The 2025 NCAA girls’s lacrosse event begins this weekend, with video games getting underway on Friday at on-campus websites. The 29-team discipline options 15 automated bids and 14 at-large alternatives.
Boston Faculty is the game’s reigning champs and the Eagles will attempt to change into the primary group to repeat as nationwide title holders for the primary time in a decade. Standing of their approach nevertheless is the undefeated North Carolina Tar Heels, who’ve already bested BC twice this season.
The remainder of the sphere consists of gifted gamers, attention-grabbing storylines and a handful of groups with actual possibilities to contend for a spot within the Remaining 4. Let’s break down every thing there may be to know in regards to the event this season.
How does the NCAA girls’s lacrosse event format work?
Of the 29 groups that make the sphere, the highest three seeds obtain first-round byes. This 12 months, these belong to No. 1 total seed North Carolina, reigning champs Boston Faculty, and third-seeded Northwestern, which received the event in 2023.
The highest eight seeds within the discipline get internet hosting privileges through the event’s opening weekend. The remainder of the highest seeds are: No. 4 Florida, No. 5 Virginia, No. 6 Maryland, No. 7 Yale and No. 8 Johns Hopkins. Sure — Johns Hopkins performs a lot of its different sports activities in Division III, however competes in Division I in males’s and ladies’s lacrosse.
First spherical video games will happen on Friday, and the winners of these video games within the on-campus pods will then face off within the second spherical on Sunday. Of the eight groups remaining within the quarterfinals, the upper seed in every matchup will host on Could 15, with the winners shifting onto the Remaining 4 in Foxborough, Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium.
The nationwide semifinals will happen on Could 23, with the championship recreation set for Could 25.
The best way to watch the NCAA girls’s lacrosse event
Video games within the first and second spherical will likely be on ESPN+. The quarterfinals and semifinals will likely be on ESPNU, and the nationwide championship recreation will air on ESPN at midday ET on Could 25.
Who’s the favourite within the 2025 NCAA girls’s lacrosse event?
It’s the North Carolina Tar Heels, who’re an ideal 18-0 and have 11 wins over nationally ranked opponents, together with two in opposition to Boston Faculty and one in opposition to Northwestern. Guided by longtime head coach Jenny Levy, the Tar Heels rank second nationally in scoring with 17.5 objectives per recreation and first in protection, permitting simply 6.67 objectives per recreation.
Main the Tar Heels’ offense are sisters and finalists for the Tewaaraton Award, Chloe and Ashley Humphrey. Chloe, a redshirt freshman, was named MVP of the ACC Event and is sixth nationally in scoring with 73 objectives this season. Ashley, a graduate senior, is tenth nationally in whole factors with 70 assists and 28 objectives. Chloe is the primary freshman ever to be a finalist for the Tewaaraton — akin to the Heisman for ladies’s lacrosse — whereas Ashley is 9 assists away from proudly owning the NCAA’s all-time profession report.
On the defensive finish, UNC’s sophomore goalkeeper Betty Nelson has the nation’s fourth-best save proportion at 50.5.
North Carolina will play the winner of Clemson vs. Navy on Sunday. The Tigers — whose program is simply three years previous — is within the NCAA Event for the primary time ever, whereas Navy is within the discipline for the primary time since 2019 underneath Corridor of Fame coach Cindy Timchal.
What different gamers are price watching?
Boston Faculty’s Rachel Clark is the nation’s main goalscorer with 91 this season, whereas Northwestern’s Madison Taylor is simply behind her with 89 objectives. Taylor additionally has 32 free place objectives this season, which leads the nation.
Moreover for Boston Faculty, goalkeeper Shea Dolce is a Tewaaraton finalist. She was voted Goalkeeper of the Yr within the ACC and has the nation’s greatest save proportion at 55.7.
Georgia Latch, a senior assault at Loyola Maryland, is an offensive drive too as she’s second nationally in whole factors with 69 assists and 53 objectives. The Greyhounds open in opposition to Stony Brook on Friday and the winner will face Boston Faculty.
Madison Epke of James Madison is the most effective within the nation at draw controls, profitable 12.61 per recreation and a complete of 227 on the season. JMU opens the event in opposition to Duke on Friday.
Defensively, Reagan O’Brien of Johns Hopkins is the queen of forcing turnovers, inflicting 85 this season and 4.72 per recreation. The Blue Jays open the event versus Liberty.
For fourth-seeded Florida, midfielder Kaitlyn Davies does a little bit little bit of every thing at a excessive stage, rating within the prime three for the Gators in objectives, floor balls, triggered turnovers and draw controls. The Large 12 Midfielder of the Yr will lead the Gators in opposition to Mercer.
