It didn’t take long for Navy women’s lacrosse to find out its destination and opponent for the NCAA Tournament.
Navy (15-5) was the second team revealed after top-seeded North Carolina and is headed to Chapel Hill to take on Clemson (13-5) on Friday at Dorrance Field. The winner advances to face the unbeaten and regional host Ter Heels (18-0) on Sunday.
Navy’s players, coaches and support staff watched the NCAA Tournament selection show in the amphitheater of the Terwilliger Student-Athlete Center. The players, who were all wearing their commemorative Patriot League Tournament champions T-shirts and hats, jumped out of their seats when Navy was posted to the bracket.
“The energy in this room tonight was just amazing, so when we saw our name pop up, we had nothing but excitement and cheering,” senior co-captain Lola Leone said. “That was a really special moment to celebrate all together.”
It was in marked contrast to the previous two seasons when Navy was on the bubble and did not receive an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. Coach Cindy Timchal recalls there being “absolute silence” during last season’s selection show watch party when the Mids realized they had been left out.
This will be the eighth NCAA Tournament appearance for Navy and first since 2019. The Midshipmen own a 4-3 record in the NCAA postseason.
Meanwhile, Clemson will be making its NCAA Tournament debut in its third season as a varsity program. The Tigers finished fifth in the ACC regular season standings then upset fourth-seeded Duke, 15-7 in the quarterfinals of the postseason tournament.
Clemson lost to eventual champion North Carolina, 17-7, in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. The Tigers are under the direction of coach Allison Kwolek, who has quickly built a nationally ranked program.
Clemson is ranked 13th in the latest Inside Lacrosse media poll, while Navy is No. 22.
“Clemson is going to be a real battle. They had a really solid season and are playing really good lacrosse right now,” Timchal said.
Clemson is led offensively by graduate student attacker Lindsey Marshall and sophomore running mate Kayla Macleod, who have combined to score 102 goals. Marshall, a Catonsville High graduate and transfer from Towson, has 55 goals.
Sophomore midfielder Natalie Shurtleff was a first-team All-ACC selection after totaling 50 points (32 goals, 18 assists), 28 draw controls and 24 ground balls. The St. Paul’s School graduate was a two-time, first-team All-Metro selection by The Baltimore Sun.
Macleod (47 goals), senior goalie Emily Lamparter (Maryland transfer) and senior defender Summer Agostino were second-team All-ACC choices, while Marshall and freshman midfielder Kira Balis (St. Paul’s) earned honorable mention.
Sophomore Camryn Pfundstein, an Annapolis resident and St. Mary’s High graduate, has played in all 18 games this season as a defensive midfielder.
This will be the fourth time Navy has been sent to Chapel Hill for the NCAA Tournament, having previously done so in 2010, 2012 and 2017. Navy upset North Carolina, 16-14, on its home field in the 2017 quarterfinals.
Have a news tip? Contact Bill Wagner at bwagner@capgaznews.com, 443-534-0102 and x.com/@BWagner_CapGaz.