WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (April 30, 2009) -- The top-seeded and 20th-ranked William and Mary lacrosse team had its five-game winning streak snapped with a 15-10 loss against fourth-seeded Towson in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament semifinals on Thursday evening at Albert-Daly Field.

Junior Katie Rees led the Tribe (10-7, 6-1) with four goals, four ground balls, two draw controls and a caused turnover, while first-team all-conference honoree Grace Golden recorded two goals, three ground balls, two draw controls and two caused turnovers. Sophomore Maggie Anderson also finished with a pair of goals, while first-team all-league selection Ashley Holofcener added a team-high three assists.

Defensively, second-team all-conference honoree Sarah Jonson totaled a game-high three caused turnovers and tied the single-season school record of 39 established by Kristen Wong in 2006. Jonson's stat line also included four ground balls, while sophomore keeper Emily Geary registered 10 saves.

Having already established the single-season school record for goals, W&M increased its total to 244 while also breaking the program's single-season mark for points with 347. Additionally, the College finished the contest just two assists shy of the program's single-season mark with 103.

The entire first half was closely contested, as Towson (12-5, 5-2) answered each of the Tribe's initial four goals with scores of its own. W&M got on the scoreboard first when Golden found the back of the cage off an assist from Holofcener just 33 seconds into play.

TU's Cassie Crause knotted the score less than a minute later. The College answered just 23 seconds later when Holofcener connected with Rees on a free position opportunity. Although the Tigers again tied the score nearly nine minutes later, Holofcener notched her third assist of the game on a goal by junior Mary Zulty with 15:19 showing to go back ahead.

After trading scores once more, Towson utilized a 3-0 run in a span of just 1:47 to build a 6-4 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the half. However, the Tribe charged back with three unanswered goals of its own to take a 7-6 lead at the intermission. Golden ignited the run with an unassisted goal with 3:19 remaining, while Anderson scored on a free position shot a little more than a minute later. Reese punctuated the stretch with just 13 second on the clock when senior Julia Martin hit her in stride as she cut in front of the cage.

Much of the second half was also tightly contested, as neither team was able to build more than a one-goal advantage until less than 10 minutes was showing. While TU tied the score less than a minute into the stanza, W&M retook the lead when second-team all-conference selection Molly Wannen found the back of the net. Although the Tigers' Steph Taylor tied the score again less than a minute later, the College again claimed a one-goal margin when Anderson scored on a free position shot.

Goals by Jacie Kendall and Nikki Marcinik gave Towson its first lead of the half, 10-9, midway through the period. Although a score by Rees on a free position shot tied the count with 14:44 remaining, the Tigers closed the game on a 5-0 run.

Towson advances to the championship game and will play second-seeded Delaware at Albert-Daly Field on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The Blue Hens defeated third-seeded Old Dominion, 8-6, in the second semifinal on Thursday.

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WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Led by a record-setting performance from senior attacker Meggie McNamara (Fayetteville-Manlius H.S./Fayetteville, N.Y.), fourth-seeded Towson University (12-5) advanced to the Colonial Athletic Association Championship Game by earning a 15-10 victory over top-seeded William & Mary in a semi-final game at the Tribe's Albert-Daly Field on Thursday evening.

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2009-05-01