Haley Warden Nets Second CAA Defensive Player of the Week Award

2017 Apr 18

Following a pair of dominant defensive wins at home, James Madison junior midfielder Haley Warden was named Colonial Athletic Association Women's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday.

The Dukes (9-5, 3-0 CAA) notched back-to-back homes wins last weekend, in which they limited both No. 19 Elon and William & Mary to five goals each. Warden led the unit with nine caused turnovers, six ground balls and six draw controls.

In Friday's win against the Phoenix, Warden recorded a game-high 13 hustle stats with a game-best five draw controls, four caused turnovers and four ground balls. Two days later, the Glen Mills native tied her career high with five caused turnovers against the Tribe while also tallying a pair of ground balls and one draw control.

Warden is second in the CAA in caused turnovers per game (2.64), while also ranking third in ground balls per game (2.93) and fifth in draw controls per outing (3.00).

This season, Warden ranks tied for fifth in JMU single-season history with 37 caused turnovers, which is only four off the team record. Additionally, she is tied for 16th with 42 draw-control wins in 2017. The captain also ranks 12th on JMU's career list in both caused turnovers (64) and draw controls (110).

It is Warden's second Defensive Player of the Week nod of the season, as she won her first award back on March 7. JMU has won six CAA weekly honors this week, three of which have been the top defensive accolade.