DENVER – The No. 17 University of Denver women's lacrosse team will face No. 13 USC in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, held in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Friday night a 5 p.m. MT.
 
The Pioneers are 14-3 on the season, most recently having lost to Georgetown in double overtime fighting for the BIG EAST Tournament Championship. The Trojans advanced to the NCAA's with an automatic bid after winning the Pac-12 Tournament back on April 28, defeating Colorado 12-3.
 
Quintin Hoch-Bullen, the BIG EAST Attacker of the Year, leads the Crimson and Gold with 51 goals, 97 shots and 63 points this season. She was essential in the BIG EAST Semifinal game against Villanova, leading Denver to a 15-5 victory with four goals and five points. Junior Carson Gregg has spent 818 minutes in net for the Pioneers, totaling 85 saves and a .464 save percentage on the year. She currently ranks No. 2 in the nation with 7.18 goals-against average.
 
The Trojans went 9-1 in Pac-12 contests in regular season play, and then defeated the Cal Bears and the Colorado Buffs to win their second conference tournament in program history. USC currently ranks No. 6 in the NCAA for scoring defense (8.0), No. 4 in win percentage (0.842), No. 5 in save percentage (0.513) and No. 11 in scoring margins (5.79). Sophomore Kelsey Huff leads the team with 41 goals, 48 points and 109 shots this season, and sophomore Riley Hertford has spent a majority of time in goal, accumulating 79 saves and a .598 save percentage.
 
The winner of Friday night's contest will advance to the second round of the tournament, set to face the victor of the Michigan vs. Jacksonville/Mercer game.
 
PIONEER MOVEMENT: 
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