Montclair, NJ (5/7/07) – For the first time in program history the Montclair State women's lacrosse is headed to the NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Championship as the Red Hawks received a berth in the field of 24 teams.
MSU (13-3) will face Eastern Connecticut at Sprague Field in the opening round on Wednesday, May 9 at 4:00 pm. The Warriors are making their second NCAA tournament appearance (in three years).
Tickets for the game will be $5 for adults and $2 for students, children and senior citizens.
The winner of the game will move on to the second round where they will face Hamilton College (15-2) at Gettysburg College on Saturday, May at a time to be determined.
Both Eastern Connecticut and Montclair won all six of their conference games this year and two more in their conference playoffs, with Montclair having posted consecutive undefeated Skyline Conferenceslates. This year, only Manhattanville College is a common opponent. The Red Hawks downed the Valiants twice by a total of 22 goals, including an 18-8 win ion the Skyline Conference Tournament semifinals on May 2, while Eastern claimed a ten-goal win in mid-April.
The Warriors and Red Hawks will be meeting for the second time. Previously, Eastern won by a score of 23-12 in its third intercollegiate season in 1998. Montclair began its program in 1980 but disbanded in the mid-1980s for 11 years before returning to the intercollegiate level in 1997.
The appearance in the NCAA has been the culmination of string of success the Red Hawks have enjoyed the past several years. In 2004 and 2005 Montclair reached the championship game of the former Knickerbocker Women's Lacrosse Conference and made its first postseason appearance in the 2005 ECAC Division III South Tournament falling to eventual champion and currently unbeaten Franklin and Marshall.
Last season, Montclair captured both the regular-season and tournament titles in the inaugural season of the Skyline Conference. Since the Skyline does not earn an automatic bid to the NCAAs, MSU was among the teams in contention for a Pool B bid given to teams from conference that do not merit and automatic bid and independent squads. The Red Hawks did not earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but capped off the most successful season to date by capturing the ECAC Division III Upstate title and finishing with a school record 15 victories.
This season, Montclair began the year receiving votes in the ILWCA Division III Top 25 poll and earned their first ranking at No. 18 following a 15-12 victory over Rowan on March 31. MSU would post its second straight undefeated Skyline Conference regular season and took home its second tournament crown with a 13-6 triumph over Stevens.
All three of Montclair's losses this year have been against teams which appeared in the national Top 20 at least once this season. Among those losses is a 12-10 defeat at the hands of defending national champion and No. 5 The College of New Jersey on April 25.
