May is every lacrosse fan’s favorite time of the year thanks to one thing: the NCAA men and women’s lacrosse championships. Whether you’re an avid lacrosse fan or you’ve never heard of the sport until just now, here is a guide to everything you need to know about the women’s tournament!
What is the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament?
The Division 1 NCAA women’s lacrosse tournament is a single elimination tournament where 29 teams compete against each other to be crowned national champions. The tournament officially began May 9th with the quarterfinal round happening on May 15th and the semifinal and championship games being played on Memorial Day weekend.
How does it work?
Out of the 29 teams in this year’s tournament, 15 of them were champions of their respective conferences and earned automatic bids into the tournament. The remaining 14 teams were selected by a selection committee. The majority of the teams participating are from the East Coast, however the West Coast was briefly represented by Stanford, before they were knocked out in the second round.
Who’s even playing?
I think it’s pretty safe to say that lacrosse is more of an East Coast sport because I mean, the only West Coast team that made it into the tournament was Stanford. Regardless, I’m sure the majority of college students would recognize a handful of schools in this year’s tournament. Schools like UNC- Chapel Hill, Northwestern, University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins, and Boston College all have strong lacrosse programs with superstar players on all ends of the field.
Ashley and Chloe Humphrey from UNC Chapel Hill are both finalists for the Tewaaraton award, a prestigious award given to the top male and female U.S. lacrosse players each year. Just this past weekend Chloe set a new NCAA record for most goals by a freshman while Ashley set a new school record for most assists in a single season. On the other side of the field, a key player to watch defensively is Boston College’s goalkeeper, Shea Dolce. Dolce consistently comes up with key saves and is known for “standing on her head,” keeping her as the goalie with the highest save percentage in Division 1 women’s lacrosse.
Who am I rooting for?
Personally, I’m a huge fan of Boston College’s lacrosse team. Despite no personal connection to the school or program, I am hoping to see them make a deep run in the tournament and eventually be crowned national champions for the 2nd year in a row. I first started watching lacrosse back in 2023 and became a fan of BC after watching their heartbreaking 18-6 loss to Northwestern in that year’s championship game.
Despite BC’s shaky win against Stony Brook University this past weekend, I still think they have what it takes to come out on top and win the tournament. Offensively, they weren’t getting many shots off. Defensively, they played well. However, there were lots of loose balls they couldn’t come up with, which led to longer possessions for Stony Brook. As long as they go back to the basics and focus on picking up ground balls, playing true 1v1 defense, and wait for the good shot opportunities, they’ll be able to lift their third national championship on Memorial Day weekend.
Women’s lacrosse is a rapidly growing sport both collegiately and professionally. If you need a quick study break or want to learn more about the sport of lacrosse, watching a game or two can be super fun!