High Point at Furman
Date/Time: February 9, 2019 | 1 p.m.
Place: Greenville, S.C. | Paladin Stadium
All-Time Series: 2nd meeting, HPU leads, 1-0
Live Stats: Click here
Live Video: SoCon Digital Network
 
HIGH POINT, N.C.—The two-time defending Big South Champion High Point University women's lacrosse team commences the 2019 season Saturday (Feb. 9) at Furman, with first draw scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
The two teams met in last year's season opener, a 17-6 High Point victory on Feb. 10, 2018 at Vert Stadium. This will be the second all-time meeting between the programs.
 
High Point was picked as the Big South preseason favorite, while senior Samantha Herman was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and sophomore Abby Hormes was named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. HPU is the two-time defending Big South regular season and tournament champion.
 
Furman was selected as the SoCon preseason favorite after going 8-11 and advancing to the SoCon Championship in 2018.
 
SEASON PREVIEW
The High Point University women's lacrosse team is looking for its third consecutive Big South Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2019 and head coach Lyndsey Boswell is ready to see the team in action.
 
"We're excited going into Furman this season to get the season underway," Boswell said. "We've been working hard with a new group of freshman and a new leadership group of upperclassmen, so we're excited to see that play out this weekend."
 
The Panthers return six starters and nearly 60 percent of their goal scoring from a year ago when HPU tallied a school-record 321 goals. The team leader in goals, sophomore Abby Hormes, returns after being named 2018 Big South Freshman of the Year and 2019 Big South Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Also returning is junior Emory Gaeng, who missed the second half of the season due to an injury, but scored 56 points in her sophomore campaign in 2017.
 
"Last year we had a good upperclassman group that contributed a lot, however we have a lot of young talent and within that talent, some really good leaders," Boswell said. "Abby Hormes is really leading our offense and directing in the way that Darla (Poulin) did. Emory (Gaeng) is doing a great job coming back from a season-ending injury last year. 
 
In the midfield, senior Samantha Herman broke the HPU single-season record for draw controls with 79, while junior Ashley Britton added 49. The Panthers also received 62 goals from the duo, including 33 from Britton and 29 from Herman, which will aid after the graduation of 2018 Big South Defender of the Year and All-American Erica Perrotta. 
 
"We also have some senior leadership all over the field that are stepping up into last year's group's shoes," Boswell said. "Sam Herman and Ashley Britton returning to our midfield is really powerful. They bring a lot of grit and determination and they share the opportunity to start each possession off strong in the draw circle. We also have some young midfielders who are very hungry and want to fill the role of Erica (Perrotta), and though it may look different, it is going to be just as dynamic." 
 
Defensively, the Panthers return a pair of starting defenders in redshirt juniors Meredith Chapman and Hayley Norris. Chapman caused 28 turnovers in 2018, while Norris caused 25. Along with the duo, the Panthers return both goalies from a year ago, junior Jill Rall and Sarah Zeto. Rall set the single-season program record with 16 wins, while the pair combined for an 8.54 goals against average, which was the second-best mark in the country in 2018.
 
"On the defensive end, we have two extremely smart, focused and committed starting defenders in Hayley (Norris) and Meredith (Chapman) returning and I have no doubt that we'll pick up where we left off on the defensive end," Boswell said. "We have two options for goal, and we're excited to have two very different styles and options in the cage."
 
The 2019 Panther schedule includes five teams in the IWLCA Preseason Top-25 National poll, including No. 2 North Carolina, defending NCAA Champion and No. 4 James Madison, No. 6 Florida, No. 11 Towson and No. 23 Johns Hopkins. HPU will travel to UNC and James Madison in the first three weeks of the season, while the Gators and Tigers will play at Vert Stadium in March.
 
"We always want to play the toughest schedule possible to prepare us for the NCAA Tournament," Boswell said. "At this point in our program, the goal is to be in the NCAA Tournament every year, so in order to be prepared when we get there, we have to play the best teams in the country."
 
Up Next
The Panthers travel to Chapel Hill to take on No. 2 North Carolina on Friday (Feb. 15) at 6 p.m.
 
#GoHPU