GROVE CITY, Pa. -- The Grove City College men's lacrosse team has qualified for the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament for the sixth consecutive season after winning the Presidents' Athletic Conference title Saturday night.
However, the Wolverines' sixth national tournament trip will differ from their first five forays as Grove City will host a national tournament game for the first time in program history. The Wolverines will host Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association champion Albion at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Robert E. Thorn Field in the first round of NCAA Tournament. The NCAA announced the 40-team field, tournament pairings and game sites Sunday night.
Grove City (13-7) secured a 22-7 win over visiting Chatham in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship Tournament title game to earn the league's automatic berth.
Like Grove City, Albion (12-8) will make its sixth trip to the NCAA Championship Tournament. The Britons won the MIAA title Friday with an 11-5 win over visiting Trine at Alumni Field. Albion entered the MIAA Tournament as the No. 3 seed. The Britons topped Kalamazoo in the quarterfinals April 26, 11-8, and then dumped second-seeded Adrian in the semifinals three days later, 12-11.
The teams have one common opponent, Ohio Wesleyan. Grove City fell at OWU, 18-12, February 15. Albion fell at home 15-9 to the Battling Bishops in non-conference action March 19.
This will be the first NCAA Tournament game played in Grove City since November 1985, when the women's volleyball team hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Division III Tournament in the Grove City College Arena.
Albion is making its first NCAA appearance since 2022. The Britons also qualified in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
The Grove City-Albion winner advances to face No. 4 Christopher Newport (16-3) in the second round of the national tournament Saturday 12 p.m. in Newport News, Va. Stevenson (14-5) will face Lynchburg (13-6) at 3 p.m. Saturday in the second game at Christopher Newport. Saturday's winners will play a third-round game Sunday, May 11 at 3 p.m. in Newport News, Va.
