Cavaliers Host Villanova in First Round of NCAA Championship

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, VAThe University of Virginia has received a bid to the 2009 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship and will host Villanova in the first round Sunday (May 10) at 2:30 p.m. at Klckner Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

The tournament’s No. 1 seed, Virginia is 13-2 this season and currently tied for fourth in the coaches poll.

This is Virginia’s 32nd tournament appearance overall, second behind Johns Hopkins (38). Virginia won the national championship three years ago and has received a bid in 16 of the last 17 seasons.

Villanova is 11-5 this season. The Wildcats gained an automatic bid after winning the Colonial Athletic Association tournament with a 10-9 win over Towson in the championship game yesterday. They upset Hofstra 9-7 in the first round of the tournament. Four of Villanova’s five losses have been by two goals or less this season, while three of its wins have been by a goal.

This is Villanova’s first appearance in the NCAA Championship.

The teams have met one time previously, a 21-6 Virginia win to start the 1993 season in the first game of the Dom Starsia era at Virginia.

The winner of this game faces the winner of Saturday’s Brown at Johns Hopkins game in the quarterfinals at Navy on Sunday (May 17). The quarterfinals will be televised on ESPNU.

Fans may purchase tickets beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday in person at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall or by calling (800) 542-8821. Tickets can also be purchased online at VirginiaSports.com on Monday beginning at 9 a.m. Reserved seat tickets offering stadium chair seating under cover are $9 each; general admission tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth 18-and-under, seniors 60-and-over and students of participating schools with a valid student ID.

Parking for the lacrosse game is $5 and is available at University Hall and John Paul Jones Arena.