Western New England Draws Defending National Champion Wesleyan in NCAA Tournament Opener
2019 NCAA DIII Tournament Bracket | NCAA Selection Show
Golden Bears will travel to Middletown, Conn. to face Cardinals on Wednesday, May 8
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (May 5, 2019) – The Western New England University men's lacrosse team will open the 2019 NCAA Division III Tournament on the road at defending national champion Wesleyan University on Wednesday, May 8, the NCAA announced during Sunday night's selection show.
The Golden Bears (14-5), who defeated Endicott College 9-8 on Friday to capture their eighth CCC title, will be making their second consecutive and tenth overall appearance in the national tournament, all under 18th-year head coach John Klepacki.
Wesleyan (12-3), which was ranked No. 9 in the latest USILA poll, is making its third straight and seventh overall appearance in the NCAA playoffs. The Cardinals fell to Middlebury 11-7 in the NESCAC quarterfinals on Saturday.
The last meeting between these two programs came in 2006, when Wesleyan posted a 13-5 victory over Western New England. The Cardinals are 11-0 all-time against the Golden Bears in a series that began in 1990.
The 2019 NCAA Tournament gets underway on Tuesday, May 7 with four first round games. Play resumes on Wednesday, May 8 with second round action, followed by the third round on Saturday, May 11 and the quarterfinals on Wednesday, May 15. The semifinals will take place on Sunday, May 19 with the national championship set for Sunday, May 26 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa.
