regular season this spring,” said Hexter. “The schedule is tough, but great competition is what we are searching for. We’ve working really hard up to this point in our preparation, but most of all, we are laughing a lot and having a ton of fun. That will stay the same throughout the regular season. We like to keep things loose and create an environment where the girls feel confident taking risks and having fun out there.”
Before the season begins, the Phoenix will host Presbyterian in an exhibition game in Rhodes at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 2. Elon’s first match will come at Duke on Friday, Feb. 7, at 5 p.m. in Durham, N.C. Prior to starting the maroon and gold program, Hexter was an assistant coach for the Blue Devils for eight years, while assistant coach Virginia Crotty was a four-year letterwinner at Duke from 2008-2011. Duke finished last season ranked eighth after reaching the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament.
Phoenix fans can show their love to Elon’s newest team at its first home game scheduled for Friday, Feb. 14, at 4 p.m. in Rhodes Stadium as the maroon and gold will host the Longwood Lancers.
Elon will make its first true road trip beginning with a match at Liberty on Friday, Feb. 21, in Lynchburg, Va., followed by a tilt with ACC opponent Virginia Tech on Sunday, Feb. 23, in Blacksburg, Va.
The Phoenix begins the month of March with back-to-back home games, hosting St. Francis on Saturday, March 1, at 2 p.m. and Detroit on Wednesday, March 5, at 7 p.m. The match against UDM will mark the first conference game for the maroon and gold.
Elon will travel to Conway, S.C., to face Coastal Carolina on Saturday, March 8, before taking on 2013 NCAA Champion North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Wednesday, March 12. The Phoenix will then play a pair of Big South opponents in Campbell on Saturday, March 15, in Buies Creek, N.C., and at Davidson, last year’s Big South regular-season champions, the following Saturday, March 22.
The maroon and gold will host the Blue Hose of Presbyterian again, this time in a regular-season match-up, in Rhodes on Friday, March 28, at 6 p.m. The team will then travel the short distance to High Point to play the defending Big South champion Panthers on Sunday, March 30, in High Point, N.C.
The Phoenix will welcome A-Sun opponent Kennesaw State at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 13, in its last home game of the season. It will mark senior day for the team’s first two team captains – Emily Bishop and Tierney Guido.
A trip to the nation’s capital to play Howard on Saturday, April 19, followed by a trip south to Florida to take on Stetson on April 25 and reigning A-Sun champion Jacksonville on April 27 will round out the regular season.
The Phoenix will look to be one of the four teams to make a return trip to Jacksonville, Fla., as part of the A-Sun Tournament, which begins on Friday, May 2.
Admission is free to all home women’s lacrosse games.