The keys Vermont women's lacrosse utilized to clinch the top-seed

After hours, days and months of preparation, the Vermont women's lacrosse team is back where it wants to be: the postseason. The Catamounts return to the America East tournament after a two-year hiatus that saw Vermont record back-to-back sixth-place finishes in the America East. "You look at our conference record last year, we lost four games, by a total of eight ...

there's no worse taste in your mouth then when you know you have the ball in your stick and not have it go your way," sais UVM coach Sarah Dalton Graddock, recently named America East's Coach of the Year. "A lot of times you have to learn it the hard way and we had to take our punches last year, but a lot of those kids are back on the field for us and making those plays. " This year, Vermont women's lacrosse (9-6) is the favorite to earn the program's second berth to the NCAA Tournament after claiming the top seed for the first time with a 5-1 conference record and winning the goal differential tie-breaker.

The Catamounts will take on No. 4 UMBC in the America East semifinals on Friday, May 1 at 4 p. m.

on Virtue Field. The championship game will be played on Sunday, May 3 at noon also on Virtue Field. All the games will be streamed on ESPN+.