No. 11 Virginia Heads to George Mason for Wednesday Contest

Story Links

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 11 Virginia women’s lacrosse team will head to Fairfax, Va., Wednesday to face George Mason in its final contest before the 2011 Atlantic Coast Conference Championships. Opening draw is scheduled for 7 p.m. Live statistics will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

The Cavaliers hold an overall record of 8-5 this season and are 4-0 against teams from Virginia. The Patriots bring a record of 3-9 into the game and are 0-4 when facing a team from the state.

Junior Charlie Finnigan leads Virginia with 50 points this year and is ranked second in the ACC in goals per game, averaging 3.17. Classmate Julie Gardner sits second on the squad with 47 points and has distributed a team-best 22 assists, while junior Josie Owen has 43 points (29g, 14a).

Defensively, sophomore goalkeeper Kim Kolarik ranks first in the conference with 2.23 ground balls per game, while senior All-American Liz Downs leads all field players with 28 ground balls. Junior Bailey Fogarty leads the league in caused turnovers per game, averaging 1.62.

In goal, Kolarik has stopped 98 shots – the second most in the league – and has a goals-against average of 11.10.

Emily Ellisen leads George Mason with 26 points on the year, scoring a game-high 22 goals and distributing four assists. Brittany Pastrana leads the team with 32 ground balls, while Chelsea Gamble has won a team-best 29 draw controls.

In goal, Pastrana is stopping 41.5 percent of shots faced, while allowing 13 goals per game.

Dating back to 1999, Virginia has won all 12 meetings between the two programs. Last season, 10 Cavaliers scored to secure a 17-8 win against the Patriots in Charlottesville.

Up next, Virginia will head to the ACC Championships in Cary, N.C. First round games are set for Thursday, April 21, with the semifinals taking place on Friday, April 22. The championship game is scheduled for Sunday, April 24 at 1 p.m.

Seeding for the championship will be announced at approximately 4 p.m., on Saturday, April 16.