D-III Women's Final Four Preview: History, Pregame Reading and More

Thu May 25 2023 | Kenny DeJohn | College
College Women Division III

PHOTO BY DAVID SINCLAIR / GETTYSBURG ATHLETICS

Emily Crane and Gettysburg are back in the Final Four in their first season after the retirement of head coach Carol Cantele.

Two teams on opposite ends of the bracket have the opportunity to complete a perfect season in the Division III women’s Final Four this weekend in Salem, Va. The narratives write themselves.

Both Middlebury and William Smith have run roughshod through their competition this spring, and the chance to play each other both for an undefeated season and a national championship is certainly juicy. They’ll have to get past their semifinal opponents first, of course, and those teams — Franklin & Marshall and Gettysburg — absolutely aren’t slouches.

Continue below for a primer on the weekend, including some light pregame reading and series history.

QUARTERFINALS RECAP | FULL BRACKET | DIVISION III TOP 20

SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE
FRIDAY — ALL TIMES EASTERN

12 p.m. — Middlebury v. Franklin & Marshall
3:00 p.m. — William Smith v. Gettysburg

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Sunday, May 28, 12 p.m. Eastern

MIDDLEBURY V. FRANKLIN & MARSHALL

PREGAME READING ON MIDDLEBURY: Middlebury, No. 1 in Nike/USA Lacrosse D-III Women's Top 20, Wins NESCAC Crown

PREGAME READING ON F&M: Three F&M Players Earn IWLCA All-American Distinction

SERIES HISTORY: Middlebury and Franklin & Marshall have met three times, with the Panthers holding a 2-1 edge. They have not played since 2019, though, and F&M has not beaten Middlebury since 2017.

ONE-LINER: Nothing has stopped Middlebury in 2023, though the Panthers just played their closest game of the season — a five-goal win over Colby.

WILLIAM SMITH V. GETTYSBURG

PREGAME READING ON WILLIAM SMITH: Division III Women's Recap: Montgomery Wills William Smith to NCAA Quarters

PREGAME READING ON GETTYSBURG: Jordan Basso is a USA Lacrosse Women's Players of the Week; Red-Hot Gettysburg Climbing Nike/USA Lacrosse Division III Women's Top 20

SERIES HISTORY: William Smith is 4-1 all time against Gettysburg, but that history should mean little here. The last meeting was in 2016 — a Bullets win — and the four previous meetings came between 1998-2001.

ONE-LINER: William Smith survived a third-round scare thanks to the heroic play of Maddie Montgomery, and Gettysburg can make a splash here in its first season after the retirement of Carol Cantele.