INDIANAPOLIS – Hours after winning the 2025 MAAC Championship in the state of Maryland, Fairfield University Women's Lacrosse learned that it would be heading back to the Old Line State this week for the 2025 NCAA Championship First Round. The Stags drew #6 Maryland for a Friday, May 9 matchup in College Park, with opening draw slated for noon.
 
Fairfield is making its seventh consecutive trip to the NCAA Championship and the ninth in program history. The Stags are 11-7 on the season following Sunday's 12-7 over Iona to claim the MAAC Championship for the ninth time overall and the sixth time during the tenure of Head Coach Laura Field.
 
Maryland earned the #6 seed on the heels of a 14-5 overall record and a 7-1 mark in the Big Ten. The perennial national power owns six wins over ranked teams: James Madison, USC, Rutgers, Johns Hopkins and two victories over Michigan. The Terps took two losses to #3 Northwestern – their lone Big Ten loss and their ouster in the Big Ten Title Game – as well as setbacks against nationally-ranked foes Syracuse, Penn and Virginia.
 
Fairfield and Maryland will be meeting for the first time.
 
The other side of the College Park bracket features a meeting of two nationally ranked teams in #12 Penn and #19 Army West Point.
 
The advancing teams will meet on Sunday, May 11 at 12 p.m. with a spot in the national quarterfinals on the line.