NEW YORK – The field for the 2021 BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse Championship Presented by JEEP is set as Denver and Georgetown each clinch a piece of the regular-season title with matching 9-1 records. Denver will be the No. 1 seed in the championship for the seventh-straight year after seeding procedures.
The field for the 2021 championship looks the same as 2019 with No. 2 Georgetown, No. 3 Villanova and No. 4 Providence, who will also serve as the tournament hosts. In 2019, Villanova was the No. 4 seed.
The Wildcats were the final team to play during the 2021 regular season, closing out with a 16-8 non-conference victory over Lehigh on Saturday. Villanova finished at 6-4 in league play, 7-4 overall with the Saturday win over Lehigh.
No. 1 Denver will play No. 4 Providence in the first semifinal on Thursday, May 6 at 5:30 p.m. ET. No. 2 Georgetown and No. 3 Villanova will follow in the 8:30 p.m. first faceoff. The semifinal winners will meet again on Saturday, May 8 at 3 p.m. ET. All three games of the championship will air on CBS Sports Network.
The Denver Pioneers who are 39-2 during the regular season since joining the league in 2014, earned the top-seed by one of the conference’s preset seeding procedures. Denver and Georgetown split the regular season 1-1, but Denver’s goal differential of +5 in the series. Denver won the first meeting on March 16, 13-7; while Georgetown won the second meeting 11-10 in overtime on April 17. Both teams won on their home fields. Denver locked in the No. 1 seed with an 11-10 overtime win at Villanova on Wednesday.
Providence earned the fourth and final spot in the field in a similar way. The Friars and the Marquette Golden Eagles finished tied for fourth in the league standings at 3-7. The teams split their series. Providence won 12-8 in the first meeting on March 13. Marquette won 7-6 in a four-overtime contest on April 17. The Friars’ goal differential was +3 in the series. The Golden Eagles wrapped up play on Friday afternoon at St. John’s, winning 15-14. St. John’s finished at 0-10 in conference play.
Georgetown has won the last two championship titles (2018 and 2019) and was runner-up in 2015. Denver won the 2014 and 2015 championships and was runner-up in 2016, 2018 and 2019. Villanova has never won a title but has come in second twice (2013, 2014). Providence was runner-up in 2017.
BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse Championship Presented by JEEP
Chapey Field at Anderson Stadium ~ Providence, R.I.
Semifinals - Thursday, May 6
No. 1 Denver at No. 4 Providence, 5:30 p.m. ^
No. 2 Georgetown vs. No. 3 Villanova, 8:30 p.m. ^
Final – Saturday, May 8
Semifinal Winners, 3 p.m. ^
All Times Eastern
^ CBSSN