Best Teams In DI Lacrosse History That DIDN'T Win It All?

[gymman1031]

nm

[Farfromgeneva]

2006 duke. Beaten by Mike Nifong and his group of 88

[TucoBPJMRamirez]

2023 tufts ...

[Matnum PI]

Great question. And Duke (above) is a great, though a bit of an anomaly, answer. Interested to hear more...

[molo]

Hopkins 1995, Virginia 1996

[Mr. Webber]

Oldhead take

1. CORNELL 1978. I mean, how could there be any other team here? They had won 42 straight games, the longest streak in NCAA history, including two national championships along the way.

2. MARYLAND 1976. It's arguable, of course, but this totally loaded runner-up Terps squad might be the best in Maryland history despite faltering in the end. Went into championship game undefeated and on epic late-season surge (look up their last four games). Seemed unbeatable at the time. Another way to think about the greatness of the '76 Terps: The team they lost to in the championship is considered by many to be one of the greatest of all time, and Cornell '76 needed OT to do it (indeed, Maryland would've won with current OT rules).

3. MARYLAND 1987. People forget this team because they lost in the semis, but the '87 squad was undefeated, ranked No. 1 by a mile all season...and their average margin of victory was 10 freaking goals.

[gymman1031]

Oldhead take

1. CORNELL 1978. I mean, how could there be any other team here? They had won 42 straight games, the longest streak in NCAA history, including two national championships along the way.

2. MARYLAND 1976. It's arguable, of course, but this totally loaded runner-up Terps squad might be the best in Maryland history despite faltering in the end. Went into championship game undefeated and on epic late-season surge (look up their last four games). Seemed unbeatable at the time; still can't believe they lost (and they would've won had current OT rules been in place).

3. MARYLAND 1987. People forget this team because they lost in the semis, but the '87 squad was undefeated, ranked No. 1 by a mile all season...and their average margin of victory was 10 freaking goals.

Maryland 1987 was definitely Coach Edell's best chance to win a title. All the power to Hopkins for playing great lacrosse in their Semifinals win over the Terps. But what stings the most is that it looked like the Terps didn't get completely off the bus for that one.

[10stone5]

Any number of teams you can pick from this list,

There have been 14 undefeated NCAA champions out of 51 title games since 1971.

Year Winner Record Seed Score Runner-up Record Seed

1976 Cornell 16–0 #2 16–13 OT Maryland 10–1 #1
1977 Cornell 13–0 #1 16–8 Johns Hopkins 11–2 #2
1979 Johns Hopkins 13–0 #1 15–9 Maryland 9–2 #2
1981 North Carolina 12–0 #2 14–13 Johns Hopkins 13–1 #1
1984 Johns Hopkins 14–0 #1 13–10 Syracuse 15–1 #2
2005 Johns Hopkins 16–0 #1 9–8 Duke 17–3 #2

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/NCAA_Di ... _Champions

[OCanada]

Oldhead take

1. CORNELL 1978. I mean, how could there be any other team here? They had won 42 straight games, the longest streak in NCAA history, including two national championships along the way.

2. MARYLAND 1976. It's arguable, of course, but this totally loaded runner-up Terps squad might be the best in Maryland history despite faltering in the end. Went into championship game undefeated and on epic late-season surge (look up their last four games). Seemed unbeatable at the time; still can't believe they lost (and they would've won had current OT rules been in place).

3. MARYLAND 1987. People forget this team because they lost in the semis, but the '87 squad was undefeated, ranked No. 1 by a mile all season...and their average margin of victory was 10 freaking goals.

Maryland 1987 was definitely Coach Edell's best chance to win a title. All the power to Hopkins for playing great lacrosse in their Semifinals win over the Terps. But what stings the most is that it looked like the Terps didn't get completely off the bus for that one.

1978 Cornell. If only they could win a FO. Ned Radebaugh won 20 of 22. Bob DeSimone’s first shot hit the cross bar and lifted the goal. I never though Big Red would win after.

In 1977 Cornell beat Hopkins 16-8. They ran off 8 straight to begin. Hopkins calls TO. Eamon went out of his way to run by the Hopkins bench and yell “ you guys suck”. Competitive guy. One of the most. That might have provided some incentive the following year.

1987 the Big Man had one of not the best teams he ever had.
Nice family wish he would have won one.

[molo]

1987 Cornell was loaded ax well.

[gymman1031]

1987 Cornell was loaded ax well.

They sure were. Hopkins simply peaked at the right time.

[mdk01]

Another vote for Maryland '76. I was at that final and it was one for the ages.

[wgdsr]

Great question. And Duke (above) is a great, though a bit of an anomaly, answer. Interested to hear more...

dook beat up 4 patsies, and couldn't score against 4 ok teams while going 2 and 2. uva had an all time team, scored at will and raked all but one team while going undefeated. they would've loved for dook to not hire strippers and make it to their game.

[keno in reno]

1987 Maryland (undefeated)
2016 Maryland (pretty dominant team by the end of the season)
2021 Maryland (undefeated)
2023 Virginia (all americans everywhere)

[Oldlilaxer]

2006 duke. Beaten by Mike Nifong and his group of 88

lol. Well played. They got hung out to dry by Nifong, Nancy Grace, John Feinstein, and all the other 'know-it-alls' who never offered retractions after the facts became known.

[af.health]

Albany 2018 before Connor Fields got hurt.

Brown 2016 before Dylan Molloy got hurt.

[Farfromgeneva]

Great question. And Duke (above) is a great, though a bit of an anomaly, answer. Interested to hear more...

dook beat up 4 patsies, and couldn't score against 4 ok teams while going 2 and 2. uva had an all time team, scored at will and raked all but one team while going undefeated. they would've loved for dook to not hire strippers and make it to their game.

See the post immediately below yours in 23

[Lager]

After a slow start to the season, 2018 Cornell was playing otherworldly good lacrosse until teams started locking off Teat, which threw the entire offense way out of rhythm. Dominated undefeated (in the ACC) ACC champ Cuse, dominated eventual national champion Yale (too proud to lock off Teat) in the ILT championship. I truly believe if Princeton had never locked off Teat in the regular season finale and given other teams the formula for how to slow down Cornell, this team would have won a national championship.

[Farfromgeneva]

After a slow start to the season, 2018 Cornell was playing otherworldly good lacrosse until teams started locking off Teat, which threw the entire offense way out of rhythm. Dominated undefeated (in the ACC) ACC champ Cuse, dominated eventual national champion Yale (too proud to lock off Teat) in the ILT championship. I truly believe if Princeton had never locked off Teat in the regular season finale and given other teams the formula for how to slow down Cornell, this team would have won a national championship.

If there’s a format to beat a team that’s replicable I’m not sure this qualifies.

[51percentcorn]

In terms of Hopkins - the two teams that stick out to me are 1981 and 2003. In terms of other teams how about 1974 Maryland? HOFers everywhere - Farrell/Radebaught & Urso at the height of his powers - he had 40 goals and 22 assists in 1974 - not bad - IN 10 GAMES!!! 6.2 ppg from the mid-field. They just couldnt solve Hopkins that year playing for Mr. Scott. And 1974 was bookended by UMD's 2 national titles where they obliterated Hopkins in the regular season (17-4 in '73 and 11-2 in the first quarter in '75)