Wesleyan Lacrosse Programs Win Little Three Championships

On April 8, Wesleyan’s men’s and women’s lacrosse teams defeated arch rival Williams College to win the Little Three Championships outright. It marked the first time in the history of Wesleyan athletics that both lacrosse programs won the title in the same season, and it was the fifth Little Three crown by a Cardinals team this season, joining football, men’s basketball and men’s ice hockey.

The “Little Three” schools — Wesleyan, Amherst and Williams — first formally banded together in 1899 as the Triangular League. The League broke up briefly but reestablished competition in 1910, and has competed annually since then as the Little Three.

Last week, the women’s team defeated Amherst College on Wednesday at Smith Field, 9-4, and followed up with an 11-6 win on the road against the Ephs Saturday to win the Little Three Championship outright for the first time since the 1982 season. It also marked Wesleyan’s fourth title since the three-team rivalry began in women’s lacrosse in 1978.

On the men’s side, the Cardinals defeated then-No. 11 Amherst on the road Wednesday, 17-13, and followed up with a 13-7 home win against the Ephs Saturday. The men’s lacrosse program has now won 11 Little Three titles in the history of the rivalry, which dates back to 1961. It’s also Wesleyan’s first since 2013 and third in the last six seasons.

Wesleyan currently has five Little Three titles this year, matching the most since  1992-93. The most-ever won by the Cardinals was six back in 1986-87.