Weekly Cover: Celebrating the 2024 College Lacrosse National Champions

The 2024 college lacrosse season reached its denouement Memorial Day weekend with the crowning of six NCAA champions. Before that, teams laid claim to NAIA, NJCAA, MCLA and WCLA titles.

It’s a marathon, not a sprint of course. The seeds were sown at the outset of the season in February. Among the hundreds of college lacrosse teams who set out to achieve greatness, these 14 were simply the best.

National champions. That has a nice ring to it.

From Cary to Philadelphia, Round Rock to Wichita and Savannah to Salem, here’s how it all went down.

NCAA DIVISION I MEN

Champion: Notre Dame

Runner-up: Maryland

Story: Notre Dame Repeats as NCAA Champion with Memorial Day Blowout

PHILADELPHIA — Monday’s Division I men’s lacrosse title game started late and was over early.

Top-seeded Notre Dame extinguished any drama from this year’s Memorial Day proceedings well before halftime, blitzing seventh-seeded Maryland 15-5 before 31,479 at Lincoln Financial Field to complete a march to a second consecutive national championship.

Chris Kavanagh, the tournament’s most outstanding player, scored five goals and Tewaaraton Award finalist Pat Kavanagh had six assists for the Fighting Irish (16-1), who shrugged off an early two-goal hole to cruise to the most lopsided title game romp since Princeton ripped Maryland 15-5 in 1998.

“This is what we play for and this is what we live for, these opportunities in big games and big moments,” said fifth-year goalie Liam Entenmann, whose team became the first to win titles in back-to-back years since 2013-14 Duke. “I guess the target is still on our back going into next year, but that’s how we want it. We don’t want to be anything other than the best and we showed that today.” [READ MORE]

NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN

Champion: Boston College

Runner-up: Northwestern

Story: ‘Hardened’ By Losses, Boston College Completes Classic Comeback in Cary

CARY, N.C. — Nearly 5,000 people couldn’t believe it. Northwestern couldn’t believe it. Shea Dolce herself couldn’t even believe it.

Erin Coykendall planted her left foot on the left-most hash of the eight-mater arc, her stick cocked back in a shooting position with 29.3 seconds left in Sunday’s NCAA Division I women’s lacrosse championship game at WakeMed Soccer Park.

With Northwestern trailing by one, the ball was in the stick of one of the Wildcats’ best weapons. On the whistle, Dylan Amonte cut behind Boston College defender Sydney Scales, who had her eyes squarely on Coykendall.

Coykendall quickly darted her eyes right to shift the defense before delivering an on-the-mark feed to the streaking Amonte, who faked high and aimed for the bottom-right corner. Dolce stuck out her left leg in a desperation attempt to preserve the lead Boston College fought so hard to claim. The ball ricocheted off her shin.

Northwestern’s final attempts came up empty after the restart, and as one last pass went high and trickled out of bounds, Dolce threw her arms up to celebrate Boston College’s 14-13 win over the defending national champions.

In their seventh straight national championship game appearance, the Eagles collected their second-ever title (2021). [READ MORE]

NCAA DIVISION II MEN

Champion: Adelphi

Runner-up: Lenoir-Rhyne

Story: Adelphi, Purdie ‘Never Gave Up Hope’ in Pursuit of First Title Since 2001

PHILADELPHIA — Adelphi tacked on its long-awaited eighth Division II men’s lacrosse title Sunday — and its coach’s hair is coming off as a result.

“It was a commitment I made, and I’m an honest guy,” Gordon Purdie said after telling two of his players to get the scissors ready in the wake of the Panthers’ 12-10 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne. “I just haven’t told the wife yet.”

Purdie is an Adelphi man through and through, an All-American midfielder during the Panthers’ Division I days in the 1980s and the head coach at the Long Island school for the last 17 years.

And now, after the Panthers rallied from a four-goal deficit in the second half before 12,156 at Lincoln Financial Field, part of the program’s first national title since 2001. [READ MORE]

NCAA DIVISION II WOMEN

Champion: Tampa

Runner-Up: Adelphi

Story: Tampa’s Quick Start Leads to Its First Division II Women’s Championship

WINTER PARK, Fla. —  Tampa trailed 3-0 early in Thursday’s semifinal game against Regis, but the Spartans flipped that script in Saturday’s Division II final against Adelphi.

A quick start fueled by three goals from Sophi Wrisk in the first five minutes gave the Spartans an early advantage, which provided all the momentum they needed for an eventual 13-8 victory over Adelphi on a 90-degree afternoon at Showalter Stadium in Winter Park, Florida.

Tampa (19-3) claimed its first Division II national championship and became the fourth straight first-time champion in Division II women’s lacrosse.

“I think we played our best lacrosse at the right time of the year,” said Tampa’s Kelly Gallagher, the only head coach in the 11-year history of the Spartans’ program. “We’ve been peaking at the right time, and I think the momentum from Thursday’s semifinal win just carried over for us into today’s game.” [READ MORE]

NCAA DIVISION III MEN

Champion: Tufts

Runner-up: RIT

Story: Tufts Outlasts RIT in D-III Shootout, Wins Fourth NCAA Title

PHILADELPHIA — Tufts might be a year ahead of schedule, but the Jumbos weren’t going to wait.

They had enough heartbreak last year.

A young Tufts team that returned after losing in last year’s national title game outscored RIT 18-14 to win the Division III national championship Sunday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.

“We're a pretty young team,” Tufts coach Casey D’Annolfo said. “We're ahead of schedule on that.”

A matchup of the second- and third-leading scoring offenses in the country lived up to its billing with Tufts (18-3) racing out to an early lead and never trailing on the way to its first national title win since 2015. The Jumbos avenged a 16-11 regular-season loss to RIT from March 16. RIT (21-3) failed to win a third championship in four years after claiming the 2021 and 2022 crowns. The teams were tied 13-13 going into the fourth quarter.

“We’ve been to three title games in four years, which is really impressive, so I can't say enough about our senior group,” RIT coach Jake Coon said. “I love those guys.” [READ MORE]

NCAA DIVISION III WOMEN

Champion: Middlebury

Runner-up: Salisbury

Story: Dynasty Mode: Middlebury Leaves No Doubt in Division III Women’s Final

SALEM, Va. —  Middlebury College’s women’s lacrosse powerhouse flirted with the running clock before the first half of the NCAA Division III title game was done. With 9 minutes 20 seconds left in the game against Salisbury University, the defending champs made that timer roll at last.

After Niki Mormile took Caroline Adams’ deft feed and netted the Panthers’ 15th goal the pace quickened en route to the team’s 16-5 runaway and third national crown in a row.

Salisbury, the 2021 champ generated its best attacking scheme of the contest early in the second half and trimmed Middlebury’s nine-point intermission lead to 12-5 with Meredith Price’s score at 6:16 of the third. The Panthers then scored the last four and that was that.

That made 51 wins in a row for the Panthers (24-0) . As somebody pointed out later, given Middlebury missed the 2021 final that Salisbury claimed and the 2020 COVID-19 blackout, Middlebury has not lost the last game of the season since it was national runner-up in 2018. Put another way, the program has won four of the last five national crowns.

Further, Middlebury has now won nine NCAA crowns since 1997. This makes the fifth of those squads to finish undefeated and the first of those in 20 years.

That’s about as dynastic as dynasties get. [READ MORE]

MCLA DIVISION I 

Champion: Brigham Young

Runner-up: Utah Valley

Story: Halversen's Seven-Goal Final Propels BYU to Fifth MCLA Championship

ROUND ROCK, Texas — Brigham Young attackman Jake Halversen scored seven goals along with an assist to lead the top-seeded Cougars to a 13-5 victory over No. 14 Utah Valley and claim the title at the 2024 MCLA National Championships presented by New Balance.

The championship was the fifth all-time for Brigham Young (19-0), which recorded its first undefeated season in program history. [READ MORE]

WCLA DIVISION I

Champion: UCLA

Runner-up: Northeastern

Story: UCLA Celebrates Its First WCLA National Championship

WICHITA, Kan. — Through the years, the UCLA Bruins have been one of the most consistently successful teams in the WCLA’s Division I ranks. The Bruins have won multiple league championships, had a plethora of players recognized as All-Americans and qualified for the national tournament 15 times, ranking among the most appearances of any school.

It's therefore surprising that UCLA had never won the WCLA championship, coming closest in 2003 and 2011 with national runner-up finishes.

But that all changed in Wichita, with No. 3 seed UCLA breaking away from No. 5 Northeastern for a 13-8 victory and their first USA Lacrosse WCLA national championship. The Bruins finished the year with a 17-1 overall record. [READ MORE]

MCLA DIVISION II

Champion: Montana State

Runner-up: St. Thomas

Story: Montana State Defeats MCLA Power St. Thomas for Division II Title

ROUND ROCK, Texas — In its first visit to the MCLA Division II national championship game, No. 4 Montana State knocked off the team with the most rings as the Bobcats defeated No. 2 St. Thomas 12-7 at the 2024 MCLA National Championships presented by New Balance. [READ MORE]

WCLA DIVISION II

Champion: Vermont

Runner-up: Providence

Story: Vermont Club Seizes Its Second Chance, Wins WCLA D-II Title

WICHITA, Kan. — Two years ago, Vermont’s club team reached a new milestone, advancing to the WCLA D-II national championship game for the first time. The Catamounts played a strong final game, but fell just shy of the title, losing by two goals.

Senior defender Hayley Zielinski remembers that empty feeling, one of 14 upperclassmen on this year’s roster that also played on the 2022 team. Perhaps the memory of that loss was just the fuel that Zielinski and her teammates needed for their return to the final in 2024.

Playing an inspired second half in the USA Lacrosse WCLA D-II championship game, Vermont scored 11 second half goals to post a 14-8 victory over arch-rival Providence and claim its first national title.

Zielinski likes this feeling much better.

“We just had the fire inside,” she said. [READ MORE]

NAIA MEN

Champion: Keiser

Runner-up: Reinhardt

Story: Rundle’s Last-Minute Goal Lifts Keiser to Second Straight NAIA Title

SAVANNAH, Ga. — AJ Badik found Ryan Rundle for the game-winning goal with 43 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter as second-seed Keiser (Fla.) knocked off top-seeded Reinhardt (Ga.) 12-11 to capture their second consecutive Red Banner at Memorial Stadium. [READ MORE] 

NAIA WOMEN

Champion: Reinhardt

Runner-up: Lawrence Tech

Story: Reinhardt Caps Dominant Spring with First-Ever NAIA Title

SAVANNAH, Ga. — Finally.

After four years playing in the NAIA women’s lacrosse national championship tournament, Reinhardt (Ga.) finally broke through as the nation’s top seed. On Saturday, the Eagles became NAIA national champs for the first time, downing defending champion Lawrence Tech (Mich.) 18-10.

“This is just such a surreal moment,” senior attacker Anna-Marie Gazzo said. “I’ve never experienced it. I’m so happy.”

Gazzo’s seven points (five goals, two assists) tied for the team lead with Shelby O’Neil (four goals, three assists), who was named the tournament’s MVP. [READ MORE]

NJCAA MEN

Champion: Harford CC

Runner-up: CCBC Essex

Story: Harford CC Repeats as NJCAA Men’s Lacrosse Champion

BEL AIR, Md. — Harford Community College (Md.) defended its national championship title with a 16-6 victory over in-state rival CCBC Essex.

The Fighting Owls avenged their lone lose of the season that came against the Knights in the District Championship by winning the ultimate prize — a second straight national title.

Harford’s Kohl Wesner was named the Steve Caravana Offensive Player of the Tournament with 11 goals and one assist in two games. [READ MORE]

NJCAA WOMEN

Champion: Onondaga CC

Runner-up: Monroe CC

Story: Onondaga Community College Wins NJCAA Women’s Lacrosse Invitational

BEL AIR, Md. — Onondaga Community College (N.Y.) has won the 2024 Women’s Lacrosse Invitational Title over Monroe Community College (N.Y.), 19-4 .

This is the first year of the NJCAA Women’s Lacrosse Invitational. The Lazers were able to claim the crown and finish the season undefeated with a 12-0 record.

Onondaga’s Olivia Lockwood was named offensive MVP with 12 goals, one assist, and 13 points in two games played. [READ MORE]