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James Madison University
Hofstra
LACROSSE WINS CAA TITLE 10-6 OVER HOFSTRA
5/8/2010 11:37:00 PM | Lacrosse
HARRISONBURG, Va., May 8, 2010 -- A balanced attack and a solid defense has carried the James Madison women's lacrosse team to a number seven national ranking, a school record 16 wins and a nine-game winning streak.
But the icing on that cake was the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament championship and NCAA Tournament berth that the Dukes (16-2) claimed Saturday evening with a 10-6 win over 16th-ranked Hofstra (12-6) in the CAA title game at the JMU Lacrosse Complex.
JMU senior goalkeeper Morgan Kelly (Annapolis, Md./St. Mary's), voted the tournament's most outstanding player, needed to make only four stops, while the Dukes' defense limited Hofstra to just 12 shots.
The JMU attack peppered Hofstra with 27 shots and was led on offense by junior Mary Kate Lomady (Abington, Pa./Abington) and sophomore Ariel Lane (Vero Beach, Fla./Vero Beach), each of whom scored three times.
Lomady was named to the all-tournament team along with redshirt senior midfielder Kim Griffin (Jarrettsville, Md./North Harford), who had a goal and an assist, and sophomore defender Cally Chakrian (East Meadow, N.Y./East Meadow).
Hofstra players selected to the all-tournament team included senior attacker Liz Falco (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown), sophomore goalkeeper Jackie Pandolf (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem North) and freshman midfielder Casey Kellogg (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown West). Pandolf entered the game late in the first half and made six saves while allowing just four goals.
"I'm so proud of these players for all their hard word and sacrifice in bringing a championship back to JMU. The players' willingness to never make excuses the past couple of years has driven them towards accomplishing their goals," said fourth-year head coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe.
The Dukes scored the game's first three goals and never trailed, although Hofstra was in striking distance for the entire contest.
JMU scored three times in the opening 7:13, starting with a goal by sophomore Ariel Lane (Vero Beach, Fla./Vero Beach) off a pass from Lomady at 26:23 and followed by an unassisted score by Lomady at 15:05. The Dukes' third score came at 12:47, when redshirt freshman Casey Ancarrow (Jarrettsville, Md./John Carroll) fed a pass over the top of the goal to sophomore Annie Brophy (Berwyn, Pa./Archbishop Carroll), who one-timed a shot into the net from close range.
Hofstra, however, scored three of the game's next four goals to pull within one, 4-3, on a goal by senior Corrine Gandolfi (Smithtown, N.Y./Northport) with 5:05 remaining before halftime.
However, the Dukes responded with two scores in a span of 1:18. Lomady first scored an unassisted goal at 3:42, then sophomore Caitlin McHugh (Westminster, Md./Mercy) scored off a feed from Griffin at 2:23, sending JMU into halftime leading 6-3.
Lane converted a free-position attempt just 1:06 into the second half, putting the Dukes up 7-3. Hofstra never got closer than three after that, the last time at 9-6 after a Gandolfi goal at 5:26.
The Dukes won the CAA title for the seventh time in the last 14 years and will make their 10th NCAA appearance in the last 16 seasons.
"The consistency that the JMU program has shown, winning seven CAA championships with three different head coaches, is remarkable," said Klaes-Bawcombe.
The 16-team field for the NCAA Tournament will be announced between 10-11 p.m. ET Sunday, May 9, on CBS College Sports Network. The field will include eight automatic bids to six league champions and to winners of two play-in games. First-round games will be play
