DENVER - No. 1 seed Denver held off No. 2 seed Georgetown to win the 2026 BIG EAST Women's Lacrosse Championship presented by JEEP, 12–4. Denver came out strong, scoring six straight goals to take an early lead and maintain control throughout the game. The Pioneers earned their sixth straight BIG EAST title and clinched the league's automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Championship. This marked Denver's eighth consecutive tournament appearance and tenth overall.
The 2026 NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Tournament field will be announced Sunday, May 3 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU. 29 teams will receive bids to the national tournament.
Denver set the tone early, scoring the game’s first six goals. Georgetown answered late in the first half with back-to-back goals to cut the deficit to 6–2 at the break. Freshman Caroline Keil powered the Pioneers’ offense early, netting three first-half goals.
Denver maintained control in the third quarter, adding two more goals while limiting Georgetown to just one, extending the lead to 8–3. The Pioneers continued their surge into the fourth, opening the final quarter with a pair of goals before Georgetown’s Gracie Diggs broke through with her first of the day.
The Pioneers stayed in control down the stretch to secure a 12–4 victory, tying the record for the fewest goals allowed in a BIG EAST Championship game. Defensively, Denver was anchored by sophomore goalkeeper and tournament Most Outstanding Player Lexi Gwaku, who recorded a career-high 13 saves.
Keil finished with a game-high seven points on five goals and two assists, while redshirt junior defender Ava Welty recorded four ground balls and a game high four caused turnovers.
Gwaku was joined on the All-Tournament Team by fellow Pioneers Landry Grover, Caroline Keil, Megan Klingenberg, and Olivia Ripple. Georgetown’s Christina King, Kendall Steer, and Reagan Ziegler also earned honors, along with UConn’s Barlow Clark-Schoeb and Sophia Oximana, and Marquette’s Taylor Kotschevar and Gabby Windesheim.
Most Outstanding Player
Lexi Gwaku, Denver
BIG EAST All-Tournament Team
Landry Grover, Denver
Lexi Gwaku, Denver
Caroline Keil, Denver
Megan Klingenberg, Denver
Olivia Ripple, Denver
Christina King, Georgetown
Kendall Steer, Georgetown
Reagan Zieglar, Georgetown
Barlow Clark-Schoeb, Connecticut
Sophia Oximana, Connecticut
Taylor Kotschevar, Marquette
Gabby Windesheim, Marquette
BIG EAST Women's Lacrosse Championship
Presented by Jeep
Semifinals – April 30 – ESPN+
No. 1 Denver 17 vs. No. 4 Marquette 6
No. 2 Georgetown 12 vs. No. 3 UConn 6
Final – May 2 – ESPN+
No. 1 Denver 12 vs. No. 2 Georgetown 4
All games played at Peter Barton Stadium - Denver, Colo.