Hanover, N.H.-- America East Champion Albany will meet Ivy League foe Dartmouth Sunday afternoon at 1p in the first round of the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship. Sunday marks the Great Danes' debut in the NCAA tournament.
Albany (17-0) is the last undefeated team standing in Division I and earned the America East's automatic berth into the tournament by defeating UMBC, 11-4, in the conference title bout. The Big Green (11-4) earned an at-large berth after falling in the Ivy League semis to Harvard.
In the latest IWLCA national coaches' poll released May 9, the Great Danes ranked eighth, while the Big Green fell one spot to 11th.
Albany and Dartmouth have met just once before, a contest back in 2005, however three America East teams faced the Big Green during the 2011 regular season. New Hampshire and Vermont fell to Dartmouth, and Boston U. defeated the Big Green in Boston, 9-7.
America East teams have played Dartmouth three times prior during NCAA play and dropped all three. Conference teams have advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals twice, and Albany will attempt to become the third. Boston U. defeated Colgate in a 2005 first round game, and then the Terriers defeated New Hampshire in 2008 to also advance to the quarterfinals.
The winner of the Albany-Dartmouth matchup will meet the winner of Saturday's Boston College-Northwestern first round game on May 21 or 22.