Bracket released, Gulls will meet Amherst

May 5, 2008

BEVERLY, Mass. - The Endicott College women's lacrosse team won't have to travel far to square-off with its First Round opponent in the NCAA Div. III Tournament, as the Gulls will meet Amherst College on Wednesday afternoon in Amherst, Massachusetts. Endicott qualified for the national playoff by winning its third-straight TCCC title, while the Lord Jeffs snagged an At Large bid out of the New England Small College Athletic Conference with a 13-3 overall record.

Endicott will enter Wednesday's First Round match-up boasting an impressive seven-game winning streak, outscoring its opponents 110-71 during that span. The Lord Jeffs will have to find an answer to TCCC Offensive Player of the Year Valerie Feldman (Albany, N.Y.), as the sophomore attacker has 52 goals and 21 assists for the Blue and Green.

Complimenting Feldman upfront has been a solid one-two punch from freshman Kellie Cunningham (Derry, N.H.) and junior Alex Pearce (Underhill, Vt.). The duo has combined for 143 points, and combined with Feldman, accounted for 51% of Endicott's offensive output.

The Gulls will have no easy task when the whistle blows to start Wednesday's contest. The Lord Jeffs are the second-ranked team in the New England Region, placed second only to conference member Middlebury College. Amherst relied upon the NCAA Selection Committee in order to get into the National Tournament, earning an At Large bid after being knocked-off in double-overtime by Trinity (Conn.) in the NESCAC Semifinals.

Amherst will look to perennial goal-scorer Amy Craig (Denver, Colo.) to get the Lord Jeffs' offense started. The junior attacker has a team-leading 43 goals in 2008, a total she will look to add upon when tournament play begins this week. Mary Noonan (West Roxbury, Mass.) and Maddie Hoeg (Shoreham, N.Y.) are also threats to be aware of on the offense end, as the pair have notched 56 goals and handed out 27 assists.

Wednesday's opening round game is slated for a 5:00 p.m. face-off in Amherst, Massachusetts. The winner of the Endicott vs. Amherst contest will then travel to meet 17-2 overall Washington & Lee on Saturday afternoon.

To view the complete NCAA Div. III Women's Lacrosse National Tournament Bracket, please click here.