Philly teams set to play in NCAA playoffs

Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/5/08

West Chester learned Sunday that it will be making its fifth straight trip, seventh overall, to the NCAA Division II Women’s Lacrosse championships.

The Golden Rams (18-1) will face Limestone (17-1) at 3 p.m. at Memorial Park in Houston, Texas, in one national semifinal on Thursday, May 15 as part of the NCAA’s Spring Sports Festival. Adelphi (16-0) will battle defending champion C.W. Post (15-1) in the other national semifinal at 12:30 p.m.

The Rams, who won their fifth straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference championship, lost to C.W. Post in last season’s national championship game in Salem, Va.

West Chester, national runner-up in each of the last four seasons, is looking to win its second national championship after taking the title in 2002. The Rams earned their spot in this year’s NCAA semifinals by virtue of its second seed in the South Region. Limestone, ranked third in the country, is the top-ranked team in the South.

The Golden Rams and Lady Saints will meet up for the second time this year. Limestone handed West Chester its only loss of 2008, 9-8, on its home turf, on March 9. It was the season opener for the Rams while the Saints had five regular-season games already under their belt.
Eastern meets Union in Division III

Eastern University (14-4), the Pennsylvania Athletic Conference (PAC) champion, travels to Schenectady, N.Y., to face Union (13-3) Wednesday (4 p.m.) in the first round of the NCAA Division III women’s tournament.

Eastern, which defeated Cabrini, 13-8, in the PAC title game Saturday, is making its third straight NCAA appearance. Union was the Liberty League runner-up.

Men
Cabrini, Haverford to meet

Cabrini College will host Haverford College Saturday (1 p.m.) in a second-round Division III playoff game. The Cavaliers (16-2) won their eighth straight Pennsylvania Athletic Conference crown Saturday and are ranked seventh in the nation.

Cabrini defeated the Fords, 13-8, on April 16. Ninth-ranked Haverford (11-4) fell in the Centennial Conference semifinals.

Widener travels to Denison

Widener (10-7) will travel to Denison, Ohio, for a first-round Division III game Wednesday at 2 p.m. Denison (13-2) won the North Coast Athletic Conference crown and has won 10 straight games.

The Big Red is out to avenge An 8-5 loss to Widener in last year’s NCAA tourney. That was the Pride’s first-ever NCAA tourney victory.