(Photos by Anna Scipione)

SAN DIEGO – It has produced the last two MCLA national champions in Division I and a finalist in Division II over the previous two seasons and now the Southwestern Lacrosse Conference is set to crown its best.

The SLC tournament, which begins on April 22 with first round games at higher seed home sites, features six teams from each division with the winner in each earning an automatic qualifying bid to the 2017 MCLA National Championships powered by Under Armour in Orange County from May 8-13.

The Division I tournament will have a familiar feel with five of the six teams seeded the same way as 2016. Chapman (North) and Grand Canyon (South) have snagged the two top seeds (and byes) and will await first round winners at La Costa Canyon High School on Friday, April 28. (Match-ups below).

Concordia-Irvine once against grabbed the South’s top seed in Division II, but Northern Arizona will be the top seed in the North. When the dust settles, the SLC is hopeful to have at least one at-large berth at nationals, if not two.

“The SLC tournament is always must-see lacrosse and we’re excited to two great fields again this year,” said SLC director Matt Holman. “Since inception, and certainly the last two years, the SLC champions have had a major impact at the national championships.”

The SLC champions will be crowned on Sunday, April 30, with the D-II game starting at 11 a.m. and D-I following at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets will be $8 per entry or $12 for a three-day pass to the event. The semifinals and finals of both divisions will be streamed live on the SLC YouTube channel (paywall) as well as the Arizona-UCSB first round game this coming weekend.

2017 Southwestern Lacrosse Conference Tournament

Division I - (Bracket)
Saturday, April 22 – First Round
#3N USC at #2S Arizona State, 11 a.m.
#3S Arizona at #2N UC Santa Barbara, 1 p.m.

Friday, April 28 – Semifinals – La Costa Canyon
UA/UCSB winner vs. #1S Grand Canyon, 4:30 p.m.
USC/ASU winner vs. #1N Chapman, 7:15 p.m.

Sunday, April 30 – Finals – La Costa Canyon
Semifinal winners, 1:30 p.m.

Division II - (Bracket)
Saturday, April 22 – First Round
#3N Biola at #2S San Diego, 2 p.m.

Sunday, April 23 – First Round
#3S Cal State San Marcos at #2N Cal State Fullerton, 12 p.m.

Saturday, April 29 – Semifinals – La Costa Canyon
CSSM/CSUF winner vs. #1S Concordia-Irvine, 12 p.m.
Biola/USD winner vs. #1N Northern Arizona, 2:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 30 – Finals – La Costa Canyon
Semifinal winners, 11 a.m.