by Alan Babbitt
The Hope College men's lacrosse team is Illinois-bound for its second NCAA Division III Tournament appearance.
The Flying Dutchmen are headed to Bloomington, Illinois, this weekend for a four-team, first- and second-round pod at Illinois Wesleyan University.
Hope, the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Tournament champion, will play Benedictine University (Illinois) on Friday, May 14 at 4 p.m. Central.
The winner will face either Illinois Wesleyan or Northwestern (Minnesota) on Saturday, May 15 at 2 p.m. Central at Illinois Wesleyan.
NCAA Tournament Bracket
Illinois Wesleyan NCAA Tournament Page
Spectators for the NCAA Tournament games at Illinois Wesleyan will be limited to those on the student-athlete pass list only to accommodate for fans of both teams.
Home fans will have seating available in the southwest half of the main bleachers, along with the horseshoe. Visiting fans will be seated on the southeast half of the main stands along with the bleachers on the north side of the field. Additionally, all spectators will be required to wear masks when inside Tucci Stadium.
Photo of Ian Bosman by Steve Herppich
Hope is one of 31 teams competing in the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Flying Dutchmen (12-1 overall) earned the MIAA's automatic berth by winning at Albion College, 19-13, on Saturday.
Benedictine advanced to postseason play with a 10-8 victory against Aurora University (Illinois) at home in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament final on May 1.
In 2019, Hope made its first postseason appearance and lost to John Carroll University (Ohio), 7-6 in overtime, in Rochester, N.Y. There was no NCAA Tournament in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This will be the third all-time meeting between Hope and Benedictine. The Flying Dutchmen won both regular-season meetings in 2017 and 2018.
