Cats Win the 2024 National Championship
After a long week in the Texas heat, the Bobcats found themselves in the MCLA Division II National Championship game on Saturday afternoon. To get to this point, the Cats had to win three games in four days.
The tournament started on Monday afternoon with the Cats taking on Tulane. The Cats were able to take care of business 14-3. On Tuesday, the Cats moved on to the quarterfinals to take on Rhode Island. After a close first half, the Cats opened up the scoring in the third quarter and were able to complete the 13-6 win.
Wednesday was a much need rest day and a day to prepare for the RMLC Conference Championship rematch against the Air Force Falcons.
In the first semifinal game on Thursday, the Cats took a commanding first half lead 11-1, behind a strong second quarter. The Cats continued the offensive onslaught with a final score of 21-4, avenging the one goal loss in the RMLC Championship.
MSU outscored those three teams by a combined 35 goals on their way to the title match against St. Thomas, never allowing an opponent to score in the double digits.
After falling 3-1 in the first quarter to the Tommies, the Cats rallied around each other to start the comeback. Matt Bess started the second with a marker and was followed less than a minute later by a deep shot from Vernon Loucks to tie the game at three.
Mekhi Davis connected to give Montana State its first lead of the game with 7:56 left to go in the half before the Tommies tied it back up at four.
Jonathan Serrell returned the lead the Bobcats after converting a dish from Dexter Tedesco. With just 19 seconds left in the half, Loucks provided Montana State its biggest lead of the game, 6-4.
Loucks was at it again three minutes into the third period to notch the hat trick and balloon the advantage to 7-4. St. Thomas slowed the Bobcat momentum to cut the margin to 7-5, but that was as close as the Tommies would get the rest of the way.
Montana State outscored St. Thomas, 5-2, over the final 19:12 of the contest to pull away and post the 12-7 triumph. Serrell joined Loucks with hat tricks for the Bobcats while Davis had two goals and a dime. Ethan Zwickey was credited with 12 saves in the win.
“It’s a lot of emotions. A lot of tears, a lot of hugging, too many pictures,” Zwickey recalled of the moment the game was over. “It still doesn’t even feel quite real. It was a long season, so to be able to end that way and enjoy that moment with our families around us, it was really special.”
Zwickey was named Tournament MVP and MCLA Player of the Year. He was joined on that All-Tournament Team by Serrell at attack; midfielders Matt Bess and Vernon Loucks; short stick defenseman Auston Neubauer; long stick midfielder Sam Radke; and defenseman Andreas Lucero.
“Ethan Zwickey is the best goalie in the MCLA. He was astonishing in this tournament,” said Serrell. “He’s a team leader and very humble, but he really kept us in a lot of those games. He 100% deserved that tournament MVP. He played some of the best lacrosse that I’ve ever seen anyone play.”
Montana State Wins the Title | Montana State Men’s Lacrosse Wins National Title