Loyola University Maryland announced on May 3 that its women’s lacrosse team will compete against Syracuse University in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Championships. The game is scheduled for Friday, May 8, at 7:00 PM at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The matchup is part of opening rounds hosted by sixth-seeded Navy, which will also see Navy face UMass earlier that day. Winners from both games will advance to play each other on Sunday at noon.
Loyola enters the tournament with a record of 12-7 after winning eight of their last eleven games and finishing third in the Patriot League regular season. The team was eliminated by Army in the Patriot League Semifinals. Syracuse comes into the contest with a record of 13-5, having reached the Atlantic Coast Conference Semifinals before losing to North Carolina.
This marks Loyola’s 27th appearance in the NCAA Tournament and its thirteenth under Head Coach Jen Adams. It is also their eighth consecutive appearance, not counting the canceled championships in 2020. Last year, Loyola lost to Stony Brook in their first-round game.
Navy holds an overall record of 18-1 this season and won both the Patriot League Regular Season and Postseason Championships, suffering its only loss to Loyola. UMass brings a record of 16-2 as champions of both MAC Regular Season and Postseason titles. Earlier this season, Loyola faced Syracuse on the road where they were defeated by a score of 15-7.
The upcoming matchups set up opportunities for rematches and continued competition among top programs as teams vie for advancement deeper into NCAA postseason play.
