WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - No. 13 George Mason (12-4, 5-2 CAA) travels to Williamsburg, Va. this weekend to compete in the CAA Women's Lacrosse Championship Tournament at Albert-Daly Field on the campus of top-seeded William and Mary. The winner of the CAA Championship will earn the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championships, which begin on May 11.

The top four teams in the CAA standings at the end of the regular season all advance to the conference tournament. The second-seeded Patriots face third-seeded Towson (11-5, 5-2 CAA) in the semifinal round on Friday at 7:30 p.m. No. 1 seed William and Mary (9-8, 5-2 CAA) will face No. 4 seed Delaware (11-5, 4-3 CAA) in the day's other semifinal at 5 p.m. The winners of the semifinal games will meet in the championship on Sunday at 1 p.m.

George Mason returns to the CAA Championship Tournament following a two-year absence. Before missing the tournament for the first time following the 2006 season, the Patriots qualified for the tournament in 12 consecutive years. Mason has made the tournament 13 times in the 15-year history of the women's lacrosse program.

The Patriots enter the tournament fresh off the finest regular season in the history of the program. Mason set a school record with 12 wins and tied the school record for conference wins with five. George Mason reached the highest ranking in school history earlier this year when they reached No. 9 in both polls. Currently ranked 13th in the IWLCA/Under Armour National Poll and 16th in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, the Patriots are the highest-ranked team in the CAA in either poll. Towson is 18th in both polls and William and Mary is 20th in the IWLCA/Under Armour National Poll and 19th in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.

George Mason holds a 2-1 record against the three schools left standing in the CAA Championship Tournament. The Patriots overcame an early four-goal deficit to down semifinal foe Towson by a final score of 13-10 earlier this season at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md. The win snapped Mason's five-game losing streak against Towson. Mason also defeated Delaware this year, earning a 15-10 victory over the Fightin' Blue Hens in Newark, Del. The only semifinalist to beat George Mason was William and Mary, who snapped Mason's school-record seven-game winning streak with a 13-8 win over the Patriots on April 6 at Albert-Daly Field.

Mason's four First-Team All-CAA performers was the most of any team in the conference. Senior midfielder Megan Bartlett, junior attacker Brittany Berger, junior defender Maggie Bridges and senior attacker Laura King all earned First-Team honors. Bridges was named the CAA Defender of the Year for leading a Mason defense that ranked sixth in the nation in caused turnovers per game and seventh in ground balls per game. In addition, three members of the Patriots' talented freshman class earned CAA All-Rookie honors. Attacker Chelsea Gamble, defender Caitlin Hoffen and attacker Madalyn Jamison were all named to the All-Rookie squad.

Towson enters Friday's contest with the CAA Player of the Year Hillary Fratzke leading the way. The top scorer in the CAA with 75 points, Fratzke was recently named as one of 18 nominees for the Tewaaraton Award, which will be presented after the conclusion of the NCAA Tournament in late May. She has recorded a point in all 48 games of her college career and has scored a goal in 42 straight games, which is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I. Joining Fratzke as a First-Team All-CAA honoree was junior defender Julie Ondrako. Junior midfielder Britt Woodfield was named an All-CAA Second Team performer.

George Mason holds a slim 7-6 advantage in the all-time series with Towson, which dates back to the 1997 season. The Patriots hold a 4-12 record in 16 games played at the CAA Championship Tournament, including a 12-9 loss to the Tigers in their last appearance in 2005.