University of Massachusets Athletics
#16 UMass Faces Loyola In NCAA Tourney First Round
May 08, 2011 | Women's Lacrosse
May 8, 2011
AMHERST, Mass. - Three-time defending Atlantic 10 Champion No. 16 UMass will head to No. 9 and sixth-seeded Big East Champion Loyola on Saturday (1 PM) for the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament First Round. The Minutewomen earned their berth to the Big Dance after a 16-8 win over Canisius yesterday in the NCAA Play-In Game. This will be UMass' second NCAA berth in the last three years and the fifth overall.
Saturday's meeting at the Ridley Athletic Complex in Baltimore will be the first time since 1990 that UMass and Loyola have met.
The Minutewomen enter the tournament with a 17-2 overall record having won 10-straight games. UMass is also a perfect 10-0 on the road this year. The Minutewomen finished the year with an RPI of 9, while the Greyhounds were sixth in the RPI.
Loyola is 16-2 after defeating Notre Dame yesterday in the Big East Championship. The Greyhounds defeated Syracuse in the Big East Semifinals.
UMass is 4-5 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Minutewomen last made the field of 16 in 2009 losing at Northwestern in the First Round. In 1982, UMass won the first ever NCAA sponsored National Championship. In 1983 and 1984, UMass reached the NCAA Semifinals.
Ticket information for the game will be available later this week. For more information on Loyola including travel information and directions to the Ridley Athletic Complex, visit www.LoyolaGreyHounds.com.