SPORTS BRIEF: On heels of loss, men’s lacrosse team receives at-large bid to NCAA Championships

Despite a 6-6 record and a disappointing loss on Saturday, the Crimson has received an at-large bid to the 2006 NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Championship.

Harvard will face perennial powerhouse Syracuse, which has won eight national titles, in the first round of the tournament on Sunday, May 14 at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU.

The bid, which makes Harvard one of four Ivy League teams to make the tournament, is the Crimson’s first since the 1996 season.

While Harvard’s record on the season was only 6-6, its schedule ranked among the six toughest in Division I, which, along with quality wins against title contenders like Penn and Denver, may have factored into Harvard’s selection as one of the ten teams to receive an at-large bid.