WASHINGTON, D.C. – The 2021 BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship presented by JEEP concludes on Saturday at Georgetown’s Cooper Field as No. 1 seed Denver and No. 2 seed UConn will meet at noon ET. The game will air live on FS2. The crown will be the first for either team as the Pioneers have finished runner-up in each of the last three championships, while the Huskies lost in their lone previous title game appearance in 2015. The winner of the BIG EAST Championship receives the league’s automatic bid into the 2021 NCAA Championship. Denver has earned at-large bids to the last two NCAA Tournaments and has four national postseason appearances to its credit overall, while UConn eyes its second NCAA bid and first since 2013.
 
With Denver defeating No. 4 seed Villanova and UConn knocking off No. 3 seed Georgetown, both higher seeds prevailed in the BIG EAST Championship Semifinals on Thursday night for the first time since 2014 and just the fifth time in league history. Of the previous No. 1 vs. No. 2 title games, the top seed has won twice (2014, 2013) and the No. 2 seed has also won twice (2012, 2007).
 
Following its 16-9 win over Villanova, Denver punched its title game ticket for the fourth consecutive year. The Pioneers aim to end a streak of three-straight title game setbacks – in 2019, falling to No. 3 seed Georgetown 9-8 in double-overtime, in 2018 falling to No. 1 seed Florida 18-6, and 2017 also falling to the top-seeded Gators 18-12. After holding off the reigning champion Hoyas on Thursday night, 15-13, UConn clinched its second title game berth and first since 2015. The Huskies fell to top-seeded Florida 20-6 in their lone finals appearance. UConn and Denver have never met in the BIG EAST Championship.  
 
The Pioneers are 5-0 all-time against the Huskies, including a sweep of this season’s meetings in Storrs, Conn., 14-13 in overtime and 11-7. The two meetings with UConn this season were two of Denver’s closest games as only six of the Pioneers’ 15 games this season were decided by four goals or less and only four against teams other than UConn. Denver enters the contest riding a 14-game winning streak while UConn has won three straight, all against Georgetown.
 
Lia LaPrise, UConn’s leading scorer in Thursday’s semifinals, was the points leader in the Denver-UConn series this season, totaling 12 off five goals and seven assists. Recently crowned BIG EAST Attacker of the Year Bea Behrins, who finished with three goals Thursday night for Denver, led all goal scorers with nine over two games against UConn this season. Other notables from the regular season showdowns include BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year Sydney Watson who tallied seven goals and two assists against the Pioneers, and BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year Molly Little, who tallied nine ground balls and three caused turnovers against UConn earlier this season.
 
In accordance with Washington, D.C. regulations which limit the size of in-person gatherings, fans will be not permitted to attend this year’s event. For more on the BIG EAST Women’s Lacrosse Championship presented by JEEP, visit Championship Central HERE.
 
BIG EAST Women's Lacrosse Championship 
Presented By JEEP
Cooper Field – Washington, D.C.
Semifinals – May 6  –  BEDN
No. 1 Denver 16, No. 4 Villanova 9 – Recap | Highlights
No. 2 UConn 15, No. 3 Georgetown 13 – Recap | Highlights
Final – May 8 –  FS2
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 Denver, Noon ET