BIG EAST Notes
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship presented by Jeep gets under way today at Florida’s Donald R. Dizney Stadium in Gainesville. Semifinals pit top-seeded Florida against fourth-seeded Marquette at 4 p.m. ET, while No. 2 seed Georgetown versus No. 3 seed Denver follows at 7 p.m. Both semifinals will stream live on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi. Semifinal winners advance to Saturday’s title game which is slated for a noon start and will air on FS2. The host Gators have won all three BIG EAST Championships in which they have competed, including last season at Villanova.
The Gators (14-3) are the No. 1 seed for the fourth consecutive season and are serving as host of the championship for the first time. Florida, ranked No. 6/9 in the latest national polls, has never lost in the BIG EAST postseason, showing a 6-0 record, and is a combined 37-1 against BIG EAST foes over the last four seasons.
Marquette (10-7) used a come-from-behind win on the final day of the regular season to clinch its first postseason berth in program history. The Golden Eagles have already set team standards for overall wins and conference wins in a season and will look to become the first No. 4 seed to upset a No. 1 seed since 2011.
Florida topped Marquette 18-6 on April 14 at Dizney Stadium. Recently crowned BIG EAST Co-Freshman of the Year Shannon Kavanagh led the Gators with seven points off four goals and three assists. Thursday’s matchup pits the BIG EAST Co-Midfielders of the Year against one another – MU’s Grace Gabriel and UF’s Sydney Pirreca. Pirreca had four goals and two draws against the Golden Eagles in April, while Gabriel, who finished with three draws and a ground ball, saw her day end early as she earned her second yellow card with seven minutes left in the first half.
No. 2 seed Georgetown (12-5) has made every BIG EAST Championship, stretching its postseason run to 12 years. The Hoyas are 7-10 all-time in the league tournament, with one title in 2010 and five runner-up showings, most recently in 2014. The Hoyas moved up to No. 22/17 in the latest national polls, their highest ranking of the season.
No. 3 seed Denver (11-5) qualifies for the BIG EAST Championship for the second consecutive season, setting up a 2-3 matchup with Georgetown for the second straight year. The Pioneers topped the Hoyas in last season’s league tournament to advance to the title game where they fell to Florida. Denver moved up to No. 19 in the latest
Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, its highest ranking since being No. 16 in the March 13 listing.
In a gritty defensive battle, Georgetown defeated Denver 8-7 in their regular-season meeting on April 4 in Colorado. The Hoyas led 8-4 with 10 minutes to play before the Pioneers went on a 3-0 run to tighten the contest. Michaela Bruno led GU with three goals, including the game winner, and an assist. BIG EAST Co-Freshman of the Year Quintin Hoch-Bullen had one assist for Denver, while All-BIG EAST Second Team selection Haelle Chomo made eight saves in the win for GU.
The No. 3 seed has upset the No. 2 seed in the BIG EAST Championship for three straight seasons. Historically, the No. 3 seed has topped the No. 2 seed in 7-of-11 league tournaments. The Hoyas were the last No. 2 seed to advance to the title game, back in 2014.
The winner of the BIG EAST Championship receives the league’s automatic bid into the 2018 NCAA Championship. The 26-team field will be announced on Sunday, May 6.
BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship presented by Jeep
Donald R. Dizney Stadium
University of Florida - Gainesville, Fla.
Semifinals - Thursday, May 3
No. 1 seed Florida vs. No. 4 seed Marquette, 4 p.m.*
No. 2 seed Georgetown vs. No. 3 seed Denver, 7 p.m.*
Final - Saturday, May 5
Semifinal winners, Noon^
*BEDN
^FS2
All times Eastern