Elon WLAX Hosts No. 4 North Carolina Tuesday

ELON, N.C. – The Elon women’s lacrosse team (5-2) closes out a three-game homestand when it welcomes No. 4 North Carolina to Rudd Field on Tuesday, March 15. This marks the first home game versus the Tar Heels for the Phoenix and the second time Elon has hosted a ranked opponent. The opening draw is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Rudd Field.

Last Time Out

Off a career-high six points from Maeve Cowley, the Elon snapped a two-game losing skid with a dominating 14-3 victory over visiting Holy Cross in its last game on March 12. The Phoenix outshot the Crusaders, 30-15, notching 25 shots on goal, and finished 17-of-19 in clear attempts. Elon held the advantage at the draw, 11-8, and in ground balls, 19-10. Cowley posted a career and game-high four goals and two assists for the maroon and gold, while Stephanie Asher notched five goals on the day for the duo to combine for 11 of the team’s 16 total points. Both Sloane Kessler and Kelli Stack added two scores for the Phoenix followed by one goal by Shelby Scanlin. Rookie Shannon Horan tallied a game-high four draws and also claimed two ground balls. Alexis Zadjura matched her career-high with five ground balls and caused three turnovers to lead all players in both categories. Rachel Ramirez posted her fifth win between the posts after seven saves off 10 shots on goal by Holy Cross and also picked up three ground balls.

Scouting the Tar Heels

UNC is currently ranked fourth in the country with a 5-2 record so far this season. The team is coming off an 11-10 double-overtime victory at No. 8 Virginia on Saturday. The win marked the first for the Tar Heels over a ranked team this season after falling to eighth-ranked Florida, 16-15, and top-ranked Maryland, 8-7. North Carolina has one of the top offenses in the country, ranking sixth in scoring offense (14.43 goals/game), 10th in points per game (20.0/game), while also ranking third in draw controls (16.14/game) and 14th in ground balls (19.57/game). Molly Hendrick leads the team with 26 points after 23 goals, ranking eighth nationally, and three assists this season. Marie McCool follows with 23 points after 19 goals and four assists, while Aly Messinger has a team-high 10 assists. Sammy Jo Tracy ranks third in the NCAA in draw controls with 62 on the season and 8.86 per game.

The Series

The Tar Heels lead the all-time series against the Phoenix, 2-0, playing each season since the Elon program began competition. Both previous games have taken place in Chapel Hill, N.C., with UNC being ranked in the top two nationally. The first game was played on March 12, 2014, with the No. 1 Tar Heels claiming a 20-5 victory followed by a 21-2 win for second-ranked UNC on March 1, 2015.

Elon vs. the ACC

The Phoenix is 1-5 all-time versus Atlantic Coast Conference opponents, claiming that first win in a 7-6 final a few weeks ago at No. 10 Duke in Durham, N.C.

Conference/National Rankings

At this point in the season, the Phoenix ranks near the top of the Colonial Athletic Association in several statistical categories. The team is second in ground balls (14.83/game) and third in shots (24.83/game). Stephanie Asher ranks 21st nationally and second in the league with her 20 goals this year and is second in the CAA in scoring with 2.86 goals per game, while Sloane Kessler ranks sixth with her 2.29 goals/game. Asher also ranks first in shots per game with 7.43, while Rachel Ramirez is third in saves (5.86/game) and second in ground balls (2.86/game).

Next Up

The Phoenix starts a two-game road swing this weekend, beginning with a trip to Davidson to take on the Wildcats. The opening draw is scheduled for 2 p.m. in Davidson, N.C.