2009 NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse BracketSpringfield, Mass. - May 3, 2009 - The Springfield College men's lacrosse team will host the Mount Ida Mustangs in an opening round game of the NCAA Division III Men's Lacrosse Tournament on Wednesday. Game time has yet to be determined for the contest.
The winner of the game will then travel to square off against last season's national runner up, Cortland State, on Saturday.
The 22-team field for the national tournament was announced Sunday night (May 3) on the CBS College Sports Network.
Springfield earned the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Pilgrim Lacrosse League for the second-straight year by defeating Wheaton, 12-7, on Saturday.
The Mustangs won their sixth consecutive North Atlantic Conference (NAC) championship by toppling Castleton State, 25-9, on Saturday afternoon. Mount Ida will head into the NCAA tournament for the third year in a row and stands at 13-6 on the year.
The two teams have a pair of common opponents. The Mustangs defeated Babson 8-7, while the Pride defeated Babson twice, 22-6 in the regular season and 24-4 in the Pilgrim League Tournament semifinals. Springfield and Mount Ida both lost to Amherst during the season, with the Mustangs falling 17-5 and the Pride dropping a 5-6 decision to the Lord Jeffs.
Keith Bugbee enters his 30th season as head men's lacrosse coach at Springfield College in 2013. Under his direction, the Pride is one of the top programs in the country. Bugbee's coaching record stands at an impressive 317-149 (.680 winning percentage). Read more.