Towson women win CAA crown

From Sun staff reports

May 3, 2009

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For the first time in Colonial Athletic Association history, a fourth-seeded team won the conference championship.

The Towson women's lacrosse team held off a late comeback from second seed Delaware (10-8) to win its second straight CAA title with an 8-7 victory Saturday in Williamsburg, Va.

The Tigers (13-5), who won their seventh straight game, receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, which begins next weekend. The selections will be announced at 10 p.m. Sunday on CBS College Sports.

Junior midfielder Steph Taylor led the Tigers with three goals, and Meggie McNamara added a goal and two assists as Towson reached the 13-win mark for the second straight year.

McNamara gave Towson an 8-4 lead with 8:26 left. The Blue Hens, led by Stephanie Allen and Emily Schaknowski with two goals each, went on 3-0 run but fell short.

No. 2 Maryland 20, No. 5 Princeton 12: Caitlyn McFadden scored a game-high four goals and the host Terrapins (19-0) completed a perfect regular season. Nine Terrapins scored. Maryland took an early 2-0 lead on unassisted goals from Karissa Taylor and Sarah Mollison, and the Tigers answered with two goals to tie the score at the 26:38 mark. After a flurry of turnovers from both squads, the Terps broke open the game with a 5-0 run with just less than 10 minutes left in the first half, led by a pair of scores and an assist from McFadden. Princeton's Holly McGarvie, nominated for the Tewaaraton Trophy, which is given to nation's top lacrosse player, scored two goals as the Tigers rallied for three unanswered scores. The teams traded goals to end the half with Maryland holding a 9-6 lead. The Terps pulled away with an 11-6 second half.

Men

No. 13 Maryland 10, Yale 6: Brian Phipps scored twice, and the visiting Terps (9-6) broke a tie at 5 with a 5-1 run in the fourth quarter. Justin Blye made 11 saves for Maryland, and Johnathan Flacone had eight for the Bulldogs (5-8). Yale's Michael Karwoski finished with two goals.