Men's Lacrosse

PREVIEW: Adelphi bids for NE10's 21st Lacrosse NCAA Title

Panthers Meet Tampa in a 2025 Rematch

On Sunday the Adelphi Panthers meet the Tampa Spartans in the NCAA Division II Men's Lacrosse National Championship.  Below is a list of everything you should know going into the season's final game.

National Championship
Adelphi vs. Tampa
4pm - Charlottesville, Va - Scott Stadium
WATCH: https://www.ncaa.com/game/6600120
  • The NE10 has won 10 men's lacrosse national championships and 20 total (w/ women's lax titles)
  • Adelphi has won nine men's lacrosse national championships -- the most in DII
  • Adelphi's first national title as a member of the NE10 came in 2024, closing a title-less gap for the Panthers that stretched to 2001
  • This is the first DII rematch since 2016, when Le Moyne defeated Limestone in Philadelphia
  • The last team to repeat as national champion by defeating the same opponent was CW Post (over Le Moyne) in 2010.
  • This is the third meeting of the NE10 and the Sunshine State Conference in the men's lacrosse final.  The NE10 is 2-0 (Adelphi over Tampa in '25 and Merrimack over Saint Leo in 2018).
  • This is the first time since 2022 that the title game is being held in a college stadium (UVa).  The '22 game was played at UConn's Pratt and Whitney Stadium).  It's the first time the game is being played on a college campus since 2002 at Rutgers.
  • Charlottesville, Va is the furthest south the DII national championship has ever been played.
  • Adelphi is bidding for a third straight national championship.  That has never happened in DII.  Only six teams in NCAA history have won three straight men's lacrosse championships: Johns Hopkins (1978, 79, 80), Syracuse (1988, 89, 90), Princeton (1996, 97, 98), Middlebury (2000, 01, 02), Salisbury (2003, 04, 05) and Hobart (1980-1991).  Tufts is also looking for a third straight title at the DIII level on Sunday.  
  • There have been six previous back-to-back champions.  Merrimack was not able to go for a third straight because of COVID and the fact that the Warriors left for DI.  Limestone fell to Le Moyne in 2016 looking for a third straight title and Le Moyne lost to NYIT in 2008.  Hobart played for a third straight title in 1978.  Those are the only three instances of a back-to-back champion having even made the final for a third straight year.
  • Adelphi has outscored opponents 88-24 in the postseason - an average margin of 12.8 goals per game.
  • The Panthers boast the No. 1 defense and No. 1 goalkeeper in the country in Christian Tomei.  Tomei is DII's active career leader in goals against average after two seasons at this level.  He ranks second in the statistic across all levels of the NCAA.  
  • The matchup pits the top two defenses in the country, with the Spartans led by Maryland transfer Westin Schmidt in goal.
  • With 170 assists as only a junior, Adelphi's Braden Donnellan is DII's active career leader in helpers.  He's fourth in the stat across all NCAA levels and ranks 18 assists behind Syracuse's Joey Spillina -- who is also playing in Charlottesville this weekend.  With 192 goals, Saint Rose transfer Noah Gibson is DII's active leader in that category.  
  • Tampa's only loss this season is by one goal and in overtime, 15-14 to Anderson -- the same team it defeated to reach the national final.
  • Tampa is the most recent team to go unbeaten, finishing 21-0 in 2022.

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 10 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.

Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.

Fans can subscribe via this link to follow NE10 NOW on FloSports this season.  The partnership between the NE10 and FloSports works to provide funds back to the athletic departments of the Northeast 10 Conference in support of student-athletes while promoting the league on a national platform.