Lacrosse Earns A Fourth Consecutive NCAA Tournament Bid
May 07, 2017 | Women's Lacrosse
The Cardinals will face James Madison in the first round on Friday
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The University of Louisville women's lacrosse team is heading to its fourth-consecutive NCAA Tournament, earning one of 13 at-large bids.
"This selection is one of the most proud moments in my coaching career," said head coach Kellie Young. "This team and these players have worked every day to move us forward and make it clear that we are here to stay. Now it's a new season and time to prove our footing on the national scene."
The Cardinals will face James Madison in a first-round game on Friday, May 12 in University Park, Pa. Â The winner will face the No. 4 seed Penn State on May 14 on the Nittany Lions' home field.
No. 18 Louisville secured an at-large bid after finishing the season with an overall record of 11-7. Â The Cardinals finished the season with a 6-1 home record, falling only to No. 2 North Carolina while upsetting No. 7 Syracuse in the season finale.
Senior Hannah Koloski and sophomore Meghan Siverson lead the Cardinals in scoring with 62 points each. Junior goalkeeper Brittany Read was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. She owns a 9.58 goals against average and has collected 186 saves. Â
James Madison won the CAA Championship and secured the automatic bid for the 2017 NCAA Championship. They enter the tournament with an overall record of 13-6. The Dukes are ranked No. 19 in the IWLCA Coaches poll.Â
Friday's game will be the first meeting between the two teams. Young came to Louisville from James Madison 10 years ago to start the Cardinals' program. The Cardinals have never faced Penn State.Â
Of the 26-team field in the NCAA Tournament, Louisville has faced six teams. The Cardinals faced Notre Dame, Boston College, North Carolina, Syracuse and Virginia twice.
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