ELON, N.C. – Coming off the program’s first double-digit win season including a victory over a top-ten ranked opponent, the Elon University women’s lacrosse team looks to build off that success as the Phoenix and fourth-year head coach Josh Hexter released its 2017 schedule on Wednesday, Dec. 7.
The 17-game slate features contests versus seven teams that competed in the NCAA Tournament last season including a visit to defending national champion North Carolina. Among those programs, two were ranked in the top two and five in the top 20 of the national polls. The Phoenix will also face five schools from the Atlantic Coast Conference, the No. 1 ranked league in the country in terms of conference RPI last season.
“We are excited to begin our journey this spring and have some fun competing against some of the best teams in the country,” said Hexter.
Here is the breakdown of the 2017 Elon women’s lacrosse schedule:
Home Highlights
The Phoenix will host 11 games on its home confines at Rudd Field in 2017. Elon welcomes Campbell for its season-opener on Feb. 4, then hosts Big South Tournament champion and NCAA Tournament participant Winthrop on Feb. 15. The Phoenix then hosts Big South tournament runner-up and Triad rival High Point on Feb. 19.
On Feb. 23, the maroon and gold hosts Notre Dame for its first-ever contest against the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame won 14 games a season ago and reached the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament. The Phoenix then hosts Vanderbilt in a midweek matinee on March 8.
Elon begins the start of three straight home games with contests versus Coastal Carolina (March 24) and Davidson (March 26) before hosting its second ACC home competitor in Duke on March 29. Last season, the Phoenix defeated the 10th-ranked Blue Devils in Duke for the program’s first-ever victory against a top-10 ranked opponent.
Road Warriors
Among the Phoenix’s six road matches on its 2017 slate, three of them will come versus ACC opponents. A meeting with Virginia is on tap for the Phoenix for its first road game of the year on Feb. 11. The Cavaliers reached the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last season. Elon then travels to Blacksburg, Va., for its second road challenge at Virginia Tech on March 1.
In its final non-conference road game, Elon heads to Chapel Hill, N.C., for a matchup versus the Tar Heels on March 14. UNC went 20-2 overall last season en route to winning the ACC regular season and tournament titles before capturing the NCAA championship with a victory over Maryland.
The CAA
Elon enters its third season as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association, which has established itself as one of the most competitive conferences in the nation in women’s lacrosse. The CAA ranked third overall in conference RPI only behind Power Five leagues the ACC and the Big Ten. The CAA also had two members reach the NCAA Tournament last season.
The Phoenix, who finished third in the conference standings last year, opens CAA play at defending co-regular season champions James Madison (April 7) and Towson (April 9). The Dukes earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament after falling to the Tigers in the conference championship game at the CAA Tournament. Towson finished the season ranked 20th in the final Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll and was No. 18 in the final ILWomen.com Media Poll. JMU finished its campaign receiving votes in both polls.
The Phoenix closes out its 2016 home schedule with three consecutive conference games versus Drexel (April 14), Delaware (April 16) and Hofstra (April 23). Elon went 3-0 versus each of those opponents including road wins at Hofstra and Drexel last year. The regular season concludes with a CAA road game at William & Mary on April 29.
Towson will host the 2017 CAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship welcoming the top four seeds on Friday, May 5. The CAA Championship game will be played on Sunday, May 7, for the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Date Opponent Location Saturday, Feb. 4 Campbell Elon, N.C. Saturday, Feb. 11 Virginia Charlottesville, Va. Wednesday, Feb. 15 Winthrop Elon, N.C. Sunday, Feb. 19 High Point Elon, N.C. Thursday, Feb. 23 Notre Dame Elon, N.C. Wednesday, March 1 Virginia Tech Blacksburg, Va. Wednesday, March 8 Vanderbilt Elon, N.C. Tuesday, March 14 North Carolina Chapel Hill, N.C. Friday, March 24 Coastal Carolina Elon, N.C. Sunday, March 26 Davidson Elon, N.C. Wednesday, March 29 Duke Elon, N.C. Friday, April 7 James Madison Harrisonburg, Va. Sunday, April 9 Towson Towson, Md. Friday, April 14 Drexel Elon, N.C. Sunday, April 16 Delaware Elon, N.C. Sunday, April 23 Hofstra Elon, N.C. Saturday, April 29 William & Mary Williamsburg, Va. Fri-Sun, May 5-7 CAA Championships Towson, Md.