High Attendance at Southeast Cup Jumpstarts Summer Series

Powered by Elite Tournaments, the 2023 IWLCA Southeast Cup wrapped up Sunday afternoon in Raleigh, North Carolina, kick-starting the summer tournament series action. The event was held at the WRAL Soccer Park across 14 fields and drew 81 IWLCA member coaches and 87 teams (1,441 prospective student-athletes). 

One of the IWLCA's five "regional" tournaments, the Southeast Cup continues to grow in attendance and sponsor participation. Twenty more teams were competing than last year, which resulted in a little over 300 more student-athletes in action. This year's tournament had nine vendors in the vendor village, while an additional 10-plus sponsors supported the cause, including the IWLCA Experience presented by Nike Lacrosse Friday night. 

“The IWLCA Summer Tournament season kicked off in a great fashion this past weekend with a record number of teams for the IWLCA Southeast Cup in Raleigh," said Caitlin Schmelz, Director of Lacrosse at Elite Tournaments. "Through hot temperatures, we saw some amazing competition, many smiles from college coaches, and multiple athletes get pinned “player of the match”, the newest addition to the IWLCA Tournament Series." 

With 176 games, 21 states were represented, and 40 officials circulated throughout the tournament. Nine officials from the College Players Officials Academy (CPOA) and seven from the College Women's Lacrosse Officiating Association (CWLOA) also had an opportunity to gain valuable experience and training needed to become future officials at collegiate and elite levels. 

Southeast Cup, By The Numbers
81 IWLCA Member Coaches
87 Teams
176 Games Played/Officiated
1,441 Prospective Student-Athletes
21 States Represented
14 Fields (WRAL Soccer Park, Raleigh, NC) 
40 total officials - including nine in CPOA (CPOA) and seven in CWLOA Transitional Clinic