Plattsburgh Men's Lacrosse Earns First-Round Bye, Draws Bates in Second Round of NCAA Tournament
Courtesy of Plattsburgh Sports Information Department
INDIANAPOLIS – Plattsburgh State will earn a bye through the first round and face Bates College in the second round of the 2017 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Tournament at Bates' Garcelon Field in Lewiston, Maine, on Wednesday, May 10, as announced Sunday night by the NCAA. The game time has not yet been announced.
The Cardinals (12-5) will be making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance after earning the automatic bid from the State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC). They topped SUNY Cortland, 10-6, in the SUNYAC Tournament championship game on Saturday, marking not only Plattsburgh State's first-ever SUNYAC title but also the team's first-ever victory over Cortland. The Cardinals had advanced to the SUNYAC final three times prior to winning the championship on Saturday.
Bates (14-1) qualifies for the NCAA Tournament as a Pool C at-large team, as the Bobcats fell to Middlebury College, 14-13, in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Tournament semifinals. Prior to that loss, Bates had gone 14-0, with wins over four NCAA Tournament qualifiers. In the most recent United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA)/Nike Division III Coaches Poll, Bates occupied the No. 1 ranking with 10 first-place votes.
The winner of Wednesday's game will face the winner of the game between Amherst College and Springfield College in the NCAA Tournament third round on Saturday, May 13. The quarterfinal round is set for Wednesday, May 17, while the semifinals are slated for Saturday, May 21. The Division III championship game will occur on Saturday, May 28, at 5 p.m. at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Mass.
