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MCLA Tournament 2015 Virginia Tech Final Four
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MCLA Tournament Final Four: D1 Preview & LIVE Stream

Here it is! The weekend this league has been waiting for all year long. Energy in the air, upsets all around. The MCLA tournament has done all but disappointed. Unlikely teams getting past the first round and making statements for their programs and conferences.

Playing for the LaxCats, I was upset we fell just short of receiving an at-large bid this year. However, I know the potential we have with all but two starters returning for the 2016 year, so I’m excited to be able to make a run at making the tournament next year!

Big Wins, Tough Losses

This tournament, thus far, has produced some excellent match-ups. Teams appearing to be the heavy favorites, then falling short. The first round had two major upsets. Stanford came into this tournament barely punching their ticket with a close win over Cal Poly in their conference tournament. Their match-up with BYU, led by the outstanding year the Fabrizios have had, looked to be a long game. Battling it out, they beat the Cougars 11-10. On the other side of the bracket, 11th seeded Georgia Tech took on a hot Westminster team seeded 6th. Georgia Tech took this game 9-7. The RMLC didn’t make a very good showing with these two upsets.

Colorado had a scare, only beating 14th seeded Texas State 8-5. The defending MCLA Champions showed it was a fluke by beating Georgia Tech 12-7 the next day. Grand Canyon, Chapman, and ASU took care of business in the first round, beating their respective teams heftily. Virginia Tech won a close one with San Diego State 9-7 to keep their undefeated season hopes alive, while Cal Poly avenged their 10-5 loss to Oregon State, toppling their perfect season with an 8-5 win.

Tuesday separated the rams from the lambs, showing who deserves this trip to sunny California and who’s just dreaming. Grand Canyon knocked off the Mustangs 9-5, with a big game from their stud attackmen, or perhaps just a normal performance from these guys. Do hat tricks start to get boring after a while for these guys? Well it doesn’t for everyone watching! Chapman brought Stanford back to Earth with a convincing 14-3 win. 2nd seeded ASU played Virginia Tech, seeded 7th. The Hokies weren’t about to let the Devils ruin their championship season. Being a partial Arizona Wildcat, I may have been a little excited about this outcome, however VT must recover fast before they take on the Buffs. Two close games in consecutive days will be tough on their bodies.

Final Four

So the match-ups are set for the Final Four. Watch the battle between the respective leaders in their divisions of the powerhouse SLC conference. The top ranked Grand Canyon Lopes meet up with the 4th seeded Chapman Panthers at 4:30pm PST. Top ranked offense versus the top ranked defense.

Catch the 3rd seeded, defending MCLA Champion Colorado Buffs take on the 7th seeded, only undefeated team remaining, Virginia Tech Hokies at 7:15pm PST. Both games expected to produce excellent results!

Two will be sent home disappointed, while the others will be that much closer to their ultimate goal, to be crowned the 2015 MCLA Champions. Finals are Saturday at 2:30pm PT and can also be watched live on YouTube!