Women's Lacrosse | 4/28/2016 11:06:00 AM
TOURNAMENT CENTRAL
WHEELING, W.Va. - One year later and one step further. That is the goal for the Wheeling Jesuit women's lacrosse team as they are set to host the 2016 Mountain East Conference Championship beginning on Friday, April 29. The championship game will be played on Sunday, May 1 at 1 p.m.
Shepherd and the University of Virginia's College at Wise face off at 4 p.m. before the Cardinals have a chance to avenge their postseason loss from a year ago. Top seeded WJU hosts number four seeded West Virginia Wesleyan College at 7 p.m.
WJU fell to West Virginia Wesleyan, 9-8, in last year's MEC Semifinals. In the 2016 regular season matchup, the Cardinals defeated the Bobcats, 13-10, on the road on April 3.
MEC Coach of the Year Tim Florence will look to his two MEC Players of the Year, Elizabeth Hales and Holly Deckert, to do what they have done all year long.
Hales leads all of NCAA Division II in scoring with 97 points. Hales provided the Cardinals with 59 goals and 38 assists during the regular season. Remarkably, she ranks second on her own team to Jessie Tufnell in goals (60).
Deckert has been the rock to the Cardinals defense all year long. She led the MEC in caused turnovers (28) and ranked third in ground balls (48). WJU has limited its opponents to less than nine goals per game on average.
WJU Stat Leaders:
Elizabeth Hales – 59 goals, 38 assists, 97 points, 21 ground balls
Jessie Tufnell – 60 goals, 24 assists, 84 points, 20 ground balls
Kori Hickman – 12 goals, 45 assists, 57 points, 19 ground balls, 19 draw controls
Paige Plesich – 22 goals, 17 assists, 39 points, 15 ground balls, 7 caused turnovers
Holly Deckert – 42 ground balls, 28 caused turnovers, 5 draw controls
Lyndsay Carpenter – 36 ground balls, 13 caused turnovers, 11 draw controls
Markie Wright – 30 ground balls, 18 caused turnovers, 27 draw controls
Olivia Krock – 27 groundballs, 12 caused turnovers, 33 draw controls, 13 goals, 3 assists
