WOMEN'S LACROSSE NOTEBOOK
Vermont (14-4, 3-3 AE) will make its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance when it faces Denver (17-2, 5-0 Big East) in the First Round on Friday (May 13) in Newton, Mass. The opening draw is set for 4 p.m. at Boston College's Newton Campus Lacrosse Field, and will broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for Friday's NCAA Tournament matchup are available for purchase at BCEagles.com. Tickets are $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for students, and $2.00 for youth (12 and under).
 
RELATED LINKS
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets
CatamounTV Press Conference: Dalton Graddock | Carrera | Vasile
Game Notes: Vermont
 
HOW WE GOT HERE
The Catamounts earned the league's automatic bid after securing the first America East Championship in program history on Saturday (May 7). Vermont overcame an early 5-0 deficit to defeat No. 1 UAlbany 12-11. Grace Giancola was named the Most Outstanding Player of the championship, scoring the tying and clinching goals in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.
 
GRINDING OUT ONE-GOAL GAMES
Vermont eked out one-goal victories in its two America East Tournament games. UVM defeated Binghamton 13-12 in the semifinals – its first tournament victory in program history. Ava Vasile scored the winning goal with 7.8 seconds left to send the Catamounts to their first conference championship game. Two days later, Grace Giancola netted the clinching goal in the 12-11 championship victory over UAlbany with 2:12 left on the clock.
 
ALL-NORTHEAST CATAMOUNTS
Carolyn Carrera and Ava Vasile received All-Northeast honors from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association on Thursday afternoon. Carrera was named to the All-Northeast First Team for the first time in her career as one of the nation's top defenders with 50 caused turnovers and 58 groundballs. Vasile received All-Northeast Second Team honors, setting UVM's single-season record in goals (62) and posting a team-high 78 points.
 
SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Denver enters the First Round of the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 12 on the IWLCA national poll. The Pioneers are coming off their second-consecutive Big East Championship, defeating Georgetown in a thrilling 16-15 overtime victory. Denver has similar defensive numbers to Vermont, averaging 12.95 caused turnovers per game. Sam Thacker is the only player in Division I with a higher caused turnovers per game average (3.05) than UVM's Carolyn Carrera (2.94). Bea Behrins leads the Denver attack with team-highs in goals (64), assists (21), and points (85). Lauren Black (50 goals) and Julia Gilbert (44 goals) have also scored a significant amount of the Pioneers' goals. Goalkeeper Emelia Bohi has the fifth-best goals against average (8.46) in the country this season.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Vermont and Denver meet for the fifth time in series history on Friday afternoon. The Catamounts trail 3-1 in the series, with its lone victory over the Pioneers coming on the road in 2011. UVM last faced Denver in 2017, during Sarah Dalton Graddock's first season as head coach of the Catamounts.
 
COACH CONNECTION
Denver head coach Liza Kelly coached Sarah Dalton Graddock at Boston University in 2006. Dalton Graddock helped lead BU to an America East Championship that season, scoring 33 goals as a rookie. Kelly would move to Denver the following season.