Colorado, Stonehill Make History with Conference Crowns

Eight conference titles were handed out on Saturday, and that now brings is to 10 automatic qualifiers to the NCAA tournament. The final five will be doled out tomorrow afternoon before the Selection Show reveals the final bracket.

On Saturday, there were hardly any massive surprises — but do not assume that it was a boring day.

History was made by Colorado and Stonehill, regular-season losses were avenged by Jacksonville and James Madison and we got to watch a second Army-Navy game.

Here's a recap of conference championships awarded Saturday: 
 

🎟️👊 CHAMPIONSHIP CLINCHERS

Teams that punched their ticket Saturday:

(1) UMass def. (2) Akron 15-3 (MAC)
(2) Stonehill def. (1) Le Moyne 15-8 (NEC)
(2) Jacksonville def. (1) Delaware 16-11 (ASUN)
(1) Stony Brook def. (3) Towson 18-7 (CAA)
(2) James Madison def. (1) South Florida 17-7 (American)
(2) Colorado def. (1) Florida 8-6 (Big 12)
(1) Denver def. (2) Georgetown 12-4 (Big East)
(1) Navy def. (2) Army 17-11 (Patriot League)

🌟 TOP PERFORMANCES

Cate Marshall, UMass — There is offense all over the place in a 15-3 win, and none of it is possible without somebody winning possession. Look no farther than freshman Cate Marshall, who secured 11 draws to up her season total to 164.

Nina Tremonte, Stonehill — The MVP of the NEC tournament, Tremonte made nine stops in the conference title game against Le Moyne. The Skyhawks had already locked up a bid to the NCAA tournament because the Dolphins were not tournament eligible.

Maeve Brennan, Jacksonville — With six goals and one assist, Brennan made sure Jacksonville would secure its upset over top-seeded Delaware in the ASUN. That makes 10 total ASUN championships for the Dolphins in program history.

Isabella Caporuscio, Stony Brook — The midfield dynamo deposited six goals to up her season total to 60 and helped Stony Brook overcome a scrappy Towson team that kept things close in the first half.

Reese Cuviello, James Madison — Kaitlyn Carney scored six times for the Dukes, but Cuviello was seemingly everywhere in the middle of the field. She had four ground balls, three caused turnovers and two draw controls as the Dukes flipped the script on South Florida.

Maddie Shoup, Colorado — Shoup dropped four goals to lift Colorado to its first-ever conference championship, continuing her standout season for a Buffs team that made waves early in February and has kept the pace. Could Colorado have played itself into a national seed come Selection Sunday?

Lexi Gwaku, Denver — A 13-save outing helped Denver win its sixth straight Big East title, a 12-4 win over a Georgetown team that looked like a contender at times during the spring. Thirteen saves represented a new career high, besting her Big East semifinal mark of 10.

Alyssa Chung and Mikayla Williams, Navy — Chung and Williams share the recognition because of how much offensive pressure they put on Army, combining for nine goals. Make it back-to-back Patriot League championships for the Mids.

😮 BIGGEST UPSET

Colorado over Florida

There was not a true headline-stealing upset today, but a Colorado win over Florida was big. The Buffs were 0-6 all time in conference championship games dating back to their time in the Pac-12, and Florida had done nothing but steamroll its way through the Big 12. The Gators entered play third nationally at 16.24 goals per game, and the rock-solid Colorado defense held them to just six.

📈 NUMBERS OF THE DAY

4 • No. 1 seeds that lost in their conference finals, albeit to highly competitive teams close behind.

5 • More games on tap for tomorrow before Selection Sunday.

9 p.m. • Time you need to check into ESPNU Sunday night for the aforementioned Selection Show.