NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Tournament Central
Game Notes
GETTYSBURG, Pa. – With the first round of the NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse Championships behind them and the national semifinals just ahead, West Chester University has been preparing all week for its eighth appearance in the final four.
West Chester battles Lock Haven Saturday at 5 p.m. in a rematch of the PSAC championship game at Clark Field in Gettysburg, Pa. C.W. Post, who is making a record ninth appearance in the final four, takes on Adelphi at 8 p.m. in the other semifinal. The two winners meet in the Division II national championship game on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. That game will be televised live on CBS College Sports Network.
Ticket information, web streaming and live stats information, as well as the weekend schedule of events can all be viewed at the tournament central link above.
Adelphi is the defending national champion, having defeated Lock Haven in the title game one year ago. The Panthers were ranked No. 1 in the country for much of the year and average 21.5 goals per game entering the semifinals. They defeated Stonehill, 15-10, in the first round to gain entry into the final four.
C.W. Post finished the regular season as the top-ranked team in the country. The Pioneers earned a bye into the final four as a result of their No. 1 ranking in the North Region at year’s end. C.W. Post features three players with more than 65 points on the season, including Ashley Olen, who has scored 61 goals this season.
Lock Haven earned a bye into the final four as a result of its No. 1 ranking in the South Region. The Lady Eagles defeated West Chester, 16-6, in the PSAC Championship Game on May 1. However, that was the last time that Lock Haven stepped on the field against an opponent.
West Chester’s .947 winning percentage leads the NCAA, and the Golden Rams rank fifth in the country in caused turnovers. Their defense will certainly be challenged this weekend by three teams that are all very adept at putting the ball in the cage. Senior co-captains Katy Crouse and Lauren Tatios will shoulder much of that burden. However, the two are participating in their third national semifinals and are accustomed to the national stage.
The four teams in this year’s semifinal have accounted for seven of the nine previous NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse championships since the NCAA began sponsoring a DII tournament in 2001. Adelphi has three titles (2004, 2006, 2009), C.W. Post two (2001, 2007) and West Chester two (2002, 2008). Additionally, each of the past three national champions have found their way back to the final four. Adelphi is vying to become the first repeat champion at the Division II level in the 10 years of the postseason tournament.
Adelphi and Lock Haven will try to make repeat appearances in the title game. The last time the NCAA championship game featured the same two participants in consecutive seasons was 2007 and 2008 when C.W. Post and West Chester engaged for the ultimate prize. The Pioneers took the crown in 2007 with the Golden Rams exacting revenge a year later.
