Elon WLAX Phoenix Back at Rhodes to Host Chanticleers Friday

ELON, N.C. – After four straight road games over the last four weeks, the Elon women’s lacrosse team (3-3) returns home to the friendly confines of Rhodes Stadium for the first of four straight home games in the month of March, beginning with a matchup against Coastal Carolina (1-2) on Friday, March 6, at 6 p.m.

Looking Back
The Elon women’s lacrosse team met a tough opponent in No. 2 North Carolina in its last game on March 1, suffering a 21-2 setback against the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, N.C. ?The Phoenix finished the game with 21 ground balls and eight shots, five of which were on goal, while tallying seven draw controls. Elle Hvozdovic and Sloane Kessler netted Elon’s two scores in the game, while Nicole Sinacori recorded one assist. Abby Godfrey led the team with five ground balls followed by four ground balls and two caused turnovers by Megan Weissman. Both Rachel Ramirez and Tori Cipollone saw minutes between the pipes for the Phoenix. Ramirez tallied 11 saves on the day, while Cipollone recorded two of the team’s 13 saves.

Scouting the Chanticleers
Coastal Carolina is 1-2 on the season after a 17-11 setback against Jacksonville in its last game on Saturday. The Chanticleers rank 29th nationally in ground balls, picking up 18 per game, and claimed 16 against the Dolphins last week. Jen Cosgrove has 10 goals and three assists, both team highs, on the season and owns a 55.6 shot percentage, while Sara Nolan has netted four goals for the Chanticleers. Goalie Jenna Stover has played every minute between the pipes with 24 saves and owns a 40.7 save percentage.

Series Information
Friday marks the second meeting between Elon and Coastal Carolina with the Phoenix holding the 1-0 advantage in the series. Last season, the maroon and gold claimed a 12-10 victory in Conway, S.C., after overcoming a 3-1 deficit to start the game. Olivia Fernandez led the offense in the game with three goals and one assist, while Rachel Ramirez posted 12 saves on the day.

Common Opponents
While Coastal has only played three games so far this season, two of the Chanticleers three opponents is a pair of teams that Elon has also played. Both programs have faced Stetson and Jacksonville and claimed the same wins and losses against those two schools. The Phoenix lost to the Dolphins, 13-6, before taking a 16-5 victory over the Hatters. CCU claimed a 15-4 win in its season opener at Stetson on Feb. 14 and dropped a 17-11 final against JU last week.

SAAC Food Drive
Elon’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee is currently hosting a food drive as part of the Colonial Athletic Association’s third-annual conference-wide Food Drive Challenge that will run through Friday, March 6. All food and monetary gifts collected will go to Allied Churches of Alamance County. SAAC members will be on hand at home events, including the women’s lacrosse game against Coastal Carolina on March 6, to collect nonperishable food items and monetary donations.

National Rankings
In the latest NCAA national rankings, Elon ranks 18th in the country in points with 85 on the season. Individually, Stephanie Asher ranks eighth in goals (17) and 15th points (21), while Sloane Kessler is sixth in assists with 10 total. Rachel Ramirez ranks fourth nationally in saves with 53 on the season and 18th in saves per game with 8.83/game.

Next Up
Elon hosts local opponent High Point in its next game on Wednesday, March 11. The opening draw is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Rhodes Stadium.