University of Massachusets Athletics
UMass to Face Sixth-Seeded Navy in First Round of NCAA Tournament
May 03, 2026 | Women's Lacrosse
AMHERST, Mass. – The Massachusetts women's lacrosse team learned its NCAA Tournament fate on Sunday night, as the MAC Champion Minutewomen will travel to Annapolis to face sixth-seeded Maryland on Friday at 3 p.m. The first round is set for Friday, with the winner facing the winner of Syracuse and Loyola in the second round Sunday.
Friday's contest can be seen on ESPN+.
The Minutewomen are winners of the 2026 MAC Regular Season and Tournament Championship, holding a 16-2 overall record and 7-0 in the MAC regular season before cruising in both MAC Tournament games. UMass defeated fourth-seeded Robert Morris in the semifinals, 14-5, before topping second-seeded Akron in the championship game, 15-3.
Navy out of the Patriot League stands 18-1 on the season, with its lone loss coming at No. 22 Loyola in March. The Mids defeated Bucknell in the Patriot League semifinals, 18-8, before topping Army West Point in the championship game, 17-11. Navy is led offensively by Alyssa Chung, with 72 goals and 102 points.
This will mark UMass' second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and third in Jana Drummond's four years as head coach, after winning the Atlantic 10 last year. The Minutewomen have made it 13 times since 2010, picking up at least one NCAA victory in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
"It's been so much fun playing with my best friends every day," said Dylan Lyons, a first team All-MAC attacker. "Knowing now that it's win or go home, we're really grateful, taking in as much time as we can playing together on the field."
Friday's contest can be seen on ESPN+.
"It's super exciting," said Bridget Valentine, the MAC Defensive Player of the Year. "Our whole team is super pumped to play such a really competitive, great team. It's a good opportunity for us to show how good we are. We're really excited."When you hear your name called for the big dance ??
— UMass Women's Lacrosse (@UMassLacrosse) May 4, 2026
Annapolis bound??#Flagship?? pic.twitter.com/gDuQPiVhIi
The Minutewomen are winners of the 2026 MAC Regular Season and Tournament Championship, holding a 16-2 overall record and 7-0 in the MAC regular season before cruising in both MAC Tournament games. UMass defeated fourth-seeded Robert Morris in the semifinals, 14-5, before topping second-seeded Akron in the championship game, 15-3.
Navy out of the Patriot League stands 18-1 on the season, with its lone loss coming at No. 22 Loyola in March. The Mids defeated Bucknell in the Patriot League semifinals, 18-8, before topping Army West Point in the championship game, 17-11. Navy is led offensively by Alyssa Chung, with 72 goals and 102 points.
This will mark UMass' second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and third in Jana Drummond's four years as head coach, after winning the Atlantic 10 last year. The Minutewomen have made it 13 times since 2010, picking up at least one NCAA victory in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
"It's been so much fun playing with my best friends every day," said Dylan Lyons, a first team All-MAC attacker. "Knowing now that it's win or go home, we're really grateful, taking in as much time as we can playing together on the field."
The 2026 DI Women's Lacrosse Bracket ????
— NCAA Lacrosse (@NCAALAX) May 4, 2026
?? https://t.co/E2TYhSdVNB#NCAAWLAX pic.twitter.com/lXtupxdcTf
Players Mentioned
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