By Chris Garman

Here are the highlights from the past week in local Division I women's lacrosse, plus a look ahead to the NCAA tournament.

Game of the Week

No. 12 Loyola pulled out an upset victory, 13-7, over No. 2 Syracuse to clinch its second-consecutive Big East championship on May 5.

Senior goalkeeper Kerry Stoothoff was named tournament MVP after totaling 19 saves during the two tournament games. On her fourth save of the title game, Stoothoff recorded her 500th career save, becoming the fifth Greyhound goalkeeper to reach that mark.

Freshman Kara Burke tallied a career-high four goals and an assist against the Orange, leading to her selection to the Big East All-Tournament team. Seniors Kellye Gallagher and Ana Heneberry, junior Joanna Dalton, sophomore Marlee Paton and freshman Annie Thomas were also named to the All-Tournament team.

The Greyhounds (13-5, 7-1 Big East) received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and will face Penn on May 13.

Week In Review

May 3
No. 12 Loyola 11, No. 6 Notre Dame 9
No. 2 Syracuse 7, No. 16 Georgetown 6
Stony Brook 9, UMBC 7

May 5
No. 12 Loyola 13, No. 2 Syracuse 7
Towson 15, Monmouth 5
Navy 10, Oregon 9 OT

Players of the Week

• Paton: 10 points (seven goals, three assists) during the Greyhounds' two Big East tournament games

• Towson sophomore Andi Raymond: six points (two goals, four assists) during the Tigers' NCAA tournament play-in game victory.

• Navy sophomore Aimee Gennaro: four goals, including the overtime game-winner, during the Midshipmen's NCAA tournament play-in game victory

News and Notes

• Maryland will make its nation-leading 28th NCAA tournament appearance.

• Loyola earned its 14th NCAA tournament berth, including its second straight under head coach Jen Adams.

• Towson will make its fifth NCAA tournament appearance since 2005 and enter its opening-round game riding a program-record 10-game winning streak.

• Navy will make its third NCAA tournament appearance during its fifth year of varsity competition.

• On the national scene, Florida was awarded the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament, after posting a regular-season record of 17-2.

Division I First-Round Games

May 12
No. 1 Florida vs. Albany -- 1 p.m.
No. 3 Maryland vs. Massachusetts -- 2 p.m.
No. 5 North Carolina vs. Navy -- 12 p.m.
No. 8 Towson vs. Penn State -- 3 p.m.

May 13
No. 2 Northwestern vs. Notre Dame -- 4 p.m.
No. 4 Syracuse vs. Dartmouth -- 4 p.m.
No. 6 Loyola vs. Penn -- 1 p.m.
No. 7 Duke vs. Virginia -- 2 p.m.

Posted May 7, 2012