Dukes to host Patriots in tournament opener

On the heels of a four-game winning streak, JMU qualified for the Colonial Athletic Association tournament Saturday.

The Dukes now set their sights on a conference championship run, coach Dave Lombardo said.

"Anybody can win this thing," Lombardo said. "There hasn’t been one dominant team. There’s nobody in our conference that scares us."

Besides that confidence, momentum is on JMU’s side. In the last four games, they’ve beat Virginia Commonwealth University, The University of North Carolina-Wilmington, The University of Delaware, and Towson University by a combined score of 10-2.

"We’ve been in this position before," junior goalkeeper Jessica Hussey said. "In the past two years, we’ve been peaking at the right time of the season."

Earlier in the year, Lombardo said the last few games would be a test of his team’s character and heart.

By winning four straight games to end their season, the Dukes passed that test.

Teamwork was the final piece to the puzzle, Hussey said. The Dukes have found success in the way they continue to work together.

"We are all good friends on and off the field," Hussey said. "Our team is special because we all get along and we all want to play for each other."

Lombardo said, "There have been different heroes in different games. It has been important for team growth that we are trying to foster."

Many players who were not instrumental in the first part of the season have become key factors, Lombardo said.

JMU’s most recent hero has been freshman midfielder Annie Lowry. In the Dukes’ late season surge, she had four goals and two assists.

After being on the tournament bubble for the last week of the season, the Dukes are not only in the postseason, but have solidified themselves as legitimate contenders.

"We’ve beaten the top teams," Hussey said. "It’s just a matter of getting it done on the field and getting ready to play."

The Dukes open their CAA tournament Tuesday at 7 p.m. against the No. 5-seeded George Mason University at the JMU Soccer Complex.