CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Queens University of Charlotte women's lacrosse team will take on top-seeded Lenoir-Rhyne University in the
South Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse Championship final on Sunday, April 29 at 4 p.m. The second-seeded Royals will be seeking their fifth-straight SAC Championship title having not dropped a single Championship game since joining the league. Currently, Queens sits 10-8 on the year while the Bears hold a 9-8 overall record.
Queens advanced to the finals after picking up a dominant 16-6 win over Catawba College in the semifinals. The Royals got off to a 10-0 start before allowing the Indians to find the back of the net en route to earning the win.
Allison Conn led the Royals with a season-high four goals while
Katie Wardle recorded four points on three goals and one assist.
Taylor Quade also added four points on three goals and one assist and
Ally Blood,
Shannon Mansberger, and
Hanna Scott each chipped in with two goals.
Lenoir-Rhyne topped Wingate University, 13-6, in the semifinal round. Rachel Elmore led the offense with five goals while Gabby Sousa recorded a hat trick. Cathleen Gaffney added nine points on one goal and eight assists.
The Bears upset a then-ranked 17
th Royals squad by a score of 12-11 during the regular season. The loss was the first SAC loss in program history for the Royals allowing the Bears to grab the SAC Regular Season title, a title the Royals held for the previous four seasons. Queens led 11-8 with 8:59 left to play, but the Bears would score three unanswered goals to knot the game at 11-11 before Sousa scored the game-winner with 53 seconds on the clock.
Scott leads the Royals in points with 74, edging Wardle who has totaled 73 points on the season. Scott has totaled 46 goals and 28 assists while Wardle has recorded 39 goals and 34 assists. Blood follows the pair with 40 points on 28 goals and 12 assists while
Taylor Quade has tallied 36 points on 26 goals and 10 assists. Conn has notched 33 goals and two assists for 35 points.
Defensively, the Royals boast the nation's leader in caused turnovers per game in
Cammy Case. Case has accumulated 64 caused turnovers to lead the Royals and the SAC. She also has 74 ground balls and 45 draw controls. Goalkeeper
Chase Brokaw has totaled 125 saves with a .456 save percentage this season. She also leads the league with the lowest goals-against average (9.84).
Sousa leads the Bears' offense with 70 points this season on 59 goals and 11 assists. Gaffney follows with 66 points on 28 goals and 38 assists while Elmore has totaled 51 points with 49 goals and two assists.
SAC Player of the Year Ines Fueck leads the Bears' defense. The goalkeeper has totaled 125 saves with a .451 save percentage. Her goals-against average currently sits at 10.78.
Tomorrow's championship final will be played at Graham Gill Field on the campus of Wingate University. Live stats and video will be available.
