April 18, 2005

FAIRFAX, Va. - George Mason's women's lacrosse team clinched its 12th straight Colonial Athletic Association Tournament appearance last weekend following a 16-10 win at Drexel and James Madison's 9-4 loss at Hofstra on Friday. The Patriots, who have made every CAA tournament since the program's inception in 1994, own the longest streak of consecutive championship appearances among the league's eight teams. The CAA has conducted its postseason tournament every year since 1992.

Hofstra (6-1 CAA, 13-2 overall) clinched the CAA women's lacrosse regular season title and the right to host the upcoming CAA Championship April 30 and May 1 with its 12-10 victory over George Mason Sunday. Towson and Delaware will join the Pride and the Patriots in Hempstead, N.Y. in the four-team CAA Championship. It will mark the first time that Hofstra has hosted a postseason tournament since the Pride captured the 2001 America East title at then-Hofstra Stadium.

Hofstra will play Delaware and George Mason draws Towson in the CAA Championship Semifinals on April 30. The winners will advance to the CAA Championship game on May 1 with an automatic birth to the NCAA Tournament on the line. Game times for all tournament games have yet to be announced. Towson and George Mason also participated in last year's Championships. Of the four teams, Delaware is the only school to have ever played in the CAA championship game (1995). None of the four teams has ever won the league crown.

Towson (5-2 CAA, 11-3 overall) will be the tournament's #2 seed as the Tigers dropped Old Dominion 10-5 in Maryland Sunday. Delaware (4-3 CAA, 7-5 overall) eliminated William & Mary (3-3 CAA, 6-8 overall) from tournament contention with a 13-8 victory over the Tribe in Newark.

George Mason (4-2 CAA, 5-9 overall) has a CAA regular season game remaining against James Madison on Thursday. Should the Patriots win, they would finish in a tie for second place with Towson with a 5-2 league mark. The Tigers would gain the tie-breaker for the #2 seed as Towson topped Mason 8-6 on April 8. A second-place tie for the Patriots would mark its highest-ever CAA regular season finish, and five conference wins in a season would also be a school record.

A Patriots loss would place Mason in a third place tie with Delaware at 4-3. The Patriots would gain the tie-breaker for the #3 seed as Mason defeated Delaware 11-8 on April 10. Mason last owned the No. 3 seed in the tournament back in 2003.

James Madison defeated Drexel 10-7 on Sunday. The Dukes (2-4 CAA, 7-7 overall) complete their CAA regular season schedule Thursday at 7 p.m. against the Patriots in Fairfax.

2005 CAA WOMEN'S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP
April 30 & May 1, Hempstead, N.Y.
CAA Championship Semifinals
Saturday, April 30
#1 Hofstra vs. #4 Delaware TBA
#2 Towson vs. #3 George Mason TBA
CAA Championship
Sunday, May 1
Semifinal winners TBA