MARSHFIELD, Mass. – The New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) announced on Sunday its 2019 women’s lacrosse championship tournament bracket with Southern Vermont College taking the No. 4 seed in the playoff.
The Mountaineers, who finished the season 3-3 against the league (3-9 overall), will host fifth-seeded Bay Path University (2-10, 2-4 NECC) on Tuesday in a 4 p.m. first-round matchup. SVC recently defeated the Wildcats just 10-9 on April 23.
“I am extremely proud of the team to make it back into the playoffs,” said first-year SVC head coach Paxton Boyer. “This season was filled with challenges for the ladies, and they took on and conquered each one. Our non-conference games were tough competition, but they helped us get ready for Conference play. I think that ending the season with a push into the playoffs was a great thing for the team and for the program as whole.”
Southern Vermont is making a trip to the NECC postseason for the fifth-straight year. SVC won its first-round match last season before getting bounced in the semifinals.
“I think that we will have to keep playing our game,” Boyer said. “We have been working on fine-tuning things we learned during the season and playing more fluidly as a team. We can make a solid run as long as we keep the same goal in mind and rely on each other when times get tough.”
After a challenging start to the campaign, SVC is 3-2 over its last five games. Coach Boyer thinks that the end of the regular season can lead to positive outcomes in the playoffs.
“I feel great about the team and how we look heading into the postseason,” Boyer noted. “We have been able to add a few more players recently, and that has helped a lot. I think that the team is excited to finish out the season strong, and I can't wait to see how it unfolds.”
With a Tuesday win, Southern Vermont will head to top-seeded Becker College (12-1, 6-0 NECC) on Thursday for a semifinal tilt. No. 6 Mitchell College (2-9, 1-5 NECC) visits third-seeded Elms College (9-7, 4-2 NECC) on Tuesday for the other first-round contest with the winner of that game going to No. 2 New England College (12-5, 5-1 NECC) on Thursday for the semis.
Thursday’s two winners will meet up at the highest remaining seed for the championship match and a berth to the NCAA Division III national tournament.
2019 NECC Women's Lacrosse Championship Tournament
First Round - Tuesday, April 30th
Game 1: #6 Mitchell at #3 Elms – 7 p.m.
Game 2: #5 Bay Path at #4 Southern Vermont – 4 p.m.
Semifinals - Thursday, May 2
Game 3: Game 1 winner @ #2 New England College – TBA
Game 4: Game 2 winner @ #1 Becker – 2 p.m.
Championship - Saturday, May 4
Game 5: Semifinal winners @ the highest remaining seed – TBA
– #LetsGoSVC –