Elon WLAX Looks to Keep Winning Streak Alive Against Davidson

ELON, N.C. – Riding a two-game winning streak, the Elon women’s lacrosse team (5-3) takes on in-state opponent Davidson (3-3) in its next game on Saturday, March 21, at 2 p.m. in Rhodes Stadium.

Looking Back
The Phoenix posted a strong 16-10 win over two-time defending Big South champion High Point in its last game on March 11. Led by five goals and one assist from rookie Stephanie Asher, the maroon and gold saw scores from seven different players on the night. Elon started off the first half with a commanding 3-0 lead after the first 10 minutes of the game before the Panthers cut its deficit to one, 6-5, with three minutes left in the frame. The Phoenix closed out the half with scores by Sloane Kessler and Asher in the final two minutes for an 8-5 lead at the break. Elon continued its offensive prowess at the start of the second half with five straight goals en route to the six-goal advantage. Nicole Sinacori and Abby Godfrey each netted three goals in the game, while Kessler finished with two goals and one assist. Jacie Cooper, Molly Garrigan and Anna Vitton also recorded goals in the game with Rachel Ramirez claimed the win in goal with six saves on the night.

Scouting the Wildcats
Davidson is also coming off a game against High Point after playing the Panthers on March 15. The Wildcats dropped the contest, 9-7, and is now 3-3 on the season. Prior to playing HPU, Davidson had won two straight with a 17-9 victory over Saint Francis and a 12-11 final against Bucknell. The Wildcats currently rank 11th nationally with 20.6 ground balls per game with help from Katy Boyle who picks up 3.4 ground balls/game and ranks 12th individually. Lucy Sexton has scored 19 goals for Davidson so far this season and owns a 63.3 shooting percentage followed by 15 goals by Annie Brockett, while Emily Cooke has tallied 13 assists to rank 14th in the nation with 2.20 assists per game. On defense, Holly Thomas has 14 caused turnovers (2.2/game) and ranks eighth nationally in the category.

Series Information
The Phoenix and the Wildcats met for the first time almost a year ago on March 22 in Davidson, N.C., with Davidson claiming the 15-8 victory. Elon was led by three goals from Olivia Fernandez and five draw controls by Elle Hvozdovic, while Rachel Ramirez posted five saves and four ground balls.

Common Opponents
Elon and Davidson have played two common opponents so far this season with both squads having faced Kennesaw State and High Point. The Phoenix opened its season against KSU on Jan. 31 and claimed an 18-6 victory before the Wildcats started its 2015 campaign against the Owls on Feb. 15 with a 21-4 win. After Elon posted a 16-10 final against the Panthers in Rhodes Stadium on March 4, the Wildcats traveled to High Point, falling 9-7, on March 15.

National Rankings
In the latest NCAA national rankings, Elon ranks 30th in the country in points with 116 on the season and 25th in ground balls per game (17.88/game). Individually, Stephanie Asher ranks 11th in goals (25) and 23rd in points (30), while Sloane Kessler is 16th in assists with 13 total. Rachel Ramirez ranks 14th nationally in saves with 63 on the season and 34th in saves per game with 7.88/game.

Next Up
The Phoenix wraps up a four-game home stand when it hosts Liberty in its next game on Saturday, March 28, at 2 p.m. in Rhodes Stadium.