Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe has been on the NCAA tournament selection committee. She knows —  and respects — the process of choosing tournament teams, seedings and matchups.

That didn’t stop her from being a little caught off guard by James Madison’s first-round draw.

“I think it’s always a crapshoot when it comes to the selection show,” Klaes-Bawcombe said. “I know it’s based on numbers, but I was a little bit surprised to see that not only are we in that bracket, but we’re also the away team (per NCAA designation - the game will be played in College Park, Md.).”

The defending national champions, owners of a nine-game winning streak and one of the hottest teams in the country, play Stony Brook, a team that’s scorching in its own right, in the first round of the NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse tournament. The winner gets No. 1 overall seed Maryland on Sunday.

JAMES MADISON VS. STONY BROOK

WHEN: FRIDAY, MAY 10, 4 P.M.
WHERE: COLLEGE PARK, MD.
WATCH: BTN2GO

“To me, I take it as a disrespect of our conference,” Klaes-Bawcombe said. She later elaborated: “Did we have enough quality wins this year? I know Stony Brook had their Hopkins and USC games kind of snuck in there toward the end. Are those the kind of things that give them the nod as the home team?”

Regardless of the circumstances, the matchup is certainly compelling. These teams have never played each other before, though James Madison’s national title came at Stony Brook’s Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium last May. Ironically, Stony Brook was considered a favorite to reach the Final Four on its home turf before another controversial seeding from the committee sent them to Boston College for the quarterfinals.

Two mid-major programs with lofty goals each year reunite Seawolves coach Joe Spallina with Dukes assistant coach Dorrien Van Dyke, one of the top players in Stony Brook history from 2014-17.

Then, of course, there’s what’s about to happen on the field. Both teams run suffocating zone defenses — with unique differences.

Caroline Sdanowich has established herself as one of the top interior defenders in the nation. She clogs the middle of the JMU zone, and Klaes-Bawcombe said that everything funnels through her. Perhaps that’s how JMU will counteract the dynamic Ally Kennedy, similarly to how the Dukes neutralized Alyssa Parrella in a 13-3 win over Hofstra in the CAA championship game.

“Anything that’s coming through the middle has to come through Caroline, whether it’s a cutter or a dodger,” Klaes-Bawcombe said. “They have to come through Caroline. They are a lot like Hofstra in that they run through their dynamic goal-scorer.”

The Seawolves rank third in the nation, allowing just 7.42 goals per game. Against an offense that has evolved without Kristen Gaudian, Haley Warden and others, Stony Brook hopes to fluster the Dukes.

Maybe few projected this as a first-round matchup, but it’s one of Friday’s most compelling games.

“I think it’s the parity of the whole nation right now,” Klaes-Bawcombe said. “No win in the NCAAs is going to be easy. There might be some that are easier than others, but basically every first-round game is hard now. And that’s the reality of the growth of the sport.

“Having been on the committee, I do know and appreciate the amount of time that goes into these selections. I have a lot of respect for the amount of time it takes to create the bracket.”

FRIDAY’S OTHER FIRST ROUND GAMES

Penn vs. Georgetown at Syracuse, 4 p.m. (ESPN3)

Making its 13^th straight trip to the tournament, Penn earned an at-large bid and a date with Georgetown in a rematch of an 8-7 win for Penn on March 9. Zoe Belodeau tied the game at 7 then scored the winner for the Quakers. Georgetown likely wouldn’t have been a tournament team if it hadn’t beaten Denver in dramatic fashion in the Big East championship game, especially with seven of its eight losses coming against teams in the tournament. The winner plays Syracuse on Sunday.

Jacksonville at No. 8 Michigan, 4 p.m. (BTN2Go)

Jacksonville can score a ton, but can it match the overall depth of Michigan? Prior to this unexpected success by the Wolverines, Jacksonville had won both matchups between these programs. Last year, the Dolphins won, 14-9. But Michigan has turned it around, going 9-0 at home this spring en route to earning the No. 8 national seed and hosting duties for the first and second rounds. Because of the Dolphins’ offense, Michigan won’t have an easy ride. The Wolverines need to focus on limiting Jenny Kinsey, Hayley Ciklin and Lillie Miller. The winner plays the USC-Denver winner.

Richmond vs. Loyola at Princeton, 4 p.m. (ESPN3)

Loyola shattered records during the Patriot League tournament, scoring 41 goals on 26 assists (both records) in two games. Senior Hannah Powers has been at the center of that, breaking tournaments records in goals in a single game (eight), goals in a tournament (12) and points in a tournament (18). Of course, Loyola has dominated Patriot League competition since moving from the Big East aside from title game game losses the last two seasons to Navy, but Richmond still has to be wary. The Spiders can lean on Julie Ball defensively and on the draw, and her impact must be felt for Richmond. The winner plays the Princeton-Wagner winner.

No. 12 Dartmouth vs. Colorado at Boston College, 4 p.m. (ESPN3)

Colorado was presumably one of the last bubble teams to make the field (especially after losing 12-3 to USC in the Pac-12 title game), pitting the Buffaloes against a Dartmouth team that caught fire midway through the spring. It came to an end with a 15-14 loss to Penn in the Ivy League semifinals, and although the winner of this game has to play Boston College, they are still talented enough to make some noise. To beat Colorado, Dartmouth needs to limit Miranda Stinson, Samantha Nemirov and Sadie Grozier, who have accounted for 68.1 percent of the team’s goal scoring.

Florida vs. Johns Hopkins at North Carolina, 5 p.m. (ESPN3)

If there’s an unseeded team capable of making the Final Four, it’s Florida. The Gators did not fair particularly well against ranked competition this season (losing to Maryland, Loyola, Navy, Syracuse, North Carolina and Princeton), but four of those losses were by two goals or fewer. With two superstars on offense in Lindsey Ronbeck and Shannon Kavanagh and several more impact role players, Florida has more than enough to give Johns Hopkins fits. Hopkins hosts championship weekend, and it would be quite the story if the Blue Jays made it there. The winner here plays North Carolina.

No. 18 USC vs. No. 15 Denver at Michigan, 7 p.m. (BTN2Go)

The Trojans are fresh off a dominant outing in the Pac-12 title game, leading to the conference’s automatic bid. Enviable balance makes USC tough for defenses to solve. Kelsey Huff and Izzy McMahon overwhelmingly lead the team in shots taken, but Huff, McMahon, Emily Concialdi, Hope Anhut and Sophia Donovan have each recorded at least 42 points. With Kerrigan Miller — the Pac-12 Midfielder of the Year — patrolling between the 30s, USC has a formula that works. Denver’s best bet is to focus on limiting Jackie Gilbert in the draw circle, keeping the ball away from USC as much as possible. The winner plays the Michigan-Jacksonville winner.

No. 13 Navy vs. High Point at Virginia, 7 p.m. (ESPN3)

Navy was dominated by Loyola in the Patriot League championship game but its body of work was strong enough to earn an at-large bid. The Midshipmen were a Cinderella story last spring, advancing to the Elite Eight one year after making it to the Final Four. Do the Mids have more magic? The winner here gets Virginia, a strong ACC team but certainly a vulnerable opponent. To get there, Navy has to outlast a High Point team that’s won 11 straight games. The Panthers are third nationally in scoring margin (plus-8.00) and fifth in scoring offense (16.63).

Wagner at No. 9 Princeton, 7 p.m. (ESPN3)

Wagner scored the last two goals to beat Fairfield in the play-in game, 15-13. The reward? Now the Seahawks get Princeton, the Ivy League champion. These teams have never met before and have no common opponents, but Princeton has the NCAA tournament experience. Six players on the roster have scored at least one tournament goal, led by Elizabeth George’s 12. The Tigers began the year 5-3 but have won nine straight games behind Sam Fish in the cage. Everything needs to fall Wagner’s way to pull off the upset.

No. 10 Notre Dame vs. Stanford at Northwestern, 8 p.m. (BTN2Go)

A shocking 14-13 loss to Duke in the first round of the ACC tournament may have cost Notre Dame a home game in the NCAA tournament, but the overall body of work was certainly strong enough to earn a good draw. The Fighting Irish do all the integral things well. They win the draw (second in the nation), limit offenses (7.71 goals per game allowed) and don’t turn the ball over (12.71 turnovers per game). And with Samantha Giacolone dominating between the pipes, Notre Dame, which beat North Carolina, is a legit contender. Stanford, which beatn tournament teams in Colorado and Denver, needs its offense to show up. The Cardinal averaged 15.9 goals in its 13 wins and just 9.6 in its five losses. The winner gets Northwestern.