BIG EAST Notes - 4.27.17
Notable Finale
No. 2/2 Florida clinched at least a share of its third consecutive BIG EAST regular-season title last week, but the Gators will need to beat visiting NR/RV Georgetown on Saturday to lock up the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship presented by Jeep. The Hoyas are currently all alone in second place in the conference standings at 7-1, and a win over the 8-0 Gators would give the top seed to Georgetown, as well as a share of the regular-season title. Florida is 21-1 in BIG EAST play since joining the league prior to the 2015 campaign, including 3-0 against Georgetown. The Hoyas have narrowed the Gators’ margin of victory in each subsequent meeting, including last season’s BIG EAST Championship Semifinal showdown in which top-seeded Florida warded off the Hoyas’ upset bid, 11-8.
Not Far Behind
No. 2/2 Florida and NR/RV Georgetown are the current conference leaders, but No. 16/16 Denver and NR/RV Temple are not far behind. The Pioneers and Owls enter the final weekend of the regular season with matching 6-2 records, and both have clinched spots in the BIG EAST Championship field. Denver, in its first season of BIG EAST play, has the first shot of breaking free of the tie when it hosts Cincinnati on Friday at 2 p.m. (ET). Temple doesn’t play until Saturday, when it travels to Storrs, Conn., to face a UConn team which has won four straight. The potential for a three-way tie exists should Denver and Temple win, and Georgetown lose to Florida. Notable head-to-head results include Georgetown over Denver, Denver over Temple, and Temple over Georgetown.
In The Polls
Carrying a six-game winning streak, Florida maintained its spot at No. 2/2 in the national polls for a second straight week. Denver remained in the top 20 for an 11
th consecutive week, dropping three spots in each poll to No. 16/16. Georgetown topped the Pioneers on Saturday for its fifth consecutive win, and received votes in the Media Poll this past Monday for the first time this season. Temple continued to receive votes in the Media Poll for a seventh consecutive week.
Weekly Schedule
Friday
Cincinnati at #16/16 Denver, 2 p.m.*
Saturday
Villanova at Butler, Noon*
NR/RV Temple at UConn, 1 p.m.*
NR/RV Georgetown at #2/2 Florida, 1 p.m.*
Sunday
Marquette at Vanderbilt, 2 p.m.*
*BIG EAST contest
All times Eastern