# Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association

The Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) is a national organization of non-NCAA men's college lacrosse programs. The MCLA oversees game play and conducts national championships for over 200 teams in ten conferences throughout the United States and Canada. The MCLA provides a governing structure much like the NCAA, with eligibility rules, All-Americans and a national tournament to decide national champions in both Divisions I and II.
The MCLA exists to provide a quality college lacrosse experience where varsity NCAA lacrosse does not exist. On an individual scale, the MCLA provides rules and a structure that promotes "virtual varsity" lacrosse, or an experience paralleling that of NCAA programs. While the MCLA provides a high level of athletic competition, it is one of the few governing bodies that does not have a national GPA requirement for its athletes. On a national scale, the MCLA provides the infrastructure to support a level playing field through eligibility rules and enforcement and the use of NCAA rules of play. The MCLA, an organization governing a mere 70 teams in 1997, has seen a rapid growth in affiliation as national interest in the sport of lacrosse continues to increase. As of the 2014 season, participation has increased to 210 teams.

## History

The MCLA was formerly known as the US Lacrosse Men’s Division of Intercollegiate Associates (USL MDIA). The MCLA was created by the MDIA Board of Directors and its creation was announced by US Lacrosse on August 24, 2006.
MCLA President John Paul was interviewed in a podcast on August 31, 2006. Information obtained from this interview includes:
* MDIA council will cease to exist
* MCLA will run its own national tournament and control its own budget
* MCLA membership will still sit on US Lacrosse boards and committees
* Team dues will be doubled from $500 to $1,000, the only significant impact to teams
* By-Laws are being rewritten to be ratified in January 2007
* Two new Vice President positions have been formed in the MCLA Executive Board and some paid positions will be created
* Long-term goals include a full-time paid League Executive Director who will answer to the Executive Board
* Executive Boards of MCLA and conferences will be insured, as will the national tournament, however, players and teams are responsible for their own individual insurance

## Media coverage

The MCLA receives significant print coverage from US Lacrosse's Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse. Inside Lacrosse acquired the license agreement from The Lax Mag in 2012 and devoted further coverage with weekly web editorial and podcasts. In efforts to promote the sport, the MCLA has also made strides to make lacrosse games available to a larger audience. In partnership with The Lacrosse Network (TLN) select games are available to viewers with streaming live feed. In the 2012 National Championship, 26 games from the tournament were broadcast live, exclusively on the MCLA tournament website while the Division II Finals, Division I Semifinals and Division I Championship were televised nationally on Fox College Sports. Additional coverage is occasionally featured on ESPN, LaxPower.com, various blogs and other news websites.

## Milestones

Colorado State University holds the record for most MCLA championships won with six (1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013). The Rams also hold the distinction of sending the first MCLA player into Major League Lacrosse when goaltender Alex Smith made the roster of Denver Outlaws from 2006-2010. Brigham Young (1997, 2000, 2007, 2011, 2021) is second in MCLA history with five national titles.
The University of Michigan Varsity Club Lacrosse Team became the first team in MCLA history to complete a perfect season by defeating Chapman University in the national championship game on May 17, 2008. The Wolverines were able to repeat their success the following season by once again going undefeated and beating Chapman University in the national championship game on May 16, 2009.
In 2008, Brekan Kohlitz of the University of Michigan became the first MCLA player drafted to the MLL by the Washington Bayhawks.
In 2010, Connor Martin of Chapman University, a two-time All American and Offensive Player of the Year, was drafted by the Denver Outlaws. In his debut for the Outlaws, he scored a hat-trick and recorded an assist, earning him MLL Rookie of the Week. In 2014 Cam Holding became the second player ever to play in the MCLA to get drafted into the MLL by the Chesapeake Bayhawks. He currently plays for the Denver Outlaws and recently won a Gold medal in the 2014 FIL World Lacrosse Championship with team Canada.
The 2009-2011 MCLA Championships were held at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado.
In 2011, with the conclusion of the agreement between the MCLA and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, the MCLA selected a new home for the National Championships. The 2012, 2013 MCLA Championships were relocated to a new venue; Sirrine Stadium in Greenville, South Carolina.
The 2014, MCLA National Championships were held in Southern California. The opening two rounds were played at UC Irvine in Orange County and the semifinals and finals at Chapman University in Orange, CA. Two first-time champions were crowned, Colorado (DI) and Grand Valley State (DII).

## MCLA Conferences

The MCLA separates teams into divisions (I or II) based upon performance history, and regional conferences.

### Current conferences

* Atlantic Lacrosse Conference (2021-present)
* Continental Lacrosse Conference (2019-present)
* Lone Star Alliance (1976-present)
* Pacific Northwest Collegiate Lacrosse League (1997-present)
* Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference (1976-present)
* SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (1988-present)
* Southwestern Lacrosse Conference (2008-present)
* Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference (1992-present)
* Western Collegiate Lacrosse League (1980-present)

### Defunct conferences

* Central Collegiate Lacrosse Association (1972-2018)
* Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference (2002-2017)
* Pioneer Collegiate Lacrosse League (1986-2018)

## National Championship

The National Championships are held in May, featuring 16 qualifying teams from each division in a single-elimination contest to decide the National Champions. Each of the nine conference champions of the regular season receives an automatic bid to the National Tournament. The remaining seven teams to qualify for the tournament are selected by an at large process by the MCLA tournament committee.

## MCLA Division I Championship history

(called Division A through 2007)
| Year | Champion | Score | Defeated | Location |
| 1997 | #4 Brigham Young | 15-13 | #3 UC Santa Barbara | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 1998 | #2 California | 16-15$^{OT}$ | #1 Brigham Young | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 1999 | #3 Colorado State | 15-11 | #5 Simon Fraser | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 2000 | #6 Brigham Young | 17-13 | #4 Colorado State | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 2001 | #3 Colorado State | 16-7 | #12 Stanford | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 2002 | #1 Sonoma State | 13-10 | #3 Colorado State | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 2003 | #2 Colorado State | 6-4 | #1 UC Santa Barbara | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 2004 | #1 UC Santa Barbara | 8-7 | #2 Colorado State | St. Louis, Missouri |
| 2005 | #2 UC Santa Barbara | 8-7 | #4 Sonoma State | Blaine, Minnesota |
| 2006 | #1 Colorado State | 8-7 | #3 Colorado | Plano, Texas |
| 2007 | #1 Brigham Young | 16-9 | #3 Oregon | Frisco, Texas |
| 2008 | #1 Michigan | 14-11 | #2 Chapman | Irving, Texas |
| 2009 | #1 Michigan | 12-11 | #3 Chapman | Denver, Colorado |
| 2010 | #1 Michigan | 12-11 | #3 Arizona State | Denver, Colorado |
| 2011 | #3 Brigham Young | 10-8 | #5 Arizona State | Denver, Colorado |
| 2012 | #2 Colorado State | 7-5 | #1 Cal Poly | Greenville, South Carolina |
| 2013 | #1 Colorado State | 7-2 | #2 Colorado | Greenville, South Carolina |
| 2014 | #2 Colorado | 13-12 | #1 Arizona State | Irvine & Orange, California |
| 2015 | #1 Grand Canyon | 9-8 | #3 Colorado | Irvine & Orange, California |
| 2016 | #1 Chapman | 9-5 | #2 Cal Poly | Irvine & Orange, California |
| 2017 | #2 Grand Canyon | 12-8 | #9 Chapman | Irvine & Orange, California |
| 2018 | #3 Michigan State | 10-8 | #1 Chapman | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 2019 | #3 South Carolina | 13-8 | #1 California | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 2020 | No Championship Series due to Covid-19 Pandemic | No Championship Series due to Covid-19 Pandemic | No Championship Series due to Covid-19 Pandemic | No Championship Series due to Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2021 | #2W Brigham Young* | 16-9 | #1W Chapman | Round Rock, Texas |
| 2022 | #3 South Carolina | 11-9 | #8 Georgia Tech | Round Rock, Texas |
| 2023 | #7 Concordia Irvine | 17-10 | #1 Virginia Tech | Round Rock, Texas |
| 2024 | #1 Brigham Young | 13-5 | #14 Utah Valley | Round Rock, Texas |
*Postseason play contained top 8 teams. Hosted as "MCLA Invitational" rather than as a national championship.
| Team | Championships | Winning Years | Runner Up | Runner Up Years |
| Colorado State | 6 | 1999, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2012, 2013 | 3 | 2000, 2002, 2004 |
| Brigham Young | 5 | 1997, 2000, 2007, 2011, 2024 | 1 | 1998 |
| Michigan | 3 | 2008, 2009, 2010 | | |
| UC Santa Barbara | 2 | 2004, 2005 | 2 | 1997, 2003 |
| Grand Canyon | 2 | 2015, 2017 | | |
| South Carolina | 2 | 2019, 2022 | | |
| California | 1 | 1998 | 1 | 2019 |
| Sonoma State | 1 | 2002 | 1 | 2005 |
| Colorado | 1 | 2014 | 3 | 2006, 2013, 2015 |
| Chapman | 1 | 2016 | 4 | 2008, 2009, 2017, 2018 |
| Michigan State | 1 | 2018 | | |
| Concordia Irvine | 1 | 2023 | | |
| Arizona State | | | 3 | 2010, 2011, 2014 |
| Cal Poly | | | 2 | 2012, 2016 |
| Simon Fraser | | | 1 | 1999 |
| Stanford | | | 1 | 2001 |
| Oregon | | | 1 | 2007 |
| Georgia Tech | | | 1 | 2022 |
| Virginia Tech | | | 1 | 2023 |
| Utah Valley | | | 1 | 2024 |

## MCLA Division II Championship history

(called Division B thru 2007)
| Year | Champion | Score | Defeated | Location |
| 2005 | #1 San Diego | 9-6 | #2 Utah Valley | Blaine, Minnesota |
| 2006 | #1 San Diego | 10-3 | #6 St. John's (MN) | Plano, Texas |
| 2007 | #3 Montana | 15-5 | #1 St. John's (MN) | Frisco, Texas |
| 2008 | #1 Westminster College | 17-10 | #2 Grand Valley State | Irving, Texas |
| 2009 | #2 St. Thomas (MN) | 16-11 | #1 Dayton | Denver, Colorado |
| 2010 | #1 St. Thomas (MN) | 12-9 | #3 Utah Valley | Denver, Colorado |
| 2011 | #5 Davenport (MI) | 14-9 | #1 St. Thomas (MN) | Denver, Colorado |
| 2012 | #1 St. Thomas (MN) | 9-8 | #2 Grand Valley State | Greenville, South Carolina |
| 2013 | #1 St. Thomas (MN) | 9-7 | #2 Westminster College | Greenville, South Carolina |
| 2014 | #1 Grand Valley State | 12-11 | #2 St. John's (MN) | Irvine, California |
| 2015 | #6 Dayton | 12-11 | #1 Concordia Irvine | Irvine, California |
| 2016 | #1 St. Thomas (MN) | 10-7 | #6 Grand Valley State | Irvine, California |
| 2017 | #2 Concordia Irvine | 13-10 | #1 St. Thomas (MN) | Irvine, California |
| 2018 | #2 North Dakota State | 8-7$^{2OT}$ | #1 St. Thomas (MN) | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 2019 | #2 St. Thomas (MN) | 9-7 | #4 Dayton | Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 2020 | No Championship Series due to Covid-19 Pandemic | No Championship Series due to Covid-19 Pandemic | No Championship Series due to Covid-19 Pandemic | No Championship Series due to Covid-19 Pandemic |
| 2021 | St. Thomas (MN)* | 9-6 | North Dakota State | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| 2022 | #5 Utah | 13-7 | #7 Rhode Island | Round Rock, Texas |
| 2023 | #9 Dayton | 6-5$^{OT}$ | #3 St. Thomas (MN) | Round Rock, Texas |
| 2024 | #4 Montana State | 12-7 | #2 St. Thomas (MN) | Round Rock, Texas |
*Postseason play contained top 4 teams. Hosted as "Covid Cup Invitational" rather than as a national championship.
| Team | Championships | Winning years | Runner Up | Runner Up Years |
| St. Thomas (MN) | 6 | 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2019 | 5 | 2011, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024 |
| San Diego | 2 | 2005, 2006 | | |
| Dayton | 2 | 2015, 2023 | 1 | 2009, 2019 |
| Montana | 1 | 2007 | | |
| Westminster College | 1 | 2008 | 1 | 2013 |
| Davenport | 1 | 2011 | | |
| Grand Valley State | 1 | 2014 | 3 | 2008, 2012, 2016 |
| Concordia Irvine | 1 | 2017 | 1 | 2015 |
| North Dakota State | 1 | 2018 | | |
| Utah | 1 | 2022 | | |
| Montana State | 1 | 2024 | | |
| St. Johns (MN) | | | 3 | 2006, 2007, 2014 |
| Utah Valley | | | 2 | 2005, 2010 |
| Rhode Island | | | 1 | 2022 |

## List of MCLA Statistical Leaders

MCLA Division I All Time Career Points Leaders (230 Minimum)
| Rank | Name | Team | Points | Goals | Assists |
| 1 | Bryan Larocque | Davenport | 345 | 276 | 69 |
| 2 | Ted Ferrin | BYU | 337 | 202 | 135 |
| 3 | Eric Nelson | Arizona State | 312 | 184 | 128 |
| 4 | Ben A Towner | Simon Fraser | 305 | 235 | 70 |
| 5 | Ryan Westfall | Arizona State | 304 | 164 | 140 |
| 6 | Trevor Yealy | Michigan | 298 | 283 | 15 |
| 7 | Corey Noonan | Florida State | 298 | 214 | 84 |
| 8 | David Drehoff | Central Florida | 297 | 190 | 107 |
| 9 | Aidan Smith | Virginia Tech | 288 | 190 | 98 |
| 10 | Tyler Westfall | Arizona State | 286 | 158 | 128 |
| 12 | Tyler Kirkby | Simon Fraser | 282 | 193 | 89 |
| 12 | Jake Halversen | BYU | 282 | 190 | 92 |
| 12 | Garret Brennan | Clemson | 282 | 157 | 125 |
| 13 | Matthew T Malcolm | Texas State | 279 | 204 | 75 |
| 14 | Dylan Garner | Chapman | 277 | 173 | 104 |
| 15 | Elliot Grow | BYU | 268 | 122 | 146 |
| 16 | Brian Connolly | Georgia Tech | 267 | 157 | 110 |
| 17 | Matt Higgins | Pittsburgh | 267 | 147 | 120 |
| 18 | Greg Lunde | Simon Fraser | 255 | 155 | 100 |
| 19 | Connor Martin | Chapman | 254 | 168 | 86 |
| 20 | Amar Batra | Minnesota | 254 | 141 | 113 |
| 21 | Sam Gregory | Liberty | 250 | 143 | 107 |
| 22 | Mark Manning | Utah & BYU | 248 | 151 | 97 |
| 23 | Casey Mithun | Minn-Duluth | 248 | 121 | 127 |
| 24 | AJ Hepting | Texas A&M | 247 | 164 | 83 |
| 25 | Scott Heberer | Cal Poly | 245 | 126 | 119 |
| 26 | Davis Goodman | Florida State | 243 | 139 | 104 |
| 27 | Tim Peterson | Georgia Tech | 242 | 115 | 127 |
| 28 | Cooper Kehoe | Colorado State | 240 | 154 | 86 |
| 29 | Will Patch | Clemson | 234 | 141 | 93 |
| 30 | Ryan Miller | Liberty | 232 | 134 | 98 |
| 31 | Noah Iversen | Missouri | 231 | 102 | 129 |
MCLA Division I All Time Career Goals Leaders (150 Minimum)
| Rank | Name | Team | Goals |
| 1 | Trevor Yealy | Michigan | 283 |
| 2 | Bryan Larocque | Davenport | 276 |
| 3 | Ben A Towner | Simon Fraser | 235 |
| 4 | Corey Noonan | Florida State | 214 |
| 5 | Matthew T Malcolm | Texas State | 204 |
| 6 | Ted Ferrin | BYU | 202 |
| 7 | Tyler Kirkby | Simon Fraser | 193 |
| 8 | David Drehoff | Central Florida | 190 |
| 8 | Matt Graupmann | Cal Poly | 190 |
| 8 | Aidan Smith | Virginia Tech | 190 |
| 8 | Jake Halversen | BYU | 190 |
| 11 | Eric Nelson | Arizona State | 184 |
| 12 | Dylan Garner | Chapman | 173 |
| 13 | Connor Martin | Chapman | 168 |
| 14 | AJ Hepting | Texas A&M | 164 |
| 15 | Ryan Westfall | Arizona State | 164 |
| 16 | Kevin Hayden | Virginia Tech | 160 |
| 17 | Marcus Wooden | Chapman | 159 |
| 18 | Cam Wengreniuk | Grand Canyon | 158 |
| 19 | Chris Severson | BYU | 158 |
| 20 | Tyler Westfall | Arizona State | 158 |
| 21 | Blake Day | UNLV | 157 |
| 22 | Brian Connolly | Georgia Tech | 157 |
| 23 | Garret Brennan | Clemson | 157 |
| 24 | Greg Lunde | Simon Fraser | 155 |
| 25 | Cooper Kehoe | Colorado State | 154 |
| 26 | Jake Marthens | Arizona State | 153 |
| 27 | Mark Manning | Utah & BYU | 151 |
| 28 | Andrew Clayton | Chapman | 150 |
MCLA Division II All Time Career Points Leaders (230 Minimum)
| Rank | Name | Team | GP | Points | PPG | Goals | Assists |
| 1 | Eric Weber | Hope | 49 | 393 | 8.02 | 296 | 97 |
| 2 | Jack Dumsa | GVSU | 70 | 391 | 5.59 | 176 | 215 |
| 3 | Chris Cole | Fullerton | 75 | 367 | 4.89 | 214 | 153 |
| 4 | Cameron C Holding | GVSU | 52 | 364 | 7.00 | 266 | 98 |
| 5 | Louis R Richman | Montana State | 56 | 327 | 5.84 | 154 | 173 |
| 6 | Shawn Beer | Davenport | 55 | 311 | 5.65 | 216 | 95 |
| 7 | Mike Ansel | Fullerton | 50 | 296 | 5.92 | 211 | 85 |
| 8 | Austin Jenkin | Cal State San Marcos | 61 | 296 | 4.85 | 177 | 119 |
| 9 | Nicholas H Tkachuk | Pacific Lutheran | 56 | 295 | 5.27 | 211 | 84 |
| 10 | Micah Willis | Fullerton | 54 | 292 | 5.41 | 152 | 140 |
| 11 | Nicholas Guzzetti | College of Idaho | 45 | 283 | 6.29 | 197 | 86 |
| 12 | Joe M Costello | St. Thomas | 68 | 280 | 4.12 | 178 | 102 |
| 13 | Jordan Richtsmeier | Davenport | 58 | 280 | 4.83 | 122 | 158 |
| 14 | Chris Perkins | Northern Colorado | 54 | 271 | 5.02 | 105 | 166 |
| 15 | Greg Swanson | PBA | 50 | 266 | 5.32 | 88 | 178 |
| 16 | Ryan Brouwer | New Haven | 48 | 265 | 5.52 | 161 | 104 |
| 17 | Adam Zimmerman | Northern Arizona | 52 | 265 | 5.10 | 149 | 116 |
| 18 | Michael Mann | Sam Houston State | 37 | 262 | 7.08 | 156 | 106 |
| 19 | Alex Kowalski | Fullerton | 54 | 256 | 4.74 | 193 | 63 |
| 20 | John P Healy | SCAD | 55 | 255 | 4.64 | 172 | 83 |
| 21 | Christopher Idema | GVSU | 35 | 255 | 7.29 | 90 | 165 |
| 22 | Andrew C Webb | Southwestern | 48 | 249 | 5.19 | 195 | 54 |
| 23 | Josh Fagan | Concordia | 53 | 247 | 4.66 | 192 | 55 |
| 24 | Calvin Davis | Western Oregon | 58 | 245 | 4.22 | 133 | 112 |
| 25 | Dan Fleisher | WashU | 43 | 243 | 5.65 | 142 | 101 |
| 26 | Sean Mastro | Northern Arizona | 54 | 243 | 4.50 | 133 | 110 |
| 27 | Allen Campbell | Hope | 45 | 243 | 5.40 | 121 | 122 |
| 28 | Daniel Hochspeier | Western Oregon | 67 | 242 | 3.61 | 92 | 150 |
| 29 | Alexander Brown | Montana State | 53 | 241 | 4.55 | 151 | 90 |
| 30 | Kyle Boyd | Northern Colorado | 54 | 240 | 4.44 | 179 | 61 |
| 31 | Scott Schulze | Kennesaw State | 52 | 240 | 4.62 | 144 | 96 |
| 32 | Jonathan J Prichard | Biola | 55 | 236 | 4.29 | 190 | 46 |
| 33 | Christian A Furbay | Dayton | 60 | 235 | 3.92 | 162 | 73 |
| 34 | Tyler Mathews | Kennesaw State | 57 | 231 | 4.05 | 132 | 99 |
| 35 | Brian Evans | Northern Colorado | 55 | 230 | 4.18 | 140 | 90 |
MCLA Division II All Time Career Goals Leaders (150 Minimum)
| Rank | Name | Team | GP | Goals | GPG |
| 1 | Eric Weber | Hope | 49 | 296 | 6.04 |
| 2 | Cameron C Holding | GVSU | 52 | 266 | 5.12 |
| 3 | Shawn Beer | Davenport | 55 | 216 | 3.93 |
| 4 | Chris Cole | Fullerton | 75 | 214 | 2.85 |
| 5 | Mike Ansel | Fullerton | 50 | 211 | 4.22 |
| 6 | Nicholas H Tkachuk | Pacific Lutheran | 56 | 211 | 3.77 |
| 7 | Nicholas Guzzetti | College of Idaho | 45 | 197 | 4.38 |
| 8 | Andrew C Webb | Southwestern | 48 | 195 | 4.06 |
| 9 | Alex Kowalski | Fullerton | 54 | 193 | 3.57 |
| 10 | Josh Fagan | Concordia | 53 | 192 | 3.62 |
| 11 | Jonathan J Prichard | Biola | 55 | 190 | 3.45 |
| 12 | Kyle Boyd | Northern Colorado | 54 | 179 | 3.31 |
| 13 | Joe M Costello | St. Thomas | 68 | 178 | 2.62 |
| 14 | Austin Jenkin | Cal State San Marcos | 61 | 177 | 2.90 |
| 15 | Jack Dumsa | GVSU | 70 | 176 | 2.51 |
| 17 | John P Healy | SCAD | 55 | 172 | 3.13 |
| 16 | David Justvig | Missouri Baptist | 56 | 172 | 3.07 |
| 18 | George Pertessis | San Jose State | 45 | 166 | 3.69 |
| 19 | Christian A Furbay | Dayton | 60 | 162 | 2.70 |
| 20 | Ryan Brouwer | New Haven | 48 | 161 | 3.35 |
| 22 | Josh Puckett | Indiana Tech | 47 | 157 | 3.34 |
| 21 | Jacob Bohince | Western Oregon | 50 | 157 | 3.14 |
| 23 | Michael Mann | Sam Houston State | 37 | 156 | 4.22 |
| 24 | Joshua S Smith | Providence | 46 | 155 | 3.37 |
| 25 | Louis R Richman | Montana State | 56 | 154 | 2.75 |
| 26 | Chad F Murphy | Fort Lewis | 44 | 152 | 3.45 |
| 29 | Will W McCormick | Dayton | 46 | 152 | 3.30 |
| 27 | Micah Willis | Fullerton | 54 | 152 | 2.81 |
| 28 | Spenser Brock | Western Oregon | 57 | 152 | 2.67 |
| 30 | Alexander Brown | Montana State | 53 | 151 | 2.85 |
| 31 | Josh Condas | Westminster | 75 | 151 | 2.01 |

## Executive committee

* Ken Lovic (President)
* Zach Bosh
* Gary Podesta
* Mike DeWan
* Jason Stockton
* Tony Scazzero
* Mike Annala