BYU men’s lacrosse captured its sixth MCLA national championship on Saturday, defeating the Virginia Tech Hokies 16-13 behind a dominant offensive attack.
The Cougars finished the season 20-1 with the victory and are tied with Colorado State for the most MCLA Division I national titles in history.
BYU looked ready to run away with the championship early, earning four goals in the opening six minutes. Gavin Taylor scored twice during the early surge off assists from Hutton Murphy, while Mason Quick added back-to-back goals to give the Cougars immediate momentum.
But the Hokies refused to fold.
Behind strong face off play from Jack McKenzie, Virginia Tech slowly battled back into the game. Tanner Snow opened the scoring for the Hokies before Dylan Lange capitalized on a rebound opportunity to cut the deficit further.
Stew Vassau briefly extended BYU’s lead with a goal down the left alley, but the Hokies answered again to close the first quarter trailing just 5-4 after once facing a four-goal deficit.
The second quarter slowed considerably as both defenses settled in.
Virginia Tech disrupted BYU’s passing lanes and tightened its defensive rotations, while Easton Wilkey delivered several key saves to keep the Cougars in front. The BYU goalkeeper finished the game with 22 saves, repeatedly shutting down Hokie opportunities and sparking transition offense the other direction.
Quick scored his third goal of the game midway through the quarter, but Virginia Tech continued answering every BYU run. Snow tied the game on an extra man opportunity before Jacob Blibaum found the back of the net with just 8.8 seconds remaining in the half, sending the teams into halftime tied 8-8.
Virginia Tech briefly grabbed the lead twice early in the third quarter, but the Cougars answered immediately each time.
The game shifted for good midway through the quarter when BYU erupted for five straight goals to build a 13-9 advantage. Murphy led the stretch with three goals during the run as the Cougar offense regained control.
Virginia Tech trimmed the deficit to three entering the fourth quarter, but BYU once again delivered timely responses. Quick connected with Taylor inside early in the final frame before Murphy added another goal on the following possession to stretch the lead back to five.
The Hokies made one final push behind consecutive goals from Matthew Patrone, but they were unable to get closer than three the rest of the way.
Taylor led all scorers with eight goals in the championship victory, while Murphy finished with four goals and three assists. Quick added three goals and two assists for the Cougars.
Following the win, BYU head coach Matt Schneck credited the team’s focus and preparation throughout the season.
“We planned for this day from our first practice all the way back in September,” Schneck said.
The victory capped another historic season for BYU and further solidified the program’s place among the elite teams in MCLA history.