2015 Elon Women’s Lacrosse Schedule Released

ELON, N.C. – As the new year approaches, the Elon women’s lacrosse schedule for the 2015 season has been announced. Elon head coach Josh Hexter takes the program into its second year after a successful inaugural season in 2014.

The Phoenix faces another tough schedule this year that includes two teams that finished 2014 ranked in the top 10 and five teams that made the NCAA Tournament last season, as well as its first conference schedule as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association.

“We are excited to get out there, have fun and compete against other tough programs,” said Hexter. “The tougher the competition, the more opportunity we have to grow as players, coaches and program as a whole. We are looking forward to a great season.”

Elon opens the 2015 season at home on Rudd Field against a familiar team in Kennesaw State on Saturday, Jan. 31. Conference opponents in the A-Sun a year ago, the Phoenix claimed an 18-7 win over the Owls in Rhodes Stadium last season.

For the second straight season, Hexter faces his old team when Elon hosts the Duke Blue Devils on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Rudd. Duke finished last season ranked eighth and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals. Hexter spent eight years as an assistant and associate head coach with the Blue Devils prior to coming to Elon in 2012. This year’s game will mark exactly one year since the Phoenix played its program opener against Duke in Durham.

Elon makes a trip to Longwood and plays its first road contest of the season on Saturday, Feb. 14, in Farmville, Va. The Phoenix defeated the Lancers, 15-4, last year en route to the team’s perfect home record.

The maroon and gold will see two more former conference opponents when the Phoenix heads south to Florida to take on Jacksonville and Stetson. Elon takes on the A-Sun champion Dolphins on Friday, Feb. 20, before closing out the trip against the Hatters in DeLand, Fla., where the Phoenix picked up an 18-6 victory against the Hatters last season. DeLand is a familiar place for assistant coach Brittany Dipper who coached at Stetson for two years and served as the interim head coach prior to her departure for Elon.

The Phoenix wraps up a four-game road swing at North Carolina on Sunday, March 1. The Tar Heels finished last year ranked fifth and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after being ranked No. 1 when the teams played a season ago.

Elon returns home to Rudd for the first time in almost three weeks to start the first of a four-game home stand against all Big South opponents. The maroon and gold will play Coastal Carolina (March 6), High Point (March 11), Davidson (March 21) and Liberty (March 28) during that stretch. The Phoenix faced all four teams a year ago. The HPU Panthers are the two-time reigning Big South champions.

The Phoenix plays its first CAA match on Friday, April 3, at three-time defending CAA champion Towson in Towson, Md., followed by a trip to visit the Blue Hens of Delaware on Sunday, March 5, in Newark, Del.

After a trip to play James Madison on Friday, April 10, Elon returns home on Sunday, April 12, to host the Tribe of William & Mary. The Phoenix plays its final two matches of the regular season at home when the Hofstra Pride visits Rudd Field on Friday, April 17, before the regular-season finale against Drexel on Sunday, April 19.

The top four teams from the regular season will advance to the 2015 CAA Championship in Newark, Del. The semifinals are scheduled for Friday, May 1, with the final set for Sunday, May 3.

Date      Time   Opponent                  Location
JAN. 31   1:00   KENNESAW STATE            ELON, N.C.
FEB. 7    1:00   DUKE                      ELON, N.C.
Feb. 14   1:00   @ Longwood                Farmville, Va.
Feb. 20   7:00   @ Jacksonville            Jacksonville, Fla.
Feb. 22   1:00   @ Stetson                 DeLand, Fla.
March 1   1:00   @ North Carolina          Chapel Hill, N.C.
MARCH 6   6:00   COASTAL CAROLINA          ELON, N.C.
MARCH 11  6:00   HIGH POINT                ELON, N.C.
MARCH 21  2:00   DAVIDSON                  ELON, N.C.
MARCH 28  2:00   LIBERTY                   ELON, N.C.
April 3   7:00   @ Towson *                Towson, Md.
April 5   1:00   @ Delaware *              Newark, Del.
April 10  7:00   @ James Madison *         Harrisonburg, Va.
APRIL 12  1:00   WILLIAM & MARY *          ELON, N.C.
APRIL 17  5:00   HOFSTRA *                 ELON, N.C.
APRIL 19  1:00   DREXEL *                  ELON, N.C.
May 1-3   TBD    CAA Championship          Newark, Del.

* Colonial Athletic Association game