DANBURY, Conn. – The Western Connecticut State University women's lacrosse team, which has a 16-2 record and won the Little East Conference (LEC Championship Tournament with a 17-9 victory at Plymouth State on Saturday, has qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the third time in five years, and will face the United States Merchant Marine Academy Mariners in the opening round on Saturday, May 10 at Rowan University.  WestConn, coached by Rachael Griffith (2nd Season), previously competed in the NCAA Tourney in 2021 and 2022.  The winner of Saturday's game will play Rowan on Sunday, May 11.  Tickets will be $6 for adults, $3 for senior citizens and students, and $2 for children ages 2 to 12.

The NCAA Tournament consists of a 47-team field with 30 slots dedicated to automatic qualifiers and the remaining 17 berths to at-large candidates chosen by the selection committee.  Second round winners advance to one of four regional sites Saturday and Sunday, May 17-18.  Winners of the four regionals will advance to the semifinals and final, which take place Friday and Sunday, May 23-25 at Kerr Stadium in Salem, Virginia.  WestConn is returning to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in five seasons, having also qualified in 2021 and 2022 as the LEC Champion.  The Wolves defeated Johnson and Wales (R.I.), 20-5, in the 2021 NCAA First Round before falling, 18-4, against College of New Jersey in the second round.  In 2022, the Wolves, 18-8, at Cortland State, making them, 1-2 all-time in the tournament.  The Merchant Marine Mariners are 13-2 and earned their NCAA automatic bid when they downed Farmingdale State, 12-10, last Saturday in the Skyline Conference Finals. WestConn is 2-1 against the teams in the NCAA Tournament thanks to a 15-8 win against Worcester State, an 11-10 loss to Plymouth State, and the Wolves' 17-9 victory over the Panthers in the LEC Finals.

WestConn got off to a fast start, going 5-0 over the season's first 15 days.  After a road loss at Williams College, the Wolves rattled off six straight victories before the one-goal setback against Plymouith State.  WestConn rallied to win its last three regular season games, edged Southern Maine, 11-10, in the LEC Semifinals, and scored the last 10 goals of the game to run away from the Panthers in the LEC Finals.  Junior attacker Madison Ratchford (Ridge, N.Y.) is among the top scorers in the LEC with 66 goals and 20 assists for 86 points , while sophomore midfielder Isabella Pota (East Meadow, N.Y.) adds 46 goals and 22 assists for 68 points to go with her team-high 87 draw controls.  Ratchford also leads the Wolves with 26 caused turnovers and Bresnahan is seventh in the nation in save percentage a5 .533 and 21st in GAA at 8.13.  All three were were LEC All-Conference honorees along with senior attacker Savannah Kom (Danbury, Conn.) and junior defender Annaliese Reggio (White Plains, N.Y.).