CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina women's lacrosse will open its 2021 season in a neutral site contest against former Big South foe Radford on Wednesday, Feb. 17. The opening draw is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET at Clover Memorial Stadium in Clover, S.C.
 
The Chanticleers hold a 1-0 series advantage over the Highlanders with the only meeting between the two teams coming in CCU's final season in the Big South in 2016.
 
Last season, the Chanticleers were off to a 2-3 start before it was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
 
This season, Coastal was selected to finish first in the SoCon while the Highlanders were picked to finish fourth in the Big South.
 
ABOUT COASTAL CAROLINA
 
Coastal returns one of its top point scorers from last season in Samantha Courtemanche. The fifth-year attacker had a breakout junior campaign in 2019 with 39 goals and 25 assists for 64 points. While her senior season was cut short, she tallied eight goals and 10 assists for 18 points in five contests.
 
Defensively, the Chants return Emily D'Orsaneo, who has started every match since arriving on campus and added Stetson transfer Sarah Trupp to anchor the backline and look to aid the first-year starting goalkeeper
Claire Martell.
 
The trio of Courtemanche, D'Orsaneo, and Trupp all were tabbed preseason SoCon all-conference. It is the Chanticleers' first season playing in the Southern Conference.
 
Head coach Kristen Selvage named Avery Drouin, Anya McSorley, and Abbey Buchanan as team captains for the 2021 season.
 
ABOUT RADFORD
 
Radford returns two Big South all-conference honorees in Katie Bendrick and Grace Gleason. Gleason had a breakout season and was heating up just as the season was cut short with 15 goals and one assist in just nine games. Katie Carroll, Jennifer Shield, Margaret Gleason, and Grace Gleason are the top offensive returners. Carroll was third in scoring with 10 goals and three assists, while both Shield (nine goals and three assists) and Margaret Gleason (five goals and seven assists) each tallied 12 points each.
 
Bendrick leads the Highlanders defense scooping up 18 ground balls and causing seven turnovers in the shortened 2020 season. The Brentwood, Tenn. native, also won 47 draw controls.
 
Radford has tabbed Lindsey Carroll, Brittany Rinaldi, Shield, and Rachel Rogers as their captains for the upcoming season.
 
For complete coverage of CCU women's lacrosse, follow the Chants on social media @CoastalWLax (Twitter), facebook.com/CCUChanticleers (Facebook), @GoCCUSports (Instagram) or visit the official home of Coastal Carolina Athletics at goccusports.com.