Virginia Accepts Bid to 2006 Women's Lacrosse NCAA Championships

Story Links

May 8, 2006

The Virginia Cavaliers, the 2006 ACC Champions, have been invited to play in the 2006 NCAA Championships, the 25th Anniversary of the tournament. The Cavaliers have been awarded the No. 2 seed in the field and will draw against the Princeton Tigers on Sunday, May 14th at 1:00. This is the Cavaliers’ 11th consecutive bid to the national championships and their 21st appearance in school history (19 NCAA, 2 AIAW). Virginia has played in the national championship game in each of the last three years, winning the title in 2004.

The Cavaliers rank second all-time in NCAA Division I history in NCAA championship games played (40), third in games won (25), and fourth in winning percentage (62.5%). The Cavaliers and the Tigers played earlier this year and the Hoos defeated Princeton 16-3 in Princeton on March 25.

Virginia is currently ranked No. 2 in all four major polls. According to laxpower.com, the Cavaliers have faced the nation’s toughest schedule and navigated it with a 15-3 record, including a triumph in the ACC title game. The Cavaliers rank fourth nationally in scoring defense at 7.56 gaa, 15th nationally in scoring offense at 12.39 gpg, and 18th in draw controls per game at 13.28 dcpg.

The Cavaliers are led by a strong fourth-year class that includes two Tewaaraton Trophy candidates, Tyler Leachman and Nikki Lieb. Fourth-year Ginger Miles ranks sixth in the nation in scoring defense with fourth-year Julie Hauser leading the J-team defense that has held opponents to under 10 goals in a game in 15 of Virginia’s 18 games. Leachman was named the ACC Tournament MVP while Lieb was also named to the All-Tournament team along with Hauser, Miles, and first-year Blair Weymouth, the ACC Rookie of the Year. Weymouth is also a candidate for the Tewaaraton Trophy.

Fellow fourth-year Kim Connors was named to the ACC All-Conference team, along with Leachman, Lieb and Weymouth. She is a part of the vaunted Virginia defense that also features world champion Claire Bordley and a former national rookie of the week Jen Holden.

Princeton earned the automatic qualification from the Ivy League and enters the tournament with an 11-5 record. The Cavaliers and the Tigers have met 23 times in school history with the Hoos holding a slight 12-11 edge. The two have met six times in the NCAA tournament, with that series tied 3-3, including a split in the national titles games in 2003 and 2004.

“We are excited to be in the tournament and have another opportunity at the national title,” said Virginia head coach Julie Myers. “We have faced Princeton earlier this year, and while it went our way that game, both teams have played a number of teams since then. They are a tournament team with a lot of history, so it should be an exciting game.”

Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for youth 18 and under and students of participating schools with a student ID. Tickets can be purchased in person at Bryant Hall ticket office or by calling the Ticket Office at 800/542-8821. Tickets can be purchased online at virginiasports.com. The Ticket Office encourages all fans to purchase and pick up their tickets in advance to avoid long ticket sales and Will Call lines. The entire bracket is as follows:Sunday, May 14(1) Duke vs Holy Cross(8) James Madison vs Richmond(5) North Carolina vs Maryland(4) Northwestern vs Stanford(3) Georgetown at Monmouth(7) Dartmouth vs Boston University(2) Virginia vs Princeton