High Drama in Round 1 of WCLA Division II Championship Tournament

WICHITA, Kan. — It was a day of high drama for Division II teams at the USA Lacrosse WCLA championship tournament, with three of the four quarterfinal games in Wichita decided by two goals or less.

No. 1 seed CSU San Marcos was the only winner that didn’t have to endure a nailbiter, winning 18-8 over Denver behind a dominant second half. Led by four goals from All-American Angela Chantaca and three goals by freshman Shea Morgan, the undefeated Cougars (13-0) earned their way back into the semifinals for the second straight year.

They are joined by three first-time semifinal squads and will face fifth-seeded Florida Atlantic in Thursday’s first semifinal. The second semifinal features two teams from the Rocky Mountain Women's Lacrosse League — league champion Boise State and runner-up Montana State — that will be meeting for the fourth time this season.

Florida Atlantic scored twice in the final six minutes against UC San Diego to break away for its 7-5 quarterfinal victory, with two freshman, Avery Brown and Frances McTiernan, registering the critical late goals. Goalie Maria Pellegrino helped seal the victory with 10 saves.

The intensity was even higher for the two RMWLL winners.

Boise State rallied with two goals in the final 1:53 to upend Missouri 11-10. Sydney Roberts registered her only goal on a free position to knot the score at 10, and after Boise secured the ensuing draw, senior Anna Huether dodged right from the top of the arc and recorded the unassisted winner with 1:08 left. Boise won the next draw and ran out the final minute.

Just minutes later on the adjacent field, Montana State secured its first semifinal berth with a 9-8 win over Concordia Irvine, powered by four goals by Lexi Rios and three from Becca Zerr. The Bobcats (10-5) advance to the semifinals in their first national tournament appearance. Boise won all three prior meetings against Montana State this season.

WCLA Division II Scores 

(6) Montana State 16, (11) Drury 5
(7) Missouri 14, (10) Florida Gulf Coast 5
(9) Denver 18, (8) Fullerton College 10
(5) Florida Atlantic 7, (4) UC San Diego 5
(1) CSU San Marcos 18, (9) Denver 8
(2) Boise State 11, (7) Missouri 10 
(6) Montana State 9, (3) Concordia Irvine 8

Thursday’s Division II Semifinals

4 p.m. — (1) CSU San Marcos vs. (5) Florida Atlantic
7:30 p.m. — (2) Boise State vs. (6) Montana State

The WCLA is comprised of nearly 150 college club (non-varsity) teams from coast-to-coast that compete under the USA Lacrosse umbrella. From these, the most deserving Division I and Division II club teams qualify for the season-ending national championships, conducted annually since 2001 by USA Lacrosse.

Video streaming of all D-I and D-II games is available throughout the tournament. 

Lacrosse Specialties, Here We Flo, Powell Lacrosse, Gatorade, and GoLive Sports serve as official event sponsors for the 2025 USA Lacrosse WCLA Championships, with local support provided by Wichita Youth Lacrosse, Visit Wichita, and Chicken N Pickle of Wichita. In addition, STX provides support for the Elevate 28 youth clinic scheduled for Friday, May 9.