INDIANOPOLIS, Ind. - On Monday morning, the NCAA announced the 37-team field for the 2021 NCAA Division III women's lacrosse National Tournament. Among the teams announced was the No. 12-ranked Messiah Falcons, who earned their spot in the National Tournament by winning the MAC Commonwealth Championship on Saturday with a 17-10 victory over the York Spartans. Messiah earns a bye through the First Round and will head to Memphis, Tenn. And play the winner of the Illinois Wesleyan and George Fox First Round match in the Second Round.
Illinois Wesleyan dropped their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Semifinal game against the Carroll University and earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament with a 10-3 overall record. The Titans advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in program history.
George Fox claimed their conference championship, winning the automatic qualifier from the Northwest Conference (NWC) with a perfect 13-0 record in the regular season. The Bruins are making their second ever and second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Rhodes College will serve as the host for this regional with SUNY Cortland and Transylvania also making the trip to Memphis for the weekend. The winners of Sunday's two Second Round matches in Memphis will advance to next weekend's Regionals.
The Falcons are making their ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament this season. Messiah qualified for four-straight from 2015-18 and have been to the Tournament in nine of the last 15 Tournaments contested. The Falcons hold an overall record of 4-8 in the NCAA Tournament, advancing as far as the Sweet 16 in 2006, 2011, 2012, and 2017.
All game times for this weekend are to be determined. Fans are encouraged to stay tuned GoMessiah.com throughout the week for more information on this weekend's games.
