FAU: Lacrosse in Paradise

Florida Atlantic University’s historic bid at the MCLA national tournament

Florida Atlantic University, located in Boca Raton, Florida, is making waves in the collegiate lacrosse world as its men’s team secures its debut appearance in the MCLA National Tournament. Their journey to this stage included a historic victory over Kennesaw State University, a lacrosse powerhouse, with FAU emerging victorious with a score of 15-13 in the SELC Championship game—a first in program history.

As the spotlight shines on FAU, the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) witnesses the emergence of a new SELC conference champion with its sights on a national championship. In a historic victory, the FAU men’s lacrosse team clinched the SELC Championship title, securing their ticket to the MCLA tournament for the first time in the program's history.

Junior Captain Gavin McIntyre prepares for the start of a game. Dom Madlang/Channel Four

Head Coach Stavros Neocleous shed light on their journey and aspirations in an interview. When asked about their preparation for the MCLA playoffs, Coach Neocleus emphasized consistency: "Our approach stays the same. Our motto has been ‘the next game is the most important one on the schedule.’ It’s really helped the guys stay focused and keep their eyes on the one game in front of us. That is especially important in a 4-game single elimination tournament like the MCLA National Tournament."

Reflecting on the team's culture, Coach Neocleus highlighted the transformative journey since taking over in 2019: "We have a very unique culture at FAU. Our coaching staff initiated a complete overhaul, a 5-year plan that was hampered a bit by COVID. The prevailing approach was building a competitive culture where every player had to earn their opportunity to play." He elaborated, "The ‘club’ persona wasn’t going to drive the team anymore. Every player on the roster has earned their spot and fought alongside their teammates for it. This allowed us to drive team success and a competitive culture to the forefront."

Head Coach Stavros Neocleous. FAU Mens Lacrosse

Looking beyond trophies, Coach Neocleus shared the program's long-term vision: "We are not of the mindset that this team needs to be anything other than what it is. We want to drive sustainable success regardless of the athletes on the team, with players and coaches committed to winning." He continued, "There isn’t one specific goal, not one trophy, that will raise the program to where we want it. There needs to be long-term season-over-season success. We want to offer a legitimate winning program for local athletes to be a part of. Something the FAU and the alumni of our program can be truly proud of."

As they gear up for the MCLA tournament, the FAU men’s lacrosse team stands out as not only as an exciting team but a serious contender. Their accomplishments are tremendous and exciting as they defeated last year’s National Champions, the University of Dayton. The FAU Owls have finally arrived, this time with a National audience.

For more information on the FAU Owls Men's Lacrosse team click here.