Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association - Magazine...
Click here to learn why Brooke chose Westminster above other coll...
Griffins win Second Straight RMLC Championship 
By Tim Haslam
Salt Lake City, Utah (May 3, 2008) - Westminster College won the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse Conference Division II championship beating Fort Lewis College 12-11 on their home field in Salt Lake City on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams played well and with high intensity. Westminster wanted to repeat as Division II RMLC conference champions and Fort Lewis wanted to secure a slot at the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association National Championship in Dallas later in May.
( Game stats vs. Colo. School of Mines, 5/2)
( Game stats vs. Fort Lewis College, 5/3)
Order a DVD copy of the RMLC 2008 Championships today.
Griffins Sweep Dominican and Grand Canyon to claim first Bagataway Tourney Title
A combination of stingy defense and unselfish offense combined to give the Westminster Griffins the right to claim the championship of the inaugural Bagataway Tournament. Griffin goal keepers Trevor Taylor and Dallas McLellan notched 20 saves while allowing just five goals over the two-game series. On the opposite end of the field the Westminster off
ense found net thirty-eight times enroute to two impressive victories.
"We've been focused on the three P's of good defensive play." commented Coach Dave Long when questioned about the play of his defensive unit. "Proper position and patience come before contact and checking! The work is greatly improving our control of where the shots are coming from and that's key. When you couple that discipline with great goal-tending, the results can be impressive."
While the defense was tightening up their end, the Griffin attack was taking care of business on the offensive end. With twenty two (58%) of their scoring plays involving assists, the Griffins showed great teamwork. "We have fourteen players healthy right now on the offensive unit and every one of them managed to be involved in at least one scoring play this weekend," remarked offensive coordinator Clayton Jones. Roman Schoewe had a busy day Sunday, scoring seven times enroute to the 18-2 victory. All in all the scoring was balanced with midfielders scoring twenty of the thirty-eight goals (53%) to eighteen goals for the attack. (47%)
"I think I like that stat the best," remarked Jones. "Roman had a big day Sunday, (7goals), because Grand Canyon tried to be physical with us and slid early and often. Recognizing the situation and pushing the ball to the open man is the way you react to that tactic. We did it well." 
The Griffins take a week off for finals and then return to action May 2nd as they host the RMLC playoffs at Dumke Field. Their opponent will represent the #2 spot from the eastern division of the RMLC D-II Conference. The game Saturday, 4/26, between # 24, Colorado School of Mines and Regis College of Denver will determine the situation. If Mines wins, they get the slot. If they lose, the slot being awarded to #22 Metro State College.
Regardless of the opponent, the Griffins will face-off at 5:30 PM, May 2nd as they defend their 2007 RMLC D-II Conference title. See the "schedule / results" link on the left for other RMLC contests being played at Dumke Field in quest for the conference championship.
Baggataway Trophy on the line in the Inaugural Three-Team Round Robin Event
As colleges develop their men's sports programs in the Title IX era, "club lacrosse" has flourished across the nation. A few schools have made the investment to add Men's lacrosse within the eastern heavy NCAA structure. Two such teams visit Salt Lake City this weekend as Grand Canyon University of Phoenix Arizona and DominicanUniversity of San Rafael, CA visit the Griffins of Westminster College.
GCU is jumping in with both feet. They have the financial commitment of their institution and an energetic coaching staff led by Adam Marshall, and are looking to burst on the NCAA D-II scene. Dominican University is in their third year of competition under the guidance of Head Coach Ned Webster. The Penguins are petitioning the NCAA D-III ranks once the NCAA lifts the three year moratorium that currently stopped the growth of this booming level of competition. Westminster College is also examining the NCAA landscape as they plan for the future. All three of these program have entered a three-year scheduling agreement to compete for the Baggataway Trophy, rotating the event to each teams home campus. This weekends schedule is as follows:
Friday 4:00 PM Dominican University vs Westminster College
Saturday 1:00 PM Dominican University vs Grand Canyon University
Sunday noon Westminster College vs Grand Canyon University
Griffins Hot on a Chilly Night in Durango. 
April 11, 2008
The Griffins braved a "white-knuckle" bus ride along the Navajo Trail and the "Million Dollar Highway" during a late season snow storm Thursday night. The two and a half hour route took five hours to complete but their "chilling" experience had little impact on their game as they came out blazing on Friday night when they squared off against the #7 Skyhawks of Ft Lewis College. To the delight of a large Westminster fan entourage who braved the storm and trip over Red Mountain Pass, the Griffins scored early and often stretching the lead to 8-1 by intermission.
"Our defense was the difference tonight!" remarked Coach Goodhand at the post game interview with the local newsman. Zach Kessler stripped his man of the ball again and again while teammates Chris Morin and Richard Snow delivered punishing blows to any Skyhawk shooter who ventured in front of the cage. Freshman Dallas Mc Lellan, (17 saves) was once again stellar in cage for the Griffins despite the steady wind and estimated temp in the low 20's. Captain James Brand (3g/4a) lead the offensive effort, generating scoring plays on nearly every run in the first quarter. Attackmen Jake Barnes (4g/1a) and Roman Schoewe (4g/1a) took the game over in the closing stanza despite a late game run by the Skyhaws. 
With this win the Griffins take a commanding lead for the race to the RMLC D-II title as they move to the top of the RMLC Western conference with a perfect 5-0 mark. Their final conference game will be played Sunday as they square off with the Lumberjacks of Northern Arizona University in Lumberjack Stadium at high noon. The weather is forecast for clear skies and 70 degrees, welcome news for bus driver Delray.
On the Road, Griffins Notch Seventh win with 23-5 effort
April 10, 2008Relocated to Centennial Middle School in Montrose Colorado due to excessive snow in Gunnison. The Griffins had a balanced scoring effort with thirteen players finding the net and fifteen of the twenty three tallies coming on "assisted" plays. Co-Captains Jake Barnes (3g/1a), and James Brand (3g/1a) led the offensive effort with three goals apiece, while six others: Josh Condas (2g/1a), Dan Larkin (2g/1a), Rick Larkin (2g/3a), Kory Schlegel (2g), Roman Schoewe (2g/1a) and Ben Wright (2g) notched a multi scoring effort. Trevor Taylor was solid in cage turning away 8 shots while allowing 4 scores, behind the defensive effort of Sophomore, Ari Papanikolas, and freshmen Hunter Manwill and Jeff Etcheverry. Next up, #4 Ft Lewis College in Durango, Friday night at 7PM.
Griffin Men's Lacrosse Roll 14-5 over #9 Utah Valley University 
A packed and partisan crowd (estimated at over 400), were treated to a fast-paced,hard hittng contest that often marks this match-up of RMLC D-II Western conference rivals. It took eight minutes of scoreless play, highlighted by excellent goaltending by Westmnster freshman, Dallas McLellan (18 svs / 5 ga), and UVU's, Cory Heward (13 svs/14 ga), before Griffin Co-Captain Jake Barnes, (2g/1a), took a feed from James Brand, (2g/2a), and gave Westminster a lead it wouldn't relinquish the rest of the contest. Barnes connected twice in the first period giving the Griffins a 4-0 lead to start the second quarter. Sophomore Roman Schoewe (3g), led the charge in the second santanza with a thee goal effort and the Griffins capitalized a total of seven times in the period to establish an 11-1 advantage at the half.
The # 9 Wolverines, were missing two key offensive players who were sitting ourta team imposed sanction for a violation of team rules, still managed to show their character by outscoring the #1 ranked Griffins, 3-1 in the third quarter. Wolverine Trever McCann scored twice for the squad from Orem UT, who look to rebound this Friday against D-I power Univ. of Utah. Their gritty determination came up a little short as the Griffins notched their sixth win on the 2008 season, remaining a perfet 3-0 in the RMLC West conference and perfect against D-II foes.
Next up for the Griffins is a three game road trip to Western Colorado and Northern Arizona where the Griffins will complete their conference schedule in one long weeekend They face Western State at Centenninal Middle School in Montrose,CO at 5:00 PM on Thursday 4/10. Friday night April 11th at 7:00 PM the Griffins tangle with the Skyhawks of Ft Lewis College in Durango Colorado. The final game of the trip will be played at noon Sunday in Flagstaff AZ as Westminster faces Northern Arizona University.
The Griffins (3-0, 6-3) are currenlt the # 1 team in the RMLC West of D-II. A successful road trip will place the Griffins in one of the top two western bracket slots for the RMLC Championship Tournament, scheduled to be played at Dumke Field on the Westminster Campus May 2nd and 3rd.
The Griffins knock of Utah State with 15-3 effort. 
.jpg){kind=link}
The Griffins came out slowly but finished strong with two tallies in the final minute of the first quarter, completing an unanswered five-goal run. The Utah State Aggies came back strong in the second stanza, notching a 3 / 2 scoring edge and making the halftime score, 7-3 in favor of the Griffins. Coach Long's firey halftime speech inspired the defensive effort as Trevor Taylor notched 7 saves and kept USU out of the scoring column and the Griffin offense came to life to close out the contest, 15-3. Sophmore Roman Schoewe led all scorers with a 4g / 2a effort for the Griffins, while Aggie Nick Baker notched a pair of tallies for Utah State. WC Team Captain, James Brand had three goals on the day as Westminster improved their record to (5-3) on the year and (2-0) in the RMLC D-II Western conference.
The Griffins are currnetly ranked #1 in the MCLA D-II national rankings and now have two weeks to prepare for their next contest. On April 5th, RMLC neighboring rival Utah Valley University visits Dumke Field. The UVU Wolverines,(4/1), travel to Northern Colorado next weekend for a three-game road trip before bringing their # 7 national ranking to Dumke Field on April 5th. This game will have significant post season implications. The face-off on Saturday, April 5th is at 1:00 PM.
The RMLC Playoffs will also be hosted at Dumke Field, (May 2nd and 3rd.), as eight of the top ranked teams in the nation (4 x D-I and 4 x D-II), visit Salt Lake City for the right to be crowned the RMLC Conference D-I and D-II Champs.
Michigan State Holds Off Griffins
Griffin Squad Completes the Texas Two-Step with Impressive 17-4 Win.
A spirited St Edwards University squad came out with emotion and hustle to square off with the Westminster College Men's Lacrosse squad in their second contest in as many nights. The Griffins showed no signs of weariness as they weathered the spirited SEU effort with solid defense and a balanced offense to secure their second win of the season.
Freshman Chase Read (3G) launched a rocket shot 
from 18 yards out with a few seconds left in the first half, sent the Griffins to intermission with a comfortable 8-4 margin. Senior co-captain, Brad Watkins notched his second hat-trick in as many nights while pre-season All American candidate and Team Captain, James Brand (3G/2A) kept the dubious streak alive of having a goal taken back for the third time in as many games.
At the defensive end net-minders Dallas McLellan and Trevor Taylor notched a combined seven saves and directed a tenacious defense that managed to stay out of the penalty box despite their aggressive style of play. For a complete game summary please visit www.rmlax.com, "Schedule" and view game # 4254.
The Griffins return from the Lone Star State to Host D-I opponent Michigan State at 3:30 PM on Tuesday, March 4th at Dumke Field in Salt Lake City.
Griffins Notch First Win of 2008 with 9-5 victory in Austin Texas. 
The Westminster Griffins overcame a stubborn opponent in the Southwestern University Pirates, notching their first win of the young 2008season, 9-5 in Georgetown Texas. The Pirates enjoyed great goal-tending in the first half of play, turning back the Griffin offense time and again. Westminsters' net-minder, Dallas Mc Lellan looked solid in the goal turning away several Pirate "man-up" opportunities including a three-man down situation to close out the game.
Junior defenseman, Zach Kessler anchored the defense with four take-aways while co-captain Brad Watkins led all scorers, tallying three goals. Roman Schoewe added two goals while Chase Read, Jake Barnes and Joe Iliya each found the net once. For a complete scoring summary please visit the RMLC Schedule web page, game # 4133.
Wednesday night the Griffins face St Edwards University at 7:00 PM in the Mc Master Sports Complex in Georgetown TX.
Griffins Open 2008 Season with Division I Power Simon Fraser of Victoria, BC.
2-21-08
The snow has been cleared from the field and the lacrosse balls will soon fill the air as the Westminster College Griffins kick off their 2008 season with the Clan of Simon Fraser University. The meeting is scheduled for a 3:30 PM Face, Friday Feb. 23rd on the Griffins home turf, Dumke Field. Team Captain James Brand will lead the charge for the Division I pre-season # II (Small College Division) team from Salt Lake City. Simon Fraser is ranked # 24 in the MCLA, Div - I ranks and will also match up with Brigham Young University and Boise State University on their first road trip of the year. The Clan are touting a banner year for recruiting with several talented freshmen. For a full pre-season glimpse of the Canadian squad, please visit Inside Lacrosse.
Admission is free. Please see the college map for directions to the campus. Parking is free under the field. Spectators are reminded to enter the stadium from the North West Stair well only.
Lacrosse Magazine Names Preseason Players of the Year 
BALTIMORE (Feb. 8, 2008) – Today, Lacrosse magazine named 11 college lacrosse student-athletes as its 2008 Preseason Players of the Year. The LM staff selected male and female honorees in NCAA and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) play, in addition to recognizing a US Lacrosse Women’s Division Intercollegiate Associates (WDIA) player and two athletes in the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA).
Brief bios of the honorees appear below, and full profiles will appear in the March issue of the magazine.
Lacrosse magazine is the flagship publication of US Lacrosse, the sport’s national governing body. The magazine mails monthly to the organization’s 225,000 members across the country. To join US Lacrosse and receive a subscription to LM, visit www.uslacrosse.org.
For extensive college lacrosse coverage throughout the upcoming season, bookmark Lacrosse Magazine Online at www.laxmagazine.com.
Lacrosse Magazine 2008 Preseason Players of the Year
NCAA Division I (Men)
Paul Rabil, senior midfielder, Johns Hopkins
Rabil scored a team-high 53 points (27g, 26a) in Blue Jays’ NCAA championship season in 2007. The USILA named him a first-team All-American.
Head coach Dave Pietramala said: “You talk about guys that have ‘it.’ Kyle Harrison had ‘it.’ Paul Rabil has ‘it’ now.”
NCAA Division I (Women)
Caroline Cryer, senior midfielder, Duke
Cryer led Duke to the NCAA semifinals with a school-record 71 goals in 2007. She finished third in the nation with 3.3 draw controls per game and was named an IWLCA/US Lacrosse first-team All-American.
Head coach Kerstin Kimel said: “She sees the game and is thinking two or three steps ahead.”
NCAA Division II (Men)
Kevin Hennessy, junior midfielder, NYIT
Hennessy was named the USILA’s Outstanding Player and a first-team All-American last season. Hennessy also was a first-team All-East Coast Conference selection after scoring 50 points (28g, 22a)
Head coach Jack Kaley said: “He’s going to be a marked man. Not many sophomores get USILA Player of the Year.”
NCAA Division II (Women)
Stephanie Kienle, senior attacker, West Chester
Kienle set an NCAA Division II record with 140 last season as she led the Golden Rams to the national championship game. She was a first-team IWLCA/US Lacrosse All-American and the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Player of the Year.
Head coach Ginny Martino said: “She’s really come on strong for us and is even looking better for this year.”
NCAA Division III (Men)
Kylor Berkman, junior midfielder, Salisbury
Berkman scored 35 goals and earned USILA first-team All-America honors in helping the Sea Gulls capture the national championship in 2007. He led the team with 44 assists.
Head coach Jim Berkman said: “He lets the game come to him and makes everyone around him better.”
NCAA Division III (Women)
Jen Pritchard, junior attacker, Frankin and Marshall
Pritchard, an IWLCA/US Lacrosse first-team All-American last year, led F&M to an unbeaten NCAA championship season with a school-record 77 goals. She scored 19 goals in four postseason games to win the NCAA tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award.
Head coach Anne Phillips said: “She’s a deadly shooter and an excellent finisher. She’s also very mature and very poised under pressure.”
NJCAA (Men)
Paddy McKendry, sophomore defender, Onondaga
McKendry did not play lacrosse until the ninth grade in high school, but he routinely guarded the opposition’s best player last season, helping Onondaga win its second straight NJCAA title.
Head coach Chuck Wilbur said: “He was a little bit behind the pace in terms of knowing the game when he first got here, but his athletic ability more than compensated for that.”
NJCAA (Women)
Jessica Baublitz, sophomore midfielder, Catonsville
Baublitz earned first-team All-America honors with 51 goals and 30 assists last season. She also was named to the NJCAA All-Tournament Team, helping the Cardinals to a runner-up finish following an epic, five-overtime loss to Anne Arundel.
Head coach Tom Taylor said: “She’s a very unselfish player. She’s not afraid to give up the ball.”
US Lacrosse WDIA
Lindsay Brown, senior midfielder, Colorado State
Brown, the team president, led the Rams to the WDIA semifinals with 48 goals and 21 assists. She was a first-team WDIA All-American.
Head coach Whitney Lewis said: “She worked on her defensive skills last year to become more well-rounded. She’s a great asset on the field.”
MCLA Division I
Jake Launert, senior goalie, Minnesota-Duluth
Launert, a native of Bloomington, Minn., led the Upper Midwest Lacrosse League with a 70.5 save percentage and 3.15 goals against average. He was named a first-team MCLA All-American and the UMLL Player of the Year.
Head coach Rob Graff said: “Had Jake grown up in one of the more ‘hotbed’ areas, he would not have come here.”
MCLA Division II
James Brand, senior midfielder, Westminster (Utah)
Brand, with 56 goals and 29 assists a year ago, helped the Griffins to the MCLA Division II tournament semifinals and was named the division’s midfielder of the year.
Head coach Mason Goodhand said: “He is just the kind of player you want on your team.”
About US Lacrosse
US Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) corporation, is the national governing body for men’s and women’s lacrosse. US Lacrosse has more than 200,000 members around the country. The learn more about US Lacrosse, please visit www.uslacrosse.org.
Expectations High for 2008 Griffin Squad
January 11, 2008
The MCLA released their 2008 Lax World Preseason Poll and the Griffins are in the hot seat at #1. Again the Rocky Mountain Conference appears to be a very competitive division with six teams in the Top 25 and four listed in the Top Ten of the nations 101 D-2 programs.
1. Westminster College
6. UVSC
7. Univ. of Northern Colorado
8. Ft Lewis College
13. Montana State
21. Univ. of Northern Arizona
The Lax World MCLA Top 25 Division 1 and Division 2 polls will be conducted a total of eight times each during the 2007-2008 season: 1 preseason poll and 7 regular season polls. The two Top 25 polls will be released on the CollegeLAX site based on the following schedule:
Lax World MCLA Division 2 Top 25 Poll
Preseason - Wed, Jan. 9th
Poll 1: Wed, Feb. 20
Poll 2: Wed, Mar. 5
Poll 3: Wed, Mar. 19
Poll 4: Wed, April 2
Poll 5: Wed, April 16
Poll 6: Wed, April 30
(Final) Poll 7: Monday, May 5th
Lacrosse: Young Griffins experience growing pains in year 2
Westminster coach using fall season to mix and match 30 new players into his system
By Patrick Bahr
Special to The Tribune
Step one for the Westminster College lacrosse team was to get more players for this upcoming season. The Griffins can check that off the list as they have a full 45-man roster, which is up from 25 players last year. Step two is getting those new players experience, which is easier said than done. The Griffins have 30 players who weren't on last year's roster, so this season of fall lacrosse is crucial to the team's success in the upcoming spring season.
Fall ball gives the team a chance to practice and scrimmage other schools which helps mold the team into the product that will play in the spring season. "This is a real valuable time," Westminster coach Mason Goodhand said. "Our fall ball lets us shake out some kids who can be top performers next spring."
The team is midway through its fall season, where no score will be kept in exhibition matches against local schools.
Last Friday, they took on the University of Utah and the young players' rawness showed.
"A lot of freshmen played and they all got real important experience," Goodhand said. "There were not a lot of individual efforts that were real shining but we had a chance to get a lot of young guys to play at a fast level."
One area where young players have excelled this fall has been the goalie position. Due to injuries in the net, two freshmen have been splitting time and performing well. Bryan Baisley, from Huntington, N.Y., comes from a top high school Lacrosse program at which he was a backup goalie to Sean Brady, who is currently playing at Division I Duke.
"Bryan had to fill a back up spot in his high school career and now he is ready to take the lead role," Goodhand said. "He is showing that with his play." The other young goalie that has impressed Goodhand has been local prospect Dallas McLellan from Juan Diego High School. McLellan was an All-American twice and the competition at goalie is something new for him. "I think [the competition] set him back at first but he is bouncing back and has raised his game," Goodhand said. "[Baisly and McLellan] are friendly with each other and they compete hard with each other, and the benefactor of that competition is our team." Both players had strong saves in their match against Utah but Goodhand said that had something to due with poor defense. Utah has a fast tempo offense that weaved around the Griffin defense putting the goalies in a position where they were forced to come up with tricky saves. "I was upset with our defense," Goodhand said. "It is great that our goalies had some nice saves but the question as a coach is why we had to make those saves, we will get on that."
The team has opportunities to gel with two more exhibitions this fall.
The Griffins will take on Utah Valley State on the 26th, and will compete at the Best of the West tournament in Las Vegas on November 3rd.
"If in Las Vegas we are making the same mistakes we made [last] Friday I will be concerned," Goodhand said. "But if last week was our opportunity to learn a little bit and we come back to understand the mistakes we made, than getting humbled by a very good Utah team was the best thing for us."
The regular season will not start until February.
Westminster College will enter two squads in the Best of the West Tourney in Las Vegas.
"These games are running clock games and you only get three contests unless you win your first three. We have a large roster this year and want to make sure that all our players get a chance to get on the field." remarked Coach Goodhand when asked about his teams approach to the end of fall event. "Fall ball is about getting everyone on the field. The spring season will be filled with intense competition and there will be a lot of players who won't get their uniform dirty as the 2008 season progresses. We want to make sure everyone gets a chance to show what they can do."
The Westminster 2008 roster will boast 17 new faces with 14 freshman and 3 transfers this fall. The WC- I team will be a predominently "lettermen" squad while the WC-II roster will be heavy with newcomers. The - I squad will square off against some of the top MCLA D-I programs while the -II squad will see solid competition from some of the MCLA's D-II conference.
Check out the Best of the West website for more information on the 2007 BoW tourney.
The event will be held at the Kellogg & Zahar Sports Complex
West Washington Ave. at North Buffalo Avem, in Las Vegas.
Lacrosse: Westminster aims to build on success
By Patrick Bahr
Special to The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 09/06/2007 01:24:46 PM MDT
http://www.sltrib.com/sugarhouse/ci_6818563
The Westminster College lacrosse team has 45 available lockers and coach Mason Goodhand intends to fill them all.
On Tuesday last week, roughly 20 prospective lacrosse players attended the first day of an open tryout at Dumke Field.
In his second year at the school, Goodhand is attempting to create depth on a team that attended the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association Division B (MCLA-B) National Tournament and finished in the final four.
"Right now my recruiting effort does not involve digging up kids," Goodhand said. "We take kids who are interested and turn them into decent lacrosse players."
At the tryout, the interested players were led through a series of passing, defensive and conditioning drills by Goodhand and last year's team captain, James Brand.
A Skyline High School graduate, Brand said he likes seeing the enthusiasm of the new players.
"They push the older guys," Brand said. "The young guys will set the attitude of the team so hopefully they don't poison what we had going on last year."
Most of the incoming players are right out of high school, with the exception of a few who are transferring in from other schools or players who have taken a few years off from the game and are attempting to pick the game back up.
Beau Stine graduated from Copper Hills High School last year and is one of the players trying to earn a jersey number for the spring season.
"I am really looking forward to joining the team," Stine said. "I think that Westminster has a great team and I am out here to learn."
Stine is not only learning from Goodhand and Brand, but also from Ben Wright, who is a Westminster letterman.
Wright was in Stine's shoes only a year ago. Last year, as a freshman, Wright played midfield for the Griffins.
"It is all new for them," Wright said. "Practice has a faster pace; their team has doubled in size from high school so I am sure they are a little intimidated."
Intimidated or not, Goodhand was happy with the turnout which he hopes will keep his program on track to compete with BYU, which is in the Division A group of the MCLA.
"BYU has a 55-man roster. They are in the weight room four days a week and they just physically handle the demands of the season," Goodhand said. "It is important for these guys to play BYU because in many of their minds BYU is the team to beat."
The season starts for the Griffins this fall and carries over into the spring.
Welcome to Griffin Lacrosse
After a great 2007 inaugural season (17-3, #2 national rank in final MCLA poll), Westminster Lacrosse is excited to move forward in 2008. Our fall roster expansion from 23 to 43 players reveals the excitement on campus. The heartbreak of the one-goal loss in the final-four match up with eventual champion Montana leaves us excited and motivated to return to that stage in 2008.
The program continues to develop with an eye on NCAA sanctioning. At this time our Administration has not committed to the transition form NAIA to NCAA affiliation. Several steps must be made to move all 12 teams at the school out of the NAIA and into the NCAA. We expect to have a clearer understanding of the plan and when the 2008 season is in the books.
We continue to schedule NCAA opponents to keep pace of our progress with those programs. This season the Griffins enter into a three-year scheduling commitment with NCAA upstarts Grand Canyon University (first year program) and Dominican University (second year program). Westminster will host the inaugural event in Salt Lake City, April 18-20, 2008. In 2009 the event will travel to Phoenix, AZ and it concludes in San Rafael, CA in the spring of 2010.
We continue to compete in the newly re-named MCLA Division II. (Formally Div-B) (www.collegelax.us) Our RMLC conference is arguably the toughest in the nation with four D-II teams finishing in the top 12 nationally last season. We will stretch our travel budget to schedule out-of conference games with playoff calibre opponents. In addition, we will schedule local Div-I teams (Utah and Utah State) as well as any visiting MCLA Div-I programs who need another contest on during their trip to SLC.
If you are a potential recruit, we urge you to read the information provided on the "information for potential recruits" link. I expect next years class to be identified much earlier in the school year. Please seend video as soon as possible if you wish to catch us while there is still ample room on our recruit list.
We look forward to developing a diverse fan base and hope to see you in the stands this spring.
- Griffin Lacrosse Staff