Merrimack Men's Lacrosse Claims 2018 & 2019 NCAA Championships

Posted: Mar 23, 2021

Merrimack men’s lacrosse established itself as one of the top NCAA Division II programs in the nation before the school’s transition to NCAA Division I following the 2019 season. For the Warriors it was a sweet goodbye to the NE10 and Division II as they captured consecutive NCAA Championships in 2018 and 2019.

The Warriors rise to the top of NCAA Division II started earlier in the decade as they reached NE10 Championship games in 2012, 2014 and 2016. Then in 2017, they made a run to the NCAA Championship game before falling 11-9 to Limestone in heartbreaking fashion.

With that loss in their minds, the Warriors embarked on a revenge tour in 2018. They went 10-1 in conference play and dispatched Adelphi (17-11) in the NE10 Semifinals before taking down Saint Anselm 11-7 for the program’s third NE10 Title. Following blowouts of NYIT (24-6) and Seton Hill (16-9) the Warriors faced Saint Leo in the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium for their first NCAA Title. It wasn’t close as Merrimack posted the largest margin of victory in men’s lacrosse history, winning 23-6 to claim the program’s first NCAA Championship.

Following the 2018 National Title, six Warriors were named USILA All-Americans, highlighted by Charlie Bertrand – a first-team selection at attack – who not only was named the Lt. Col. J.I. Turnbull Award winner for the nation's most outstanding attackman; he also was named the co-winner of the Lt. Raymond J. Enners Outstanding Player award, representing the nation's most valuable player.

The Warriors’ run to defend their title in 2019 was a bit more dramatic. A loss in the NE10 Championship Semifinals to Le Moyne forced Merrimack to earn an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament and hit the road if they wanted to repeat.

After a dominant performance over Mercyhurst (16-5) in the first round, the Warriors took down NE10 rival Adelphi (14-12) in the NCAA Quarterfinals. In the NCAA Semifinals against Le Moyne, Dom Thomas scored with just four seconds left to force overtime and then brother Christian provided the game-winning goal in OT for a 15-14 victory. It was sweet revenge in the NCAA Championship as the Warriors took down Limestone 16-8 to secure their second straight title.

Among the bevy of individual accolades, Charlie Bertrand shined the brightest. He twice earned USILA National Player of the Year honors and was also twice named the Elite 90 award winner as the player with the top GPA at championship weekend. The team also combined to earn 10 All-American honors over the two-year stretch and helped lead the Warriors into a new era of Division I lacrosse.

Merrimack Men's Lacrosse Links of Note

ABOUT THE NE10
Beginning its 40th anniversary season, the NE10 is an association of 14 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.