CALDWELL, Idaho – The College of Idaho lacrosse team earned the fifth seed in the MCLA National Championship Tournament in Richmond, Virginia and will take on No. 12 University of Tampa in the opening round on May 4
th at 4:30 PM MT. C of I earned the automatic qualifier for the PNCLL after defeating the No. 7 University of Montana in the conference championship game and was seeded the highest in program's five tournament appearances. The Yotes' best tournament finish was as semifinalists in 2019.
The Yotes (14-1) are coming off of one of the most successful campaigns in program history. Their record is an impressive 6-1 against teams ranked or receiving votes in the MCLA poll. Marquee victories include defeating then No. 4 Montana State 13-9, then No. 6 University of Montana 10-9 in the regular season, and No. 7 University of Montana in the championship game 12-11. The only loss of the season was against No. 4 Air Force 13-10. With recent high-profile wins, C of I goes into the tournament dreaming of a championship.
Offensively, the team keeps opponents on their heels. PNCLL Freshman of the Year
Trevor Shoopman is the second highest point getter in the MCLA with his 39 goals and 44 assists. His 83 point tally trails Coastal Carolina's Matt Antonetti by a lone point.
Trevor Shoopman ranks fourth in the nation in assists and was named the MCLA National Player of the Month. PNCLL Offensive Player of the Year
Grayson Flatten completes one of the most elite duos in the country. He has scored 76 points on the season to place him seventh in the country. He leads the Yotes with 43 goals and has contributed 33 assists.
Joining
Trevor Shoopman and Flatten in First Team All-PNCLL is
Wyatt Neu,
Parker Allumbaugh,
Noah Geise,
Eli Longstreet,
Carter Pechin, and
Noah Geise. Neu scored 34 goals on the season and added 30 assists to earn 64 points on the season. Allumbaugh earned the nod for his strength in the defensive midfield. He picked up 32 ground balls and caused 17 turnovers.
Eli Longstreet held strong defensively causing 25 turnovers and nabbing 33 loose balls. Perchin was also incredible in defense causing 26 turnovers and collecting 26 groundballs.
Noah Geise picked up 99 groundballs and won 62.2% of his faceoffs. His 176 faceoff wins places him fourth in the nations for most wins from the faceoff circle.
Between the pipes, the Yotes are anchored by Freshman All-PNCLL second team goalie
Brogan Rice who has the fourth highest save rate in the MCLA with a minimum of 75 saves. He boasts an impressive 71.3% save rate between the pipes coming off of 169 saves on the season. The brick wall only allows 4.5 goals per game and was honored as the MCLA Goalie of the Week in March.
Long stick middie
Luqa Longstreet's work in the midfield last weekend earned him PNCLL Tournament MVP and his performances this season earned him second team all-conference. His ability to disrupt opponent's offenses and create offense himself has created headaches for opponents. He has caused 20 turnovers on the season and picked up 32 ground balls while also finding the back of the net on three different occasions.
Henry Harris and Zachary Shoopman also earned honorable mention nods for the PNCLL. With 11 players earning all-conference honors, the Yotes are built with depth to sustain a tournament run.
First up in their national championship campaign is the University of Tampa. Out of the SouthEastern Lacrosse Conference (SELC), the Spartans hold a 9-3 record. Their best result came against No. 8 Florida Atlantic in the regular season where they held on to win 8-7. The Spartans dropped a tough game to No. 17 Georgia Southern 10-4 in the regular season but avenged the loss with a 11-4 result in the SELC semifinal. Florida Atlantic got the better of Tampa in the SELC championship game 13-9.
Spartans to watch out for include First Team All-SELC Nicholas Alicanti who leads the team with 43 goals. Short-stick defensive midfielder Will Mitchel is also a first team all-conference selection. He has 32 groundballs and 19 caused turnovers. KJ Schwab leads the team in points behind 27 goals and 25 assists.
The winner between the Yotes and Spartans will play the winner of No. 4 Air Force and No. 13 Coastal Carolina.
With a season full of tests, the Yotes are battle ready. Combined with their sharpness, The College of Idaho is set to pursue championship glory.
