LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Stanford reached the NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament for the sixth time in seven years as it sets to travel to Los Angeles for the first two rounds. No. 9 Stanford (14-4), opens Friday at 3 p.m. PT against James Madison, (10-9) the CAA runner-up.
The winner advances to face MPSF champion and fifth-seeded USC (19-0) on Sunday. Friday and Sunday's games represent the farthest west an NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament game has ever been held.
The following is a closer look at Friday’s game:
What: First round of NCAA tournament
Who: No. 9 Stanford (14-4) vs. James Madison (10-9)
When: Friday, May 13
Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Surface: Grass
All-Time Series Record: JMU leads, 3-2 – last meeting in 2013 – Stanford 14, JMU 9
Friday’s Opponent, James Madison: The Dukes are making their second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 2015 they faced USC in the first round in Durham, N.C. where they lost to the Women of Troy 13-10. All-time against the Cardinal, JMU holds a 3-2 record, and 1-0 against Stanford in the NCAA Tournament. In their last meeting though Stanford fired back in 2013 with a 14-9 win over the Dukes on their own home turf in Harrisonburg, Va.
The Cardinal has faced James Madison before in the NCAA Tournament...in a close 9-8 loss in the First Round in 2010.
Battle of Troy: Meeting for the 7th time in program history, all-time the Cardinal and Trojans are currently knotted with a 3-3 series record. The Women of Troy just recently snapped Stanford’s 18 game winning streak in conference play in a nailbiting 10-9 game in the L.A. Coliseum...the setting and scene of the crime this weekend as well. Most recently, the Cardinal fell to the Women of Troy again in a tough 8-5 loss in the MPSF Championship to give USC their first MPSF title and a place in history as the first team to go undefeated in the regular season and MPSF in conference history.
Both the games will be streamed live here.
Stanford’s NCAA Tournament Results:
2015: First round: Florida 15, Stanford 10 (Chapel Hill, N.C.)
2014: First round: Duke 13, Stanford 8 (Notre Dame, Ind.)
2013: First round: Stanford 8, Notre Dame 7 (Evanston, Ill.)
Second round: Northwestern 15, Stanford 8 (Evanston, Ill.)
2011: First round: Florida 13, Stanford 11 (Gainesville, Fla.)
2010: Play-In Game: Stanford 15, Massachusetts 12 (Stanford, Calif.)
First round: James Madison 9, Stanford 8 (Harrisonburg, Va.)
2006: First round: Northwestern 17, Stanford 9 (Evanston, Ill.)
Quick Draw McGraws: The Cardinal has proven one thing this season, when it comes to draw controls, it puts its money where its mouth is. Stanford is currently 5th in the nation in draw controls per game with a 14.00 average.
We all know possession is 9/10ths of the law, but it’s also key in winning for the Cardinal. When it outdraws its opponents, Stanford is undefeated at 11-0.
Bring Your Green Hat Snoop-A-Loop...We’re Going Streaking! A fun fact to know about the Cardinal is that they are currently on a four year streak of reaching the NCAAs. In addition, the Cardinal have also reached 19 consecutive conference championship games...a streak that spans Stanford’s membership in three different conferences...meet you in the quad!
Offense May Win Games, but Defense...Stanford heads into Friday’s game with one of the best scoring defenses in the NCAA clocking in at 16th with a 7.72 average.
Season in Review:
• Stanford (14-4) has come out of the gate with some huge wins this season, topping ranked opponents Ohio State and Penn State as well as Johns Hopkins in an overtime thriller.
• Stanford’s losses of the season came by the hands top-15 opponents: No. 4 Notre Dame in its season opener, No. 14 Stony Brook, and twice to No. 5 USC.
• The Cardinal reached the MPSF Championship game for a 19th straight season - a streak that spans three different conference afflilitations.
• Stanford has saw seven Cardinal named to the All-MPSF Team, including a Rookie of the Year award for Anna Salemo.
First Team:
Adrienne Anderson
Meg Lentz
Kelly Myers
Kelsey Murray
Second Team:
Allie DaCar
Anna Salemo
Dillon Schoen
• Seniors Adrienne Anderson and Lucy Dikeou were named the Tewaaraton Award Watch List.
Stanford in the Rankings:
IWLCA coaches: No. 9
Lacrosse Magazine: No. 9
National stat rankings: Also with MPSF rank in parentheses.
Team:
Draw controls – 5th, 14.00 (1st)
Winning percentage – 10th, .778 (2nd)
Scoring offense – 11th, 13.11 (2nd)
Scoring margin – 12th, 5.39 (2nd)
Saves percentage - 10th, .498 (1st)
Assists per game: 28th, 5.00 (3rd)
Individual:
Assists - Kelsey Murray, 49th, 23 (4th)
Draw controls - Kelly Myers, 76th, 2.72
Meg Lentz, 110th, 2.39
Free position goals per game - Dillon Schoen, 24th, .72 (3rd)
Kelsey Murray, 33rd, .67, (4th)
Elizabeth Cusick, 127th, .44, (9th)
Goals-Against Average – Allie DaCar, 17th, 7.70 (3rd)
Goals Per Game --Kelsey Murray, 56th, 2.33 (2nd)
Anna Salemo, 105th, 2.00 (6th)
Points - Kelsey Murray, 30th, 65 (2nd)
Saves Percentage - Allie DaCar, 10th, .510 (1st)
Special situations:
• When scoring first: 13-1
• When the opponent scores first: 0-2
• When leading at halftime: 11-1
• When trailing at halftime: 0-2
• When tied at halftime: 2-0
• When leading with 10 minutes left: 13-0
• When trailing with 10 minutes left: 0-3
• When tied with 10 minutes left: 0-0
• In overtime: 1-0
• Largest deficit: 10 goals -- 14-4 to Stony Brook, in second half.
• Record when holding opponents to 10 or fewer goals: 10-1
• Record when scoring 10 or more goals: 10-0