NEW YORK – Seeding for the BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship presented by Jeep was finalized this weekend after outright regular-season champion Denver clinched the top seed with a 14-8 win at Villanova on Friday night. This afternoon, Marquette upset 24
th-ranked Georgetown, 14-12, to earn the No. 2 seed, with Georgetown claiming the No. 3 seed. This weekend’s regular-season finales will repeat in just five days as the top-seeded and 14
th-ranked Pioneers will face No. 4 seed Villanova in Thursday’s first semifinal game, set for 3 p.m. CT, while No. 2 seed and host Marquette will face No. 3 seed Georgetown at 6 p.m. CT. All games of this year’s championship will be played at Marquette’s Valley Fields in Milwaukee, Wis. The semifinals will stream live on the BIG EAST Digital Network, before Thursday’s winners meet on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT, in a game airing on FS2, to decide who earns the league’s automatic bid into the 2019 NCAA Championship.
No. 14/14 Denver posted the 15
th unbeaten season in BIG EAST play, finishing conference action 5-0 to earn its first regular-season title. Now in its third season of BIG EAST action, the Pioneers are eying their first conference tournament title after finishing runner-up the last two seasons. The No. 1 seed is 11-1 all-time in semifinal contests, with its lone loss coming in the 2011 tournament.
Marquette, No. 24/- Georgetown and Villanova tied for second place in the standings with matching 3-2 records. With each team going 1-1 against the other two teams in the tie, goal differential among the tied teams was used to separate the pack. The Wildcats’ goal differential against the Hoyas and Golden Eagles was the lowest to earn the No. 4 seed, with the tiebreaker reverting back to head-to-head results to separate Marquette and Georgetown.
Marquette is making its second consecutive BIG EAST Championship berth and is serving as the host for the first time.
The Golden Eagles are 0-1 in conference tournament games after falling in last year’s semifinals to champion Florida. History works both for and against MU as the host has advanced to the tournament title game in five of the last seven years, but the No. 3 seed has upset the No. 2 seed in eight of 12 BIG EAST Championships. The No. 2 seed last advanced to the championship game in 2014.
No. 24/- Georgetown continued its streak as the only team in league history to compete in every BIG EAST Championship, clinching its 13
th consecutive berth last week. The Hoyas are aiming for their first title since 2010, having last advanced to the championship game in 2014. GU is 7-11 all-time in the conference tournament.
Villanova is making its second BIG EAST Championship appearance and first since 2015. The Wildcats went 3-2 in BIG EAST play, finishing above .500 in league action for the first time since 2015, while setting a program record in overall wins as VU enters the postseason 10-7. Villanova is 0-1 in BIG EAST Championship play, falling in the 2015 semifinals to eventual champion Florida.
Tickers are now on sale through the Marquette ticket office. Adult all-session tickets are $8, while all-session tickets for children are $5. All tickets are general admission and are available with print at home or will call pick up options. For online ticket sales, fans can click
HERE. Tickets will also be available on site for purchase – $5 for adult general admission and $3 for youth. Students are free with a valid ID. The Marquette ticket office is located in the lobby of the Al McGuire Center, 770 N 12th Street. Regular business hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Marquette Ticket Representatives can be reached at 414-288-GOMU (4668).
2019 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship presented by Jeep
Valley Fields – Marquette University – Milwaukee, Wis.
Semifinals – May 2 (BIG EAST Digital Network)
No. 1 seed Denver vs. No. 4 seed Villanova, 3 p.m. CT
No. 2 seed Marquette vs. No. 3 seed Georgetown, 6 p.m. CT
Final – May 4 (FS2)
Semifinal winners, 1:30 p.m. CT