1972 NCAA lacrosse tournament
The 1972 NCAA lacrosse tournament was the second annual tournament hosted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association to determine the team champion of college lacrosse among its members in the United States.
| 1972 NCAA Division I men's lacrosse tournament | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dates | May 20–June 3, 1972 | ||||
| Teams | 8 | ||||
| Finals site | Byrd Stadium College Park, Maryland | ||||
| Champions | Virginia (1st title) | ||||
| Runner-up | Johns Hopkins (1st title game) | ||||
| Semifinalists | Cortland State (1st Final Four) Maryland (2nd Final Four) | ||||
| Winning coach | Glenn Thiel (1st title) | ||||
| MOP | Jay Connor, Virginia | ||||
| Attendance | 7,001 finals | ||||
| Top scorer | Jay Connor, Virginia (13 goals) | ||||
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This was the last NCAA championship in which the Wingate Memorial Trophy was also presented to the national champion. Prior to NCAA Lacrosse Championships, the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) awarded the Wingate Memorial Trophy to the NCAA annual champion based on regular season records.
Virginia, led by coach Glenn Thiel, defeated Johns Hopkins in the championship game, 13–12. The victory gave Virginia its first NCAA championship in lacrosse and its third overall (including USILA titles in 1952 and 1970). The victory also gave Virginia its first official NCAA national title in any sport.
The championship game was played at Byrd Stadium at the University of Maryland in front of a crowd of 7,001 fans.