Caitlyn Tai
Clemson lacrosse finished a historic regular season, sitting at 12-5 before the ACC quarterfinals.
Clemson women’s lacrosse ended its historic regular season on a high note, beating the Pittsburgh Panthers 14-6 on Thursday. The Tigers now look ahead to the ACC quarterfinals, aiming to punch their ticket to the NCAA championship.
The Tigers set multiple Clemson records in the game against the Panthers (8-8, 2-7 ACC). Lindsey Marshall set the single-season record for goals and points, while Kayla MacLeod became the all-time leader in points for the Tigers with 90. The contest marked the program’s sixth conference and 12th overall win of the season — both single-season program records.
No. 14 Clemson (12-5, 6-3 ACC) won three of its last four games since the start of April. With a strong ACC tournament run, the Tigers could find themselves dancing in May. On Wednesday, April 23, Clemson’s season continues in the ACC Championships, where a quarterfinal face-off against No. 10 Duke (12-4, 6-3 ACC) awaits.
In women’s lacrosse, 29 teams receive a bid for the NCAA championship. Fifteen of those spots go to conference champions, who automatically qualify. The remaining spots in the bracket are selected at-large by the NCAA Division I Women’s Lacrosse Committee based on win-loss record and strength of schedule.
The Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) measures team season performance compared to the strength of schedule. Before the Pittsburgh game, the Tigers sat at No. 23 on the RPI. Coupled with its No. 14-ranked status, Clemson has a fair chance of getting selected outright regardless of ACC tournament results.
Currently, the only guarantee for the Tigers to extend their season is to beat the Blue Devils. After Duke handed Clemson its first season loss in a thriller back in March, the rematch is sure to be a high-stakes showdown, with Clemson’s postseason hopes hanging in the balance.