Win It To Be In It

By Tom Mudrak for KSU Lax

The Kennesaw State lacrosse team is headed back to Johns Creek. The Owls will make their third straight appearance at the SELC Tournament, which starts on Friday, April 27th. Friday’s win against Tennessee Wesleyan made KSU 3-0 in division play and left them on top of the southwest division as champions for the second straight year.

The Owls face a tough road to the conference championship, as the team will face Palm Beach Atlantic and possibly a rematch with Tennessee Wesleyan. Also in the mix are upstart teams Liberty and Davidson; who will be looking to make a name for themselves in their first SELC appearances.

A conference championship guarantees a spot in the 16 team field in the MCLA Tournament in Greenville, SC in May.

The Owls have made huge stride over the past three years. Before 2010, the Owls had never made the SELC Tournament but have experienced success in each previous showing. The 2010 Owls won two games in the tournament before losing in the championship game to Elon by 2. Last season, the Owls won their first round game before losing to SCAD in the semi-finals.

The Owls are expecting better results in the tournament this season. The team is riding momentum and hitting their stride at the right time. Currently on a five game winning streak including three on the road; the Owls are winning and gaining valuable experience in the process.

The Owls played one of the toughest schedules in the country, which featured six opponents ranked in the Top 25 in the country. KSU managed to navigate the schedule and haven’t lost since February after a 2-3 start.

The road to Greenville is winding toward an end but more is needed to get the Owls over the hump. An at-large bid is unlikely at this point due to bad showings against Dayton and Indiana Tech earlier in the season; leaving the Owls to rely solely on themselves to get into the national field.