West Chester native Steve Colfer, the head coach of the Cabrini men’s lacrosse team, guided the Cavaliers to their first-ever NCAA Division III championship, writes Jonathan Sigal for U.S. Lacrosse Magazine.

The team secured the title by defeating Amherst, 16-12, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. The win made Cabrini the first men’s lacrosse team from Pennsylvania, across all divisions, to win a national title.

Colfer, who attended Saints Simon and Jude as a youngster before moving on to Salesianum for high school, was faced with many challenges this season, including a number of injuries to his players. The Cavaliers nonetheless managed a 21-2 record during its historic season.

For Colfer, the national crown is especially satisfying because it proves that the usual favorites are not the only ones who can get the job done.

“To me, it allowed us to know that we could do it, too, that we weren’t just banging our heads against the wall,” said Colfer. “To see teams break through and get to this championship weekend is huge. Then, to ultimately win a national championship is huge.”

Read more about Steve Colfer in U.S. Lacrosse Magazine here.