Blue Devils Claim No. 2 Seed In NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament; Host Richmond May 12

May 8, 2005

2005 NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament Bracket

Duke women's lacrosse Head Coach Kerstin Kimel and the Blue Devils head into the NCAA Tournament for the eighth straight year, as the team received the second seed and will host Atlantic 10 champion Richmond in the first round Thursday, May 12, in Koskinen Stadium. The game time will be announced officially Monday.

The second-ranked Blue Devils secured the highest tourney entrance in school history after winning the school's first ACC Championship, followed by beating No. 4 Dartmouth, 12-8, Sunday afternoon to give the Big Green just their second loss of the season. The Spiders enter the tournament after winning the Atlantic 10 championship over Duquesne and receiving the conference's automatic bid.

"We're excited about heading into this tournament as the No. 2 seed," Kimel said. "It's a strong field with a lot of tough competition, but we are confident about our position and are ready for the challenges ahead."

Though this is the first meeting between the two schools in postseason action, the programs are well acquainted. Duke holds a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series, including an 18-6 win earlier this season in Durham. The Blue Devils, who have now won four-straight games versus the Spiders, were led by Katie Chrest, Kristen Waagbo, Rachel Sanford and Leigh Jester, who each scored three goals in the win on March 6.

The winner of Thursday's game will face off against the victor of the seventh-seed Penn State vs. North Carolina contest to be played Thursday in State College, Pa.

Duke is 4-7 in NCAA Tournament action over the last seven years with one trip to the final four in 1999, where it lost to conference foe Virginia in the semifinal round.