Women's Lacrosse Will Host in it's First NCAA Tournament Appearance

TAMPA, Fla. – The No. 3 University of Tampa women's lacrosse team is set to host the No. 10 Queens University of Charlotte Royals on Friday, May 10^th at 11:00 a.m. in the first round of the NCAA tournament. This is Tampa's first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. The University of Tampa will also be site to the NCAA Quarterfinals on Sunday at noon. Should the Spartans win tomorrow they will advance to the quarterfinals, competing against the winner of the Florida Southern vs. Rollins game. 

The Matchup: No. 3 University of Tampa (14-3) vs. No. 10 Queens University (17-2) 
Date/Time: Friday, May 10^that 11:00 a.m.
Location: Naimoli Family Intramural and Athletic Complex | Tampa, Fla.

Last Time Out: The University of Tampa Spartans defeated the then No. 5 Florida Southern Moccasins, 19-18 in overtime to capture the programs first Sunshine State Conference Championship. In the contest, captain, and All-SSC first-team selection, Caroline Forester, helped lead the Spartans to victory with a team-high of four goals. Also, offensively for the Spartans, SSC Player of the Year, Claire Swanson had three goals and one assist for UT. Additionally, Swanson had a team-high of nine draw controls, recorded two caused turnovers, and picked up four ground balls for the Spartans. All-SSC first-team selections, Kristyn Staley and Carly Vaccaro were also vital to the Spartans success, each stating three goals. Vaccaro scored the game-winning goal, crowing the Spartans, SSC Champions. 

About the Spartans: Tampa enters its first-ever NCAA tournament with an overall record of 14-3. In the latest IWLCA coaches poll, UT received their highest rank to date, No. 3. The Spartans are headed by coach, Kelly Gallagher, the 2018 and 2019 Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year. This season, 10 student-athletes received all-conference recognition. Junior captain, Claire Swanson, was named the 2019 Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year. Swanson's numbers are unrivaled. This season, she has accumulated 60 points consisting of 46 goals and 14 assists. Additionally, she is currently fifth in the nation in draw controls, averaging 8.06 draws per game and has a season total of 137. Other all-conference first-team selections for the Spartans include Kristyn Staley, Carly Vaccaro, Caroline Forester, Alexa Scudillo, and Bridget Sutter. Tampa's four second-team selections include, Rachel Crawford, Maggie Gladden, Danielle Waters, and Abby Coccagna. Defensively for the Spartans, Sutter is amongst the top goalkeepers in the country. She is currently 12^thin the nation with a 51% save percentage, and is 16^thin the nation in saves with a 2019 total of 174. 

About the Royals: The Queens University of Charlotte Royals enter the NCAA tournament ranked No. 10, with an overall record of 17-2. This is the Royals third NCAA appearance in the past four years. Offensively, the Royals are led by #32 Ally Blood and #28 Hanna Scott. Blood has 88 points this season with 42 goals and 46 assists, while Scott has tallied 80 points, consisting of 39 goals and 41 assists. Sydney Hussey, #13, leads Queens in draws with 79 followed by #17 Sydney Bracken with 61. Bracken is also second on the team in caused turnovers with 20, in addition to having recorded 26 ground balls. Defensively, #3 Cammy Case has 31 caused turnovers and 44 ground balls for the Royals. Finally, Queens uses #34 Chase Brokaw as their primary goalkeeper. Brokaw has faced 293 shots this year and has recorded 116 saves. She has a save percentage of 54.7% and a goals against average of 7.67. 

Series History (Women's): The Royals lead the all-time series with the Spartans 5-1. Tampa's only win over the Royals came this season when the Spartans downed the Royals 18-15 on Saturday, February, 16^th. 

Tickets: NCAA Tournament tickets will be available at the gate. Adults will be charged $10 while children under 12 will be admitted for $5. The games are free for UT students when showing a valid student ID.