NAPLES, Fla. – For a period of about three years in the late 2010s, Denver ruled supreme in the WCLA’s Division II ranks. The Pioneers regularly owned the top spot in the weekly rankings, made three straight trips to the national championship game from 2016-2018, and claimed two WCLA titles during those years.
While Denver has remained among the most competitive teams in recent years and earned its fifth straight WCLA tournament appearance in 2026, they have also watched newer programs emerge as legitimate contenders.
But Thursday evening, the Pioneers issued a strong statement to the rest of the Division II ranks with a 12-8 victory over upstart Tampa to win their third WCLA championship. Denver has returned to the (rocky) mountaintop.
“This is definitely exciting and just feels really good,” said senior attacker and club president Emma Flynn. “There are so many things involved in getting to the championship, both on the field and all the details involved behind the scenes. It just feels very special to be a part of this team and have this experience.”
In addition to all the off-the-field coordination and administration that Flynn must do as club president, she did just as much on the field Thursday to lead Denver to the title. She finished with a game-high five goals and two assists as the Pioneers broke away in the second and third quarters. Eight straight goals over a 13-minute span turned a one goal deficit into an insurmountable lead.
“We really trust each other as teammates and we were able to move the ball around really effectively tonight,” said Flynn, who was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. “Our defense pushes us very hard in practice, so competing against our own defenders every day really helps us in games.”
Defenders Wrede Charleton and Eliska Ondrusek, both named to the all-tournament team, helped anchor the backline and keep Tampa’s potent offense in check for much of the evening. Sophomore goalie Alex Rangel finished with nine saves and was also named to the all-tournament team.
“This is such a fun group of girls to play with,” Rangel said. “We were focused on closing off their cuts and keeping our energy level high. I think our whole defense played really well tonight. This is amazing.”
Denver finishes with a 14-1 overall record and a season-ending 10-game winning streak.
Tampa (12-1) tasted defeat for the first time this year, but the Spartans had an impressive run in their first tournament appearance. They arrived in Naples as the No. 7 seed and won three games to advance to the final. Senior Alexis Jones led Tampa with four goals and was one of four Spartans selected to the all-tournament team.
With its third national championship trophy, Denver is now tied with Loyola for the most all-time WCLA Division II titles.
In the third place game, Samanatha Miller scored four goals and Lily Brown registered 11 saves in goal to lead Missouri past UC San Diego, 10-7.
Thursday’s Game Scores
3rd Place Game: Missouri def UC San Diego, 10-7
5th Place Game: Montana State def UC Davis, 11-4
7th Place Game: Air Force def. Concordia Irvine, 8-6
9th Place Game: Charleston def. Fullerton, 14-9
11th Place Game: San Diego Univ def Florida Gulf Coast, 17-6
2026 WCLA All-Tournament Team
Att -- Emma Flynn – Denver (MVP)
Att -- Alexis Jones – Tampa
Att -- Lorelei Gearity – Denver
Att -- Samantha Miller – Missouri
Mid -- Reagan Baldwin – Denver
Mid -- Mary O’Hara – Tampa
Mid -- Sylvie Hipp – Tampa
Mid -- Leila Mazhari – UC San Diego
Def -- Wrede Charlton – Denver
Def -- Alison Mammola – Tampa
Def -- Eliska Ondrusek – Denver
GK -- Alex Rangel – Denver
Capelli Sport, CWENCH, Halpern Travel, Gait Lacrosse, GoLive Sports, N&D Sports, and SportsEngine serve as official event sponsors for the 2026 USA Lacrosse WCLA Championships, with local support provided by Florida’s Paradise Coast – Naples, Marco Island, Everglades Convention & Visitors Bureau.
