The DII women’s lacrosse championship is one of the younger tournaments in DII sports. LIU Post defeated West Chester 13-9 in the first-ever DII women’s lacrosse finals in 2001. Since then, the Pioneers have become one of four programs to win multiple titles.
Adelphi claimed the 2019 DII women's lacrosse national championship, defeating West Chester 11-5. It was the Panthers' ninth title all-time, more than any other program in history. The Panthers had a chance to add to their illustrious history in 2024; however, the Tampa Spartans defeated them to take home the first DII women's lacrosse title in program history. These same Spartans entered the list in 2025, when they defeated Adelphi for the second year in a row to become one of five programs with multiple titles.
Let’s take a look at the DII women’s lacrosse programs with the most titles.
9 — Adelphi (2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019)
The Panthers are the benchmark when it comes to DII women’s lacrosse, appearing in 12 of the national championship matches played and now posting a remarkable 9-3 record over that span after defeating West Chester in the 2019 championship. Their first loss came to Florida Southern at the 2016 DII Festival in a wild 8-7 battle, seeing the Mocs rise as the first (and only) champs outside of the northeast, but now have three total runners-up campaigns as well. Adelphi has two separate runs of consecutive championships, most impressively going 57-1 in winning three-straight titles from 2009 to 2011.
4 — LIU Post (2001, 2007, 2012, 2013)
The first national champions in DII women’s lacrosse history have remained a part of the conversation in the 17 years since. The Pioneers won 40 straight regular-season games as part of their 2012 and 2013 championship runs and have never had a losing streak of more than two games in the history of the program. That’s just impressive right there.
2 — Stonehill (2003, 2005)
The Skyhawks looked like they were on the verge of greatness, heading to the national title match three times in a four-year span. Stonehill hasn’t returned since its 2005 victory over West Chester, but Michael Daly’s squads certainly left their mark in the early 2000s.
2 — Tampa (2024, 2025)
The Spartans broke through in 2025 and became the fifth program to win multiple titles. They won both against Adelphi, and both were in somewhat dominant fashion, with a 5.5-goal margin of victory. Head coach Kelly Gallagher has been at the helm at both, and clearly, there is now an established championship power in the South for DII women's lacrosse. Prior to Tampa's back-to-back titles, only Florida Southern represented the South in the championship game, appearing in it from 2016-18 while winning the 2016 title.
2 — West Chester (2002, 2008)
The Golden Rams are actually just a few goals away from being up there with Adelphi as the most dominant team in DII women’s lacrosse history. West Chester has been to ten championship matches, including a stretch of five in a row between 2004-08. After its 2019 national runners-up campaign, the Rams have faced Adelphi four times in the finals, but have yet to solve the puzzle of the Panthers. The Rams have only won two total, but their place in DII women’s lacrosse history is as set as any.
Here’s a complete list of the championship history:
DII women's lacrosse champions
YEAR | CHAMPION | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2025 | Tampa | Kelly Gallagher | 15-9 | Adelphi | Salem, Va. |
2024 | Tampa | Kelly Gallagher | 13-8 | Adelphi | Winter Park, Fla. |
2023 | Pace | Tricia Molfetta | 19-9 | West Chester | Indianapolis, Indiana |
2022 | UIndy | James Delany | 11-9 | East Stroudsburg | St. Charles, Missouri |
2021 | Lindenwood | Jack Cribbin | 14-12 | Queens (NC) | Salem, Virginia |
2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | ||||
2019 | Adelphi | Pat McCabe | 11-5 | West Chester | Allendale, Michigan |
2018 | Le Moyne | Kathy Taylor | 16-11 | Florida Southern | Tampa, Fla. |
2017 | Adelphi | Pat McCabe | 6-4 | Florida Southern | Bloomsburg, Pa. |
2016 | Florida Southern | Kara Reber | 8-7 | Adelphi | Denver, Colorado |
2015 | Adelphi | Pat McCabe | 5-4 (OT) | Lock Haven | Salem, Va. |
2014 | Adelphi | Rob Grella | 7-5 | Lock Haven | Salem, Va. |
2013 | LIU Post | Meghan McNamara | 10-7 | Limestone | Owings Mills, Md. |
2012 | LIU Post | Meghan McNamara | 17-16 | West Chester | Louisville |
2011 | Adelphi | Joe Spallina | 17-4 | Limestone | Adelphi |
2010 | Adelphi | Joe Spallina | 17-7 | West Chester | Gettysburg, Pa. |
2009 | Adelphi | Joe Spallina | 16-4 | Lock Haven | Salem, Va. |
2008 | West Chester | Ginny Martino | 13-12 | LIU Post | Houston |
2007 | LIU Post | Karen MaCrate Henning | 15-7 | West Chester | Salem, Va. |
2006 | Adelphi | Jill Lessne-Solomon | 16-8 | West Chester | Benedictine (Ill.) |
2005 | Stonehill | Michael Daly | 13-10 | West Chester | West Chester |
2004 | Adelphi | Jill Lessne | 12-11 | West Chester | Orlando |
2003 | Stonehill | Michael Daly | 9-8 | Longwood | Stonehill |
2002 | West Chester | Ginny Martino | 11-6 | Stonehill | West Chester |
2001 | LIU Post | Karen MaCrate | 13-9 | West Chester | Stonehill |