Catholic Women's Lacrosse Earns NCAA Bid

MADISON, N.J. – Selections have been announced in all but one spring team sport and the Landmark Conference has earned one spot in NCAA Division III Tournament play. The Catholic University of America women’s lacrosse team has earned a berth in the NCAA Division III Women’s Lacrosse Tournament.

Catholic was the regular season Landmark champion and this past weekend earned the inaugural Landmark Postseason Championship. As a first-year Division III Conference Landmark champions were not eligible to earn automatic bids to the NCAA field, but the teams were eligible to earn either Pool B (Independents) or Pool C (At-Large) bids.

The Cardinals defeated Goucher College 21-10 in the championship final, to improve to 15-4 overall on the year. Catholic will begin NCAA play on May 7 when the team travels to face USA South champion Christopher Newport University (13-5) at a time to be announced in Newport News, Va. With a victory Catholic would move on to the regionals, and face the winner of the first-round game between Rowan (12-4) and Montclair State (9-7). The regional will be played at Salisbury University in Salisbury, Md. The regional semifinals will be May 10, with the regional finals held on May 11. The national semifinals and finals will be May 17-18 in Salem, Va. at Roanoke College stadium.

Catholic, which finished the regular season ranked 18th in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association/Under Armour national poll, went unbeaten in five Landmark matches during the regular season and then won twice to claim the postseason championship. Catholic will enter the NCAA Tournament on a 10-match winning streak. Its last loss came on March 27 against NCAA tournament team Washington & Lee. Three of Catholic’s four losses came to teams that are in the NCAA tourney field. The Cardinals also have a victory over their first-round opponent Christopher Newport, who the Cardinals beat 17-14 in Washington, D.C.

The Catholic women’s lacrosse team will be making its first NCAA Tournament appearance. The team is the eighth Landmark team to earn a berth to NCAA Tournament play in the first year of the conference. The NCAA Division III baseball selections will be announced next weekend, and are the final opportunity for a Landmark team to reach the NCAA Tournament.