Welcome to #BestOfLax. Help us celebrate the past year of lacrosse by voting in 15 polls spread over the course of December. All voting will be conducted on Twitter (@usalacrossemag), and fans will have 24 hours to let their voices be heard.

For more information — including upcoming categories, rules and more — check out our introductory post to #BestOfLax.

There is no better feeling than shedding the weight of opportunities missed.

Four college lacrosse teams this season did just that. Whether it was capturing a first NCAA title or re-establishing past program greatness, four teams broke through in a big way in 2021.

Here are the nominees for Best Team Breakthrough.

For the team that finally got it done. VOTE NOW in our #BestOfLax poll to determine the ultimate breakthrough team from 2021.

NOMINEES: https://t.co/AyMZpcIFzr

— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 1, 2021

BEST TEAM BREAKTHROUGH

For the squad that finally got it done.

BOSTON COLLEGE

Imagine the Buffalo Bills winning the Super Bowl in their fourth straight try in 1993, but with a cast of players considered inferior to their predecessors. That is what BC accomplished in its first full season following the graduation of the Big Three, as Charlotte North led the Eagles to an NCAA title after three championship game losses from 2017-19.

LINDENWOOD

The Lindenwood women were a force to be reckoned with, a team that suffered its only loss of the season in the GLVC championship game against UIndy. The Lions, like true champions, responded by besting UIndy in an NCAA quarterfinal. All four NCAA tournament games for Lindenwood were decided by five or fewer goals, but their grit prevailed. In capturing their first national title, Lindenwood became just the second team in the 20-year history of the Division II women’s championship from outside of New York, Massachusetts or Pennsylvania to hoist the champion’s trophy.

RIT

It took a mind-boggling finish for RIT to capture its first NCAA Division III men’s title. Ryan Barnable’s goal in double overtime clinched a 15-14 victory over Salisbury back in May, despite Salisbury’s 14-13 lead with 20 seconds left in regulation. “I’m still a little bit in shock right now,” goalie Walker Hare said after the game. We wouldn’t be surprised if he’s still in shock now.

RUTGERS

Seventeen seasons. That’s how long it took the Rutgers men to get back to the promised land of the NCAA tournament. The Scarlet Knights ultimately fell in overtime against North Carolina in the NCAA quarterfinals, but Rutgers was the talk of the men’s lacrosse world for much of the spring. By dominating the transfer portal and utilizing the Kirst brothers — one of the feel-good stories of the season — Rutgers head coach Brian Brecht put his program back on the map.