Sun Devil Lacrosse Tournament Watch

As the regular season gets closer to a conclusion, Sun Devil Lacrosse continues to emerge as one of the up-and-coming programs in the nation. Take a closer look at how the 2022 campaign has unfolded, with Arizona State putting themselves in a position for their first berth in the NCAA Lacrosse Tournament. The following is a breakdown of the Maroon & Gold's postseason resume at this point in the season:

SUN DEVILS IN THE RANKINGS
Arizona State is currently ranked in the Top-25 in two major national polls, the second straight week they have been ranked. This is only the third time the program has been ranked and the first instance in which they stayed in back-to-back Top-25's. Both Inside Lacrosse and the IWCLA (Coaches' Poll) slot the Sun Devils at No. 23 in their latest polls, the highest spot ever occupied by the program. ASU is also receiving votes and on the cusp of cracking the most recent U.S. Lacrosse Magazine Top-20. 

Head Coach Tim McCormack has challenged his team with an extremely difficult schedule and it has paid off, as the Sun Devils are looked upon favorably in two key metrics. Arizona State has the No. 10-rated strength of schedule having played eight Top-25 teams through 13 games. Because of their success in those game, Arizona State has a RPI of 31, which has climbed dramatically over the past few weeks.

BRACKETOLOGY
U.S. Lacrosse Magazine recently published their weekly bracketology and Sun Devil fans will notice a big development. Arizona State recently became eligible for selection into the NCAA Tournament by moving their record to over .500 (7-6). ASU is listed as one of the last four teams in the field of 29, joined by fellow Pac-12 programs Stanford and Colorado. What is helping Coach McCormack's team separate itself is the lack of bad losses, with all six of their defeats in 2022 coming at the hands of teams currently in the Top-25. 

QUALITY WINS
The resume of the Maroon & Gold includes several impressive wins that will prove to be a huge boost come postseason time. Despite playing the 10th-toughest schedule in the nation, Arizona State is 7-6 and is currently on a three-game winning streak.

March 13th - Arizona State 20, #23 Colorado 6
Arizona State took control of the game early and never looked back, overwhelming the ranked Buffaloes during an 8-0 second period. The 14-goal margin of defeat was the largest in the nine-year history of the Colorado program. They claim their second win over a Top-25 team as a program, doing it in impressive fashion. 

April 3rd - Arizona State 13, #14 Rutgers 12 (OT)
Sun Devil Lacrosse earned a dramatic comeback victory on the road over No. 14 Rutgers. They pick up their first victory over a Top-15 opponent in program history, handing the highly-touted Scarlet Knights only their second loss of the season. Carley Adams scored the game-winning goal in the first sudden death overtime period, sending the strong contingent of Sun Devil fans that had made the trip into a frenzy.
 
ASU was down by as many as four goals at several points of the game in less than ideal weather, but showed resiliency and toughness in mounting a valiant comeback effort. Arizona State was responsible for the final three goals of the game, stunning the home crowd and earning the program's first victory over a Big Ten opponent.
 
April 8th - #25 Arizona State 18, #22 Stanford 11
Sun Devil Lacrosse finally got over the hump, defeating Stanford for the first time. Arizona State proved to be the better team from the opening draw, outscoring the No. 22 Cardinal each of the four quarters en route to an impressive 18-11 victory. Now that Head Coach Tim McCormack has defeated Stanford, his program has now beaten all five Pac-12 opponents. In a matchup of Top-25 teams, the No. 25 Sun Devils controlled the action in front of a lively home crowd.

The Maroon & Gold backed up a road win over No. 14 Rutgers with a second straight Top-25 victory, the first time the program has accomplished the feat.

CONFERENCE CONTENDERS
The top of the Pac-12 Conference standings are crowded, but the Sun Devils have played themselves into a good position. Three teams are currently tied a top the conference in the loss column, with Arizona State (5-2) and USC (5-2) trailing Stanford (7-2) by percentage points. The Sun Devils and Trojans will match up at Sun Devil Soccer/Lacrosse Stadium on April 22 at 3 PM in a contest that will have a major impact on tournament seeding. First, the Sun Devils have to deal with the 4-3 Colorado Buffaloes who handed Stanford their only other conference loss in Boulder earlier this year. ASU's final three matchups will only enhance their postseason appeal, playing two teams ahead of them in the RPI. 

NCAA TOURNAMENT KEY DATES
Sunday, May 8th - Selection Show on NCAA.com
Friday, May 13th & Sunday, May 15th - First & Second Round Games (Campus Sites)
Thursday, May 19th - Quarterfinals (Campus Sites)
Friday, May 27th - Semifinals (Homewood Field; Baltimore, MD)
Sunday, May 29th - National Championship (Homewood Field; Baltimore, MD)

HOW THE FIELD IS MADE
The NCAA Women's Lacrosse Tournament is made of 29 teams, with 15 automatic bids handed out to conference tournament champions, leaving 14 at large bids selected by a committee. The Top-8 teams get National Seeds and are guaranteed to host in the first and second round if capable, with the Top-3 seeds also receiving a bye into the second round. 

UP NEXT
Arizona State hits the road for the final time in the regular season, returning the trip to Oregon and Colorado. First up, the Sun Devils match up with the Oregon Ducks on Friday, Apr. 15 at 6 PM MST. The game will be broadcasted via the Oregon Live Stream with live stats available here. The second leg of the road trip sees the Maroon & Gold head to Boulder, looking for their first road win over Colorado on Sunday, Apr. 17 at 12 PM MST in showdown that will be featured on Pac-12 Network. More information on how to watch the game against the Buffaloes can be found here, with live stats also available. 

PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIP COMING TO TEMPE
Arizona State earned the chance to host the 2022 Pac-12 Lacrosse Championships, running May 4-7 in Tempe. Two first round matchups will take place on Wednesday, May 4 with the two semifinal showdowns following on Thursday, May 5. The Pac-12 Championship comes after an off day, hosted at Sun Devil Lacrosse/Soccer Stadium on Saturday, May 7. This is a way for the Sun Devils to control their own fate, as a win at the Pac-12 Lacrosse Championships means an automatic berth into the 2022 NCAA Lacrosse Tournament.

HOW TO FOLLOW
For in-game updates, follow our Twitter and Instagram accounts (@SunDevilWLax). Like our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/sundevilwlax/) for content throughout the season. Visit our website, TheSunDevils.com, for the latest updates and information on the program.