KSC softball and women's lacrosse team accept ECAC Tournament berths

KEENE, N.H. 5/10/10 – Keene State College softball and women’s lacrosse teams have accepted berths to play in their respective ECAC New England tournaments on Monday.

Keene State (26-14-1) will be the top seed in the six-team softball tournament while the Owls (12-5) are seeded third in the four-team women’s lacrosse tournament.

Keene State, the defending ECAC champs, will host the semifinal and final rounds of the softball tournament at Owl Athletic Complex on Saturday and Sunday.

Disappointed that the Owls missed out in an NCAA bid, KSC Coach Charlie Beach said his team is looking forward to playing in the ECAC tournament. "It's disappointing not making the NCAAs, but this team has earned an opportunity to play in a post-season tournament,” he said.

KSC along with second seed Lesley University (25-11) of Cambridge, Mass., received first-round byes.  In first-round games on Wednesday, third seed Western New England (26-19-1) will host sixth seed Worcester State (19-17) and fourth seed Anna Maria will travel to fifth seed Bridgewater State (18-19).

The tournament, which will go to a double-elimination format, moves to Keene State with four games Saturday (May 15) and potentially three on Sunday (May 16).  On Saturday, KSC will face the Anna Maria/Bridgewater State winner at 10 a.m.  Lesley takes on the WNEC/Worcester State winner at 12 p.m.  The two losing teams will meet at 2 p.m. and the two winners tangle at 4 p.m.

Keene State, the LEC tournament runner-up, will be making its 11th overall trip to the ECACs.  KSC won the 1990 and 1993 softball titles as a Division II member.  In Division III, the Owls have made five appearances, winning the crown last spring with an 11-1 win over Brandies in the championship game.

 After finishing the regular-season with a 10-6 record, Mount Holyoke College was selected as the number one seed in the 2010 ECAC Division III New England Women’s Lacrosse Championship. The tournament is a four-team field with semifinal and championship rounds.

The championship will be played in a final four format, with Plymouth State University hosting both the semifinal and final rounds.  No. 3 Keene State will face No. 2 Plymouth State at 1:00 p.m. in one semifinal, and the winner of No. 4 Husson will play No. 1 Mount Holyoke at 3:00 p.m. in the other semifinal.  The semifinal winners will meet Sunday, May 16 at 1:00 p.m. for the championship.

Keene State will be making its sixth trip (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008) to the ECACs.  They won the championship in 2004.