UMass Amherst became the first New England team in lacrosse history to reach the national finals and just the third to reach the national semifinals. The unseeded Minutemen made an amazing run in the NCAA Tournament, knocking off three teams seeded in the top six—Cornell, Hofstra and Maryland—in the semifinals, the first team to do so in lacrosse history. As well, UMass Amherst coach Greg Cannella was named the 2006 USILA National Lacrosse Coach of the Year after leading the Minutemen to the record-breaking championship game. The Minutemen tied a school record for wins with a 13-5 mark on the way to the tournament. A 1988 UMass Amherst graduate, Cannella has been at the helm of the team for 12 years. Over the last six years, UMass has had a 70-24 record, third-best of any school in the nation.
