University of Connecticut Athletics
Huskies Headed to the NCAA Tournament
5/9/2021 9:44:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
2021 NCAA TOURNAMENT INFORMATION
STORRS, Conn. - The UConn Huskies earned an at-large bid to the 2021 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship tournament and will match-up against the University of Virginia of the ACC in the first round on Friday, May 14.
The Huskies will take on the Cavaliers in South Bend, Ind. in a 5 pm match-up. The winner will take on the winner of the first game of the day between host and the No. 5 seed in the field Notre Dame and Robert Morris.
UConn finished with a 12-6 overall record and posted a program-record seven BIG EAST wins this spring. The Huskies were the No. 2 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament and advanced to the title game where they fell to No. 15 nationally ranked Denver, 13-7. This will be the program's second trip to the NCAA Tournament and second under head coach Katie Woods, who along with her assistants were named the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year this season. The Huskies earned an at-large bid in 2013 where they fell to No. 8 seed Massachusetts, 14-10, in the opening round.
This will be the first-ever meeting between UConn and Virginia, who enter the tournament at 8-8 overall after losing in the ACC Quarterfinals to Boston College, 16-12. UVA was 3-7 in the ACC this season. Should the Huskies advance, they have never faced Robert Morris and are 3-12 all-time against Notre Dame with the last meeting coming in 2013.
The Huskies are led by senior midfielder and 2021 Tewaaraton Award candidate Sydney Watson (Prince Fredrick, Md.). Watson was the unanimous BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and an all-conference first teamer and will enter the NCAA Tournament with 53 goals and 12 assists as well as 133 draw controls on the year. Watson led a contingent of eight Huskies who earned All-BIG EAST honors this spring. Joining her on the first team was junior Lia LaPrise (Windsor, Conn.) who leads the Huskies with 76 points on 36 goals and 40 assists, and sophomore defender Ariana Kline (Reading, Pa.). On the All-BIG EAST second team were senior attacker Stephanie Palmucci (Herndon, Va.), junior attacker Grace Coon (Marcellus, N.Y.), senior midfielder Abby Vetsch (Marcellus, N.Y)., graduate student defender Alyssa Conklin (Sloatsburg, N.Y.) and junior goaltender Landyn White (Alpharetta, Ga.).
