Philadelphia, Pa. - The Holy Family University women's lacrosse team will face No. 4 seed Wilmington University in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) semifinals at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 5 at Georgian Court University.  The top-seeded Tigers are making their third straight appearance in the CACC Championship.
 
Holy Family (12-4, 11-1 CACC) had a record-breaking season under first-year head coach Elizabeth Weber.  The Tigers claimed the program's first-ever CACC Regular Season Title and the No. 1 seed in this weekend's CACC Championship.  The team's 12 overall wins and 11 conference victories also set new team standards.  In addition, the Tigers' current nine-game winning streak is the longest in program history shattering the team's previous best of three games. 
 
Offensively, junior Stephanie McNesby (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) and senior Gina Mansi (Washington Twp., N.J./Washington Twp.), who rank fourth and fifth respectively in the conference in goals scored, lead the Tigers.  McNesby was recently named the conference's Player of the Year, the first player to receive said honors in program history.  She has set new career marks in points (65), goals (48), assists (17), ground balls (42) and draw controls (119).  Her 119 draw controls are second most in the nation this season and she ranks first in Division II with 7.44 draw controls per game.
 
Mansi has compiled 44 goals and 47 points this season to receive All-CACC honors for the first time in her career after being named to the second team.  Mansi became the program's all-time leading scorer and goals scorer after tallying three goals against Wilmington on April 19 at home.  The senior attack will enter postseason play with 181 career points and 163 goals. 
 
Freshman Brianna Lancetta (Marlton, N.J./Bishop Eustace), who was named All-CACC Honorable Mention, will also give the Tigers offensive support.  In her first year of collegiate action, Lancetta put together a record-setting season as she set the program's record for most goals (39) and points (43) by a freshman.  Mansi, who scored 34 goals in 2009, and McNesby, who tallied 39 points in 2010, held the previous marks.  Lancetta is currently ninth in the conference in goals scored and 17^th in total points. 
 
Senior Samantha Cornely (Washington Twp., N.J./Camden Catholic) has totaled 35 points this season after scoring 29 goals and assisting on six others, while freshman Sarah Kelly (Washington Twp., N.J./Washington Twp.) collected 14 goals and four assists for 18 points. 
 
On the defensive side, Holy Family leads the conference in goals against average (11.71) and have surrendered the least amount of goals this season with 189.  Against conference opponents, the Tigers lead with a 10.13 goals against average after allowing a conference-low 123 goals. 
 
Three-time All-CACC selection Melissa Jenkins (Glenolden, Pa./Interboro) is one of the reasons for the Tigers' success this season defensively.  Jenkins, who was just named to the All-CACC second team, leads the CACC with an 11.71 goals against average, which is just shy of her career-best of 11.64 from her sophomore season.  She is also ranked second in total saves (176) and in save percentage with a career-best of .482.  Jenkins is currently tied for fifth among the Division II leaders in total saves and is ranked 13^th in save percentage. 
 
Holy Family will also turn to sophomore Marissa Lawson (York, Pa./Central York) who received All-CACC second team honors for the second straight season. Lawson has scored a career-best 13 goals and dished out three assists for 16 points this season.  She has also totaled 16 ground balls and controlled a career-high 37 draws to go along with four caused turnovers.
 
Junior midfielder Maria Mattioli (Huntingdon Valley, Pa./Nazareth) has scored a career-high ten goals this season to go along with 27 ground balls and eight caused turnovers.  Fellow classmate Jessica Maloney (Philadelphia, Pa./Archbishop Ryan) has collected 25 ground balls to go along with 23 draw controls and two caused turnovers.  Senior Katherine Podlinski (Cherry Hill, N.J./Camden Catholic) has caused eight turnovers this year to go along with 13 goals and two assists. 
 
Wilmington (9-7, 6-6 CACC) will be making its third appearance in the CACC Championship and first since 2010 after finishing 6-6 in conference play.  First-year head coach Jackie Trainer, who was named this year's CACC Coach of the Year by her peers, guided the Wildcats to a bounce-back nine-win season after a 4-11 finish last year.  Wilmington is led by seven All-CACC selections including senior Jessica Graybeal and juniors Elizabeth Case and Kaitlyn Hall. 
 
Graybeal earned All-CACC honors for the third straight season after starting all 16 games this season.  She tallied 16 goals and five assists for 17 points.  Graybeal finished third on the team in ground balls (30) to go along with 15 draw controls and 12 caused turnovers. 

Case finished the regular season as the team leader with 34 goals, 29 assists and 63 points to earn first team honors for the first time in her career.  She currently ranks second in the conference in assists and seventh in total points.
 
Hall put together a solid season for the Wildcats in net.  She finished the regular season second in goals against (186) and goals against average (12.12).  In addition, Hall is third in saves with 150 and save percentage (.446).  
 
Both teams split the season series with the home team winning each time.  Wilmington, the only conference opponent to defeat Holy Family this season, defeated the Tigers 13-11 back on March 20.  A month later, Holy Family picked up a 15-2 victory at Tiger Field.
 
This marks the second time that the Tigers and Wildcats are meeting in the CACC semifinals.  In 2010, Holy Family defeated Wilmington, 12-9, to advance to the team's first and only championship game appearance.  Holy Family is 6-3 all-time against Wilmington.
 
The winner will advance to the CACC Championship game on Sunday, May 6 and will face the winner of the other semifinal contest between No. 2 Georgian Court and No. 3 Philadelphia University.  The championship game is slated for 12 p.m.
 
Tickets will be available on-site at Georgian Court.  Admission prices are as follows: $6 for adults, $3 for children, senior citizens and students with ID.  Children under the age of 3 will be admitted for free.  For more information on CACC Women's Lacrosse Championship visit the official website for CACC Athletics at www.caccathletics.org (.)
 
   
2012 CACC Women's Lacrosse Tournament
Hosted by Georgian Court University
 
Saturday, May 5, 2012
(#1) Holy Family (12-4, 11-1) vs. (#4) Wilmington (9-7, 6-6) - 1:00 p.m.
(#2) Georgian Court (11-6, 9-3) vs. (#3) Philadelphia (8-9, 7-5) - 3:00 p.m.
 
Sunday, May 6, 2012
CACC Championship - 12 p.m.