Dukes Down Tigers To Win WLAX Title

5/3/2015 3:22:00 PM

Tim McDonnell

#CAAChamps Central Page

#2 JAMES MADISON 13, #4 TOWSON 6 | BOXSCORE | HIGHLIGHTS

NEWARK, Del. (May 3, 2015) – Second-seeded James Madison avenged last year’s title game loss to Towson by beating the fourth-seeded Tigers on Sunday, 13-6, to win the 2015 Women’s Lacrosse Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Championship at Delaware Stadium.

Senior Ali Curwin was named Most Outstanding Player of the Championship, netting a hat trick, while junior Jaci Gordon also added three goals and one helper in the win. Madison captured its ninth overall CAA title and first since the program last won the trophy in in back-to-back fashion from 2010-11.

James Madison earns the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament and finds out its postseason fate tonight at 9:00 p.m. via a selection show.

The No. 17 Dukes have now won seven straight games and improved to 15-4 on the season. Senior goalie Schylar Healy played lights out, recording nine saves. Classmate Stephanie Finley, who like Healy was named to the All-Tournament team, scored two goals. Freshman Leah Monticello and redshirt sophomore Betsy Angel each had two goals and one assist.

Towson, which was remarkably searching for its fourth consecutive CAA title, ends the year with a 9-9 record. Redshirt senior Andi Raymond scored two goals and dished out two assists in the setback, while redshirt sophomore Michelle Gildea had two goals on three shots.

Towson started the game hot, finding the scoreboard just minutes into the contest before expanding its lead to 4-2 with 15:26 left in the half. Four different players accounted for goals, while Raymond chipped in her two assists during the stretch.

The Dukes, though, had an answer as the half winded down. JMU batted down the hatches on defense behind a number of stellar saves from Healy, and picked up the pace on offense. JMU, led by Gordon’s two tallies, ended the half scoring six unanswered goals to take an impressive 8-4 lead into the break.

In the second half, JMU controlled much of tempo and took advantage of some solid possession on the offensive side of the field. TU got within 9-6 at the 11:15 mark after goals from Raymond and Gildea, in between Finley’s second tally of the game, but that’s as close as it got for the remainder of the contest.

The Dukes’ possession of the ball from that point moving forward proved to be game-changing, as the neither team found the net for the next seven-plus minutes. An unassisted score from Curwin, followed by a beautiful snipe from Monticello with 3:31 left all but put the game out of reach.

Notes: JMU appeared in the title game against Towson in 2012 and 2014, with the most-recent defeat occurring in overtime last year by a score of 12-11. Today’s game was the 36th all-time meeting between the two programs, with JMU adding to its lead with a record of 24-12. Earlier this season, Madison defeated the Tigers in Harrisonburg, 15-9, snapping a five-game losing streak versus the Dukes.The Dukes have scored at least 10 goals in 16 of the team’s 19 games this season.

2015 CAA WOMEN'S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP
(Delaware Stadium – Newark, Del.)

Semifinals – May 1
#4 Towson (@Towson_WLAX) 7, #1 Hofstra (@Hofstra_WLAX) 3
#2 James Madison (@JMULacrosse) 10, #3 Delaware (@DelawareWLAX) 7

Finals – May 3
#2 James Madison (@JMULacrosse) 13, #4 Towson (@Towson_WLAX) 6

2015 All-CAA Tournament Team
Tiana Parrella | Attacker | Hofstra
Kelsey Gregerson | Goalie | Hofstra
Caitlin McCartney | Midfielder | Delaware
Erin Wein | Defender | Delaware
Andi Raymond | Attacker | Towson
Kelsea Donnelly | Goalie | Towson
Michelle Dufault | Defender | Towson
Stephanie Finley | Attacker | James Madison
Jaci Gordon | Midfielder | James Madison
Schylar Healy | Goalie | James Madison
Ali Curwin* | Midfielder | James Madison
* = Most Outstanding Player