Laxwomen Receive Top Seed

NCAA tournament officials announced today what women's lacrosse teams across the country already knew: Harvard is the top team in the nation.

The Crimson received the top seed in the national tourney, earning a bye from first-round action this Saturday. Maryland, which dropped an 11-10 decision to Harvard last month, received the other free pass to the Final Four in Princeton, N.J., with the number-two ranking.

On Saturday, sixth-seeded Penn State will travel to Philadelphia to take on third-ranked Temple, with the winner to face the Crimson. Harvard knocked off Temple this season, 7-6, but the Nittany Lions trimmed the Crimson by a 7-6 margin in last year's NCAA finals.

"It doesn't really matter to us who we play," Harvard goaltender Sarah Leary said. "But it would be nice to get a rematch against Penn State."

Fifth-ranked Loyola will take on fourth-rated Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., in the other first-round matchup.