JMU Assistant Julie Gardner Drafted to UWLX’s Philadelphia Force

BOSTON – James Madison lacrosse assistant Julie Gardner will continue her playing career as the former Virginia All-American was drafted by the Philadelphia Force of the United Women's Lacrosse League, the league announced over the weekend.

Gardner was one of 28 players selected in the second series of draft selections, joining the inaugural 40 who were picked last month.

"Thank you to everyone who has worked to get the UWLX started," Gardner said. "It is an amazing opportunity for women and I could not be more pleased to be a part of the inaugural year. Thank you to the Philly Force staff for allowing me to be a part of the team. I am looking forward to learning from the Philly coaches and players, as well as playing with some of the best player in the game."

More than 100 players participated in a draft camp back on May 1 in Philadelphia, where players competed in scrimmages and drill sets throughout a rainy afternoon at Saint Joseph's University.

The Severna Park, Md. native started every game in her four-year career at Virginia (2009-12), where she amassed 102 goals and 50 assists for 152 points. Gardner was named to the Tewaaraton Trophy watch list in 2011 and 2012 and earned Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Third Team All-America status in both seasons. The two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection was the first recipient of the Yeardley Reynolds Love Scholarship, which is presented annually to a deserving female student-athlete on the Virginia lacrosse team.

Gardner continued playing while coaching at the collegiate ranks as a member of Team STX. Team STX is a squad of post-collegiate players that promotes the sport of women's lacrosse and the STX brand. The team has competed in tournaments and hosted clinics throughout the country and, this past summer, Gardner traveled to the United Kingdom to host two clinics and play a pair of exhibitions against Team England and the England developmental team.

In addition, former JMU standout Amy Altig ('05) will serve as an assistant coach for Philadelphia this coming season. Altig is in her sixth season as an assistant at Penn State, working under Head Coach Missy Doherty, who will coincidentally be the Force's head coach in 2016.

The inaugural UWLX season begins on Saturday, May 28, with a lacrosse doubleheader at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. The regular season will run until July 16, with the four teams competing in a single-elimination playoff to determine the first UWLX champions on Saturday, July 30.

About the United Women's Lacrosse League
The United Women's Lacrosse League is the first professional women's sports league, launched by United Women's Sports, LLC in strategic partnership with the Play It Forward Sport Foundation. United Women's Sports is a female-owned and female-operated company whose mission is to establish and govern operations of professional leagues and create opportunities for women to work in professional sports for a variety of women's sports. The league will have four team in the inaugural season in Boston, Long Island, Philadelphia and Baltimore. Each team will hold a roster of 20 players for the inaugural season in 2016.

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