NCAA women's lacrosse tournament bracket, schedule, preview: Northwestern leads way
Izzy Scane (27) of Northwestern controls the ball in front of a Boston College defender during the 2023 NCAA women's lacrosse championship game at Wake Med Soccer Park.
The women’s NCAA lacrosse tournament bracket is out, with the 2024 champion set to be crowned on Sunday, May 26, in Cary, North Carolina.
The 29-team field was announced Sunday, with first- and second-round games slated to start this weekend. Like their counterparts on the men’s side, the women’s field is heavily dominated by the power leagues, with the ACC receiving six bids and the Big Ten claiming five. On the whole, however, the women’s field is more nationally representative than the men’s tournament with more schools in the western half of the country fielding varsity programs at the sport’s top level.
Here’s a quick look at the tournament:
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Who are the top women's lacrosse teams?
Defending champion Northwestern is the top seed. The Wildcats, long-time powers in the Midwest under head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller, will be seeking their ninth title. Boston College and Syracuse earned the next two seeds, and those three have first-round byes. The rest of the field, headed by fourth-seeded Maryland and No. 5 Virginia, must win their way into the round of 16.
Who are the top players in the NCAA women's lacrosse tournament?
Northwestern features reigning Tewaaraton Award winner Izzy Scane, the school’s all-time scoring leader who has added 70 goals and 17 assists to her ledger this season. She’s hardly alone on the Wildcats’ devastating attack unit, however, as Madison Taylor (66 G, 27 A) and Erin Coykendall (35 G, 44 A) are just as dangerous. Pacing Boston College is the attack trio of Rachel Clark, Mckenna Davis and Emma LoPinto. Syracuse has an Emma of its own, midfielder Emma Tyrrell (58 G, 18 A), hoping to lead the Orange to their first championship after several near misses in recent years. Florida attacker Maggi Hall, Loyola (Md.) goalie Lauren Spence and Stanford goalie Lucy Pearson are some other potential difference-makers.
NCAA women's lacrosse schedule
First round
Friday, May 10
Denver 13, Stanford 12
Loyola (Md.) 16, Duke 11
Penn 16, Richmond 5
Virginia 21, Long Island 6
Florida 17, North Carolina 8
James Madison 14, Penn State 13
Maryland 17, Robert Morris 1
Stony Brook 19, Niagara 7
Johns Hopkins 11, Fairfield 5
Yale 17, Binghamton 4
Notre Dame 24, Coastal Carolina 6
Michigan 17, Mercer 6
Princeton 14, Drexel 9
Second round
Sunday, May 12
Northwestern 17, Denver 4
Penn 12, Loyola (Md.) 9
Florida 13, Virginia 8
Maryland 17, James Madison 7
Syracuse 15, Stony Brook 10
Yale 9, Johns Hopkins 7
Michigan 15, Notre Dame 14
Boston College 21, Princeton 16
Quarterfinals
Thursday, May 16
Northwestern (16-2) vs. Penn (15-4), 7:30 p.m.
Florida (19-2) vs. Maryland (14-5), noon
Syracuse (15-5) vs. Yale (16-2), 2:30 p.m.
Michigan (15-3) vs. Boston College (17-3), 5 p.m.
Semifinals
Friday, May 24
At WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.
Northwestern-Penn winner vs. Florida-Maryland winner, 3 p.m.
Syracuse-Yale vs. Michigan-Boston College winner, 5:30 p.m.
Championship game
Sunday, May 26
At WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, N.C.
Semifinal winners, noon
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA women's lacrosse tournament bracket, schedule, preview: Northwestern leads way