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WATERVILLE, Maine – The 2021 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament is set to begin this weekend, and Colby College is proud to serve as a host site to twelve teams through the Second and Regional rounds of play. Colby will host two 2^nd round games on Saturday, May 8^th and two on Sunday, May 9^th. Regional play will take place Saturday, May 15^th and Sunday, May 16^th.
 
The tournament consists of 37 teams from around the country, 33 of which secured an automatic qualifier by way of conference championship wins. There are three teams that received at-large bids and one Pool B qualifier in this year's tournament, a significantly lower number from years past, due to amendments resulted from the Covid-19 pandemic. 
 
The eight teams traveling to Waterville to compete in second round games of the Colby bracket this weekend include Western Connecticut State University, Johnson and Wales University (Providence), Babson College, The College of New Jersey, Westfield State University, Roger Williams University, Tufts University and Cabrini University.
 
The four winners of this weekend's second round games will return to Waterville to compete in the regional rounds, May 15^th and 16^th, along with the four additional winners from another second round bracket. The winners of the May 15^th games will advance to the May 16^th round at Bill Alfond Field.  

Colby College is extremely proud to host the 2021 NCAA Division III Women's Lacrosse Tournament which will usher in a significant amount of business to the greater Waterville community. By partnering with the NCAA to host this event, Colby has secured over 700 rooms at 8 Waterville/Augusta area hotels, and each participating team will undoubtedly lean on local establishments for pre and post-competition dining. Colby looks forward to continuing to support the local economy by serving as a top-level host for national and regional events in future years.
 
NCAA Second Round Games – May 8^th and 9^th, 2021:
 
Western Connecticut State vs. Johnson and Wales (Providence)
Saturday, May 8^th at 2:00PM – Bill Alfond Field
 
The WestConn Scout: Western Connecticut State claims their first Little East Conference title and NCAA Appearance in program history after defeating Plymouth State University on Saturday, 13-3.
 
Conference: Little East Conference
Record: 9-0
Head Coach: Meghan Els (1^st Season)
Key Wins: Plymouth State (by 10), Keene State (by 3), Plymouth State (by 5)
Strong Performers: Senior attacker Caroline Galligan leads the team with 46 points, including a season-high 8 points (5G, 2A) in the Little East Championship vs. Plymouth State. Junior Attack Dominique DeMarsico scored 10 goals and had 2 assists in the Colonials' semifinal win over Keene State, and sophomore goalie Anna Schipf posted 47 saves as the starter in all 9 games in 2021 for a .547 save percentage.
 
The JWU Scout: The Wildcats are heading to their fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament after a 16-12 victory over Emmanuel College in the GNAC Championship last weekend. JWU had previously fallen to Emmanuel in the regular season but outshot their host, 41-19, in their championship victory.
 
Conference: Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC)
Record: 8-3
Head Coach: Jenn Thomas (1^st Season)
Key Wins: Emmanuel (by 4), Lasell (by 2), St. Joseph's Maine (by 1, OT)
Strong Performers: Senior attacker Dani Lydecker's 60 points (45G, 15A) lead the Wildcats this season just ahead of senior midfielder Marley Medina's 50 points (29G, 21A). The pair combined for 6 goals and 4 assists in the GNAC Championship match, while Kayla Datys and Maris DeBenedetto each also contributed 4 points to help secure the finals win and fourth NCAA Tournament appearance for JWU.
 
 
Babson vs. TCNJ
Saturday, May 8^th at 5:00PM – Bill Alfond Field
 
The Babson Scout: Babson returns to the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in program history after defeating Springfield College in the NEWMAC Championship following an overtime, regular season loss to the Pride. 
 
Conference: New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC)
Record: 4-1
Head Coach: Michelle Smith (11^th Season)
Key Wins: Springfield (by 18), Coast Guard (by 8)
Strong Performers: Senior Attacker Georgia Salvatore sits atop the Babson leaderboard with 22 points (14G, 8A). Sophomore Erin Jayne posted a game-high 5 goals and 1 assist to help elevate the Beavers in their NESCAC Championship win over Springfield, while goalie Cricket Fligor has been solid all season with a .538 save percentage.
 
The TCNJ Scout:The College of New Jersey is no stranger to the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament, as the Lions head to Waterville with 35 tournament appearances under their belt and 13 National Championships in program history. The 15^th- ranked TCNJ defeated Rowan and #23 Montclair State in the NJAC postseason to claim their 2021 bid.
 
Conference: New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC)
Record: 7-2
Head Coach: Sharon Pfluger (37^th Season)
Key Wins: #23 Montclair State (by 10), Rowan (by 7),
Strong Performers: NJAC Rookie of the Year Jillian Westerby scored 6 times in the conference championship game and has recorded 50 draw controls on the season thus far. Leading the way for the Lions in the points category are senior middie Erin Jaffe (39G, 6A), who leads the NJAC in goals per game, and junior attacker Jennifer LaRocca (27G, 13A).
 

Photo Courtesy of TCNJ Athletics: TCNJ celebrates their 7^th consecutive NJAC Championship with a 16-6
win over #23 Montclair State.
 
Westfield State vs. Roger Williams
Sunday, May 9^th at 11:30AM – Bill Alfond Field
 
The Westfield State Scout: The Owls of Westfield State battled the top-seeded Framingham State in the 2021 MASCAC Championship, scoring the final three goals to defeat the Rams, 14-13, for their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
Conference: Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC)
Record: 8-1
Head Coach: Jeff Pechulis (8^th Season)
Key Wins: Framingham State (by 1), Bridgewater State (by 2)
Strong Performers: Senior middie Sam Donohue ranks first among the Owls in scoring with 33 points on the season (25G, 8A), including 3 goals and 3 assists to lead WSU to a championship victory. Natalie DeMaio stepped up in the MASCAC finals, scoring 4 goals, including the game-winner with just 5 seconds left on the clock. First year goalie Kara Banagan leads the MASCAC with a .549 save percentage.
 
The Roger Williams Scout: The top-seeded RWU Hawks entered the CCC Championship with a 5-0 record before claiming their second conference title in program history with a 14-8 win over Endicott on Saturday. A strong team defensively, Roger Williams leads the CCC in caused turnovers as they pick up their first finals win in four years after three consecutive runners-up statuses.
 
Conference: Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC)
Record: 6-0
Head Coach: Jen Fox Sargent (4th Season)
Key Wins: Endicott (by 6)
Strong Performers: Hawks leading scorer Lauren Flahive (20G, 7A) and sophomore attacker Lily Cunningham (19G, 2A) scored 5 goals apiece in their championship win over Endicott. First year defender Kate Shultz leads the Roger Williams defensive unit with 12 caused turnovers and 14 ground balls.
 

Tufts vs. Cabrini
Sunday, May 9^th at 2:30PM – Bill Alfond Field
 
The Cabrini Scout: Cabrini looks to continue an 8-game win streak coming into the tournament, after defeating Marymount University, 21-11, to win their 9^th straight conference title. While the Cavaliers did earn the first Automatic Qualifier in the history of the Atlantic East Conference, Cabrini is no stranger to NCAA Postseason play, making 17 appearances since the 2000 season.
 
Conference: Atlantic East Conference
Record: 8-2
Head Coach: Jackie Neary (25^th Season)
Key Wins: Marymount (by 10), Gwynedd Mercy (by 17), Marymount (by 6)
Strong Performers: AEC Defensive Player of the Year Shea Neary leads the way for the Cavaliers with 6.8 draws per game while averaging 3 ground balls and 2.8 caused turnovers on the defensive end. Goals (45) and points (60) leader Dana Carlson put up 8 goals and an assist on the Cavaliers' way to defeating Marymount in the AEC finals and is also the conference Player of the Year. Cabrini completes the sweep of the Atlantic East major awards as Olivia Pace was named Rookie of the Year after a 28-point first year campaign.

The Tufts Scout: The Tufts University Jumbos rank 3^rd nationally and claimed the 2021 NESCAC crown after defeating #11 Wesleyan, 14-3, in the conference title game last weekend. The first NESCAC title in Jumbos women's lacrosse history comes following a 5-0 regular season as well as a NESCAC Finals and NCAA Final Four appearance in 2019.
 
Conference: New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC)
Record: 6-0
Head Coach: Courtney Shute (8^th Season)
Key Wins: #11 Wesleyan (by 11), #7 Colby (by 6)
Strong Performers: Junior goalie Molly Laliberty has been an anchor for the Tufts defense with an impressive .688 save percentage on the season and 13 championship game saves. On the other end of the field, senior attacker Catherine Lawliss has been a consistent offensive threat, averaging 5.5 points per game and 4 goals per game, both good enough for 1st conference-wide. 
 

Photo Courtesy of Tufts Athletics: Lindsay Erickson, Anna Clarke and Molly Laliberty close in on
defense in the 2021 NESCAC Championship.