Grand Valley State Wins MCLA Division II National Championship

RICHMOND, Va. — Everyone who follows lacrosse has heard the cliché, “Lacrosse is a game of runs.” The final of the MCLA Division II National Championship Presented by New Balance was no different. In the game between Grand Valley State (14-3) and St. Thomas (15-2), the two teams traded single goals only once in the entire game. The last run belonged to Grand Valley State as the Lakers captured their second MCLA Division II National Championship. The game was a rematch of the 2025 final which the Tommies won and was also the third meeting between the two teams this season.

Just over a minute into the game Ryan Phyle broke the seal on a bounce shot from 14 yards after Chase Robinson inverted against a short stick from behind. Less than a minute later Caleb Lowell put the Lakers up by two when he scored on a nifty backhand through traffic. On the ensuing faceoff the Lakers had a chance at the groundball, but could not secure possession and the Tommies got their first possession of the game.

Late in the possession Joseph Torborg was able to beat his man over the top and fired home a left handed shot on the run. Torborg, who had been one of the main offensive engines for the Tommies throughout the tournament, would not score again. At the end of another long possession Maddox Olson dodged underneath for the Tommies before getting back to his left hand and sending a shot into the net. The Tommies took their first lead of the game when Sammy Ness fed Jake Marschall to put St. Thomas up 3-2.

Bryce Gordon scored his only goal of the game on an extra man opportunity to tie the game at 3-3 at the end of the first quarter.

The second quarter belonged to the defenses as neither offense could gain any traction. The only goals of the quarter were scored when each team scored on scrambled isolations out of timeouts. The halftime score was 4-4. The Lakers struggled to create separation on offense against the physical Tommies defenders. On the other end Caden Ladd, Ben Capone, and Davis York kept the St. Thomas offense at bay. The Lakers stepped out on the St. Thomas dodgers taking space away and not letting them get up to speed. Slowing down the St. Thomas dodgers allowed the Lakers not to slide and thus took away the openings the Tommies were used to coming off of their dodges.

On the opening possession of the second half Ryan Phyle scored his second goal of the game; this time it was Bryce Gordon feeding him from behind. With 9:54 remaining in the third quarter Caleb Lowell posted up his man and shot around him scoring to extend the Laker lead to two and complete a three-goal run for the Lakers that spanned across halftime.

Less than a minute later the Tommies’ newly minted all-time goals leader Cam Gelling scored his first goal of the day on an extra man opportunity to cut the lead to one. Ethan Buskey scored on the following possession to tie the game. Gelling scored his second of the day on a roll back to his left hand to put the Tommies up 7-6 with 4:26 remaining in the third.

The lead was short lived for the Tommies as Ellis York fed a cutting Chase Robinson who tied the game less than 30 seconds later. The Lakers extended their run to two goals when Chase Robinson drew an adjacent slide and fed Jack Biron who hammered a shot from the wing to put Grand Valley State up 8-7.

Gelling would tie the game late in the third quarter when he took advantage of a short stick match up and dodged down the alley before scoring. The third quarter ended with the teams knotted at 8-8.

The Tommies scored first in the fourth quarter on an extra man opportunity when Joseph Torborg fed Layne Kology on the crease to put the Tommies ahead 9-8. Gelling would score his fourth of the day on the next St. Thomas possession hitching to the middle of the field putting the Tommies ahead 10-8 with 10:05 remaining in the game.

Following the St. Thomas run, both defenses clamped down and made it difficult for either offense to find space. The Lakers called a timeout with 3:48 remaining. Out of the timeout the Lakers got a good look for leading scorer Caleb Lowell, but Aiden Losinski made the save for St. Thomas. Ryan Phyle had a chance to catch the rebound and score, but could not secure possession. The Lakers hounded the Tommies into a failing the ensuing clear. On the possession following the failed clear Colin Davis scored to bring the Lakers within one with 2:51 left.

After an extended scramble, the Tommies got the ball off the next faceoff with 2:35 remaining, but turned the ball over only 20 seconds into their possession giving the Lakers life. The Lakers cleared the ball and called their final timeout. The Lakers put the ball on the ground multiple times but were able to maintain possession. As the shot clock counted down, Ryan Phyle took a shot from deep, but Aiden Losinski was screened and the shot snuck into the bottom corner to tie the game.

On the following faceoff the Lakers won the clamp, but could not secure the possession and the Tommies picked it up in their defensive end. The St. Thomas defender rolled away and threw a pass back to his goal, but the goalie had stepped out of the cage to be an outlet and the pass went into the Tommies’ goal giving the Lakers the 11-10 lead. The Lakers won the next faceoff and were able to kill the clock to win their second MCLA Division II National Championship.

In an ironic twist the opening goal of Grand Valley State’s first round game against UC Davis was an own goal that the Lakers scored on themselves. The clinching goal of the final game represented a full-circle moment for the Lakers

Grand Valley State head coach Tim Murray credited his team’s ability to overcome adversity in order to win the title. “It took everything we had and a sprinkle of luck,” Murray who is in his 16th season with the Lakers said.

Murray credited his defense of Ladd, York, and Capone for their work stifling one of the best offenses in the country saying, “they encapsulate who we are as a program.”

“Grand Valley kids don’t quit,” Murray said with a smile.

The Lakers with two National Championships are now tied with San Diego and Dayton for the second most titles among Division II programs.