Rutgers Women’s Lacrosse Punches Their Ticket to the NCAA Tournament

The Rutgers Scarlet Knights celebrate after an NCAA women's lacrosse game at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, United States, on April 9, 2026. (Photo by Dan Squicciarini/NurPhoto via Getty Images) | NurPhoto via Getty Images

Rutgers women’s Lacrosse is officially back in the big dance, as they have earned an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament, punching their ticket to compete at the national tournament down in Maryland for the first time since 20222. The Scarlet Knights will open postseason play against in-state rival Princeton on Friday, May 8, at 2 p.m. in College Park, with the winner of that game moving on to challenge the host Terrapins, who are the three seed, that Sunday. Live coverage for the game will be available on ESPN+.

Rutgers head coach Melissa Lehman has taken her team to the NCAA tournament three out of the last six seasons and is largely responsible for the rebirth of the program because in the 44 years before her tenure, they only made the NCAA tournament once. This season, the team was able to make the tournament with a 10-8 record, including a 4-4 record in conference play.

However, it isn’t just the head coach that makes the team great; they need players who perform at a high level. Five Rutgers athletes earned 2026 all-Big Ten accolades, with Katie Buck earning first-team status and Caroline Ling earning second-team status. In addition to these two, the future seems bright at Rutgers as Gabby Mariani, Annalisa Messina, and Kate Theofield all made the Big Ten all-freshman team.

On top of that, several program records were broken this season. Ling tied the current program record for single-season points with 90, while also becoming the 29th in program history to surpass 100 career points. Buck secured the program’s single-season draw control record, while senior captain Lily Dixon produced the most career assists and single-season assists in school history.

All of these accolades were achieved despite Rutgers having a rough schedule that included 10 games against teams ranked in the IWLCA Coaches Poll, five of whom are currently ranked in the top 10. The Scarlet Knights delivered five wins over teams in the RPI Top 40, including a signature 13-12 victory over the then-No. 6 Wolverines on April 9 in Piscataway.