NEW YORK – The bracket for the 2021 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship presented by JEEP was solidified on Sunday, with Villanova clinching the final spot in the four-team field. The fourth-seeded Wildcats will face top-seeded Denver, and second-seeded UConn will face host, reigning tournament champion and third-seeded Georgetown in the semifinals set for May 6. The semifinals will stream live on the BIG EAST Digital Network presented by SoFi, with the Villanova-Denver tilt set for 4:30 p.m. ET, followed by Georgetown-UConn at 7:30 p.m. Semifinal winners advance to the title game on May 8, which is set for noon ET and will air on FS2. The winner of the BIG EAST Championship receives the Conference’s automatic bid into the 2021 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship. All three games of the BIG EAST postseason tournament will be played at Georgetown’s Cooper Field.
 
Denver claimed the No. 1 seed after going a perfect 10-0 in the double round-robin of BIG EAST play, marking the Pioneers’ second consecutive undefeated conference slate and regular-season title. Denver is coming off a weekend sweep of Villanova, topping the Wildcats in the Mile High City, 18-10 and 19-9. The Pioneers are 3-3 all-time in the BIG EAST Championship, finishing runner-up in each of the last three conference tournaments. They will face Villanova for the second time in postseason play after eliminating the Wildcats in the 2019 semifinals in Milwaukee, Wis., 15-5. Denver has qualified for the BIG EAST Championship in each of its four seasons as an affiliate member of the league. The Pioneers, who are 12-1 overall, have one more non-conference game on their slate prior to postseason play as they will host Colorado on Thursday.
 
Villanova punched its postseason ticket for the second consecutive tournament and third time overall. The Wildcats finished in a tie for fourth place in the standings with Marquette at 4-6. After VU and MU split their regular-season series, the tiebreaker went to results against teams in the standings, starting at the top and comparing results until someone gained an advantage. Both squads were swept by first-place Denver, but the Wildcats scored a split with second-place UConn while the Golden Eagles were swept by the Huskies, giving VU the advantage and No. 4 seed. Villanova eyes its first win in BIG EAST Championship play, suffering semifinal losses in 2019 to Denver and 2015 to Florida. The Wildcats are 6-10 overall on the year.
 
Regular season runner-up and No. 2 seed UConn returns to the BIG EAST Championship for the fifth time and first since 2016. The Huskies went 7-3 in their first season back in the BIG EAST since 2018, coming off a pivotal weekend sweep of Georgetown, 15-14 and 16-12, to clinch the No. 2 seed. UConn spent the 2020 and 2019 women’s lacrosse seasons playing in the AAC. The Huskies are 1-4 all-time in the BIG EAST Championship, qualifying in 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013, while advancing to the title game in 2015 thanks to a semifinal win over the Hoyas, 11-10, in Storrs, Conn. GU and UConn also met in the 2014 semis, with the Hoyas scoring a 16-8 win on Georgetown’s home turf.  The Huskies enter the postseason with an 11-5 overall record.
 
Reigning BIG EAST Champion Georgetown extends its streak as the only team to qualify for the BIG EAST Championship since the conference began sponsoring the tournament in 2007, as the Hoyas punched their postseason ticket for the 14^th straight season. GU went 5-5 in BIG EAST play in 2021 and eyes its eighth title game appearance. Third-seeded Georgetown upset top-seeded Denver, 9-8, in double-overtime in 2019 to win the conference tournament for the second time and first since 2010. The Hoyas also advanced to the final in 2014, 2013, 2009, 2008 and 2007. Georgetown is 9-11 all-time in BIG EAST Championship play. The Hoyas enter the postseason with a 6-9 overall record.
 
Georgetown is serving as the host of the BIG EAST Championship for the sixth time, previously hosting in 2016, 2014, 2013, 2011 and 2009. Five different teams have won the title in Washington, D.C., with this year guaranteeing a sixth as no team in the current field has won a championship at Georgetown’s Cooper Field. Fans are not permitted at this year’s championship.
 
BIG EAST Women's Lacrosse Championship 
Presented By JEEP
Cooper Field – Washington, D.C.
Semifinals – May 6  –  BEDN
No. 4 Villanova vs. No. 1 Denver, 4:30 p.m. ET
No. 3 Georgetown vs. No. 2 UConn, 7:30 p.m. ET
Final – May 8 – FS2
Semifinal winners, Noon ET