The Virginia lacrosse teams both anticipated playing for a national championship this month. They just never expected it to be like this.

The men's and women's teams awaited word of their NCAA tournament seedings last night, a day after women's player Yeardley Love was buried in her native Maryland. The 22-year-old was found beaten in her apartment earlier in the week and Charlottesville authorities have charged George Huguely of the men's team with first-degree murder.

Both teams decided to play on with the support of Love's family.

The Cavaliers men's team was given the top seed in the 16-team field. Appearing for the 17th time in coach Dom Starsia's 18 seasons, Virginia will host Mount St. Mary's on Saturday night. It will not only be the first game for the team since the program was rocked by the slaying, but also since Starsia's father died Friday after a long illness.

The women's team, making its 15th consecutive trip to the tournament under coach Julie Myers, was given a No. 6 and will play at home against Towson on Sunday.

"It's hard to put into words what this week has been like. Tragic on so many different levels," Starsia said, noting that he rejoined the team for practice yesterday. "I was glad to be able to at least consider the lacrosse piece of this again, both on the field this afternoon with the team and talking about lacrosse this evening."

SOCCER

CHELSEA RETAKES TITLE

Chelsea regained the Premier League title from Manchester United with an 8-0 victory over Wigan yesterday in London.

Even though United finished the campaign with a 4-0 victory over Stoke at Old Trafford, the big celebrations yesterday were at Stamford Bridge. That's where three goals by Didier Drogba, two by Nicolas Anelka and one each by Frank Lampard and Salomon Kalou made Chelsea the champion by one point in manager Carlo Ancelotti's first season in English soccer.

It is Chelsea's third league title in six years and the result means it prevented United becoming the first team to win the English title four years in a row.

AUTO RACING

WEBBER CROWNED

Mark Webber won the Spanish Grand Prix yesterday while Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel filled out the podium after Lewis Hamilton crashed with one lap remaining at Barcelona, Spain.

Webber made it 10 straight winners from pole position at the Circuit de Catalunya after the Australian drove a flawless race for a 24-second victory over Alonso and his third career victory.

Hamilton was second for most of the race before his tire blew out to send the McLaren driver into the wall.

BASKETBALL

76ERS TALK WITH TWO

Former Detroit player Bill Laimbeer and former Toronto coach Sam Mitchell met with the Philadelphia 76ers yesterday in Dallas to discuss the team's vacant coaching job.

The 76ers also have talked to Avery Johnson and Doug Collins. They fired Eddie Jordan last month after the team went 27-55 in his lone season.