Weekender: Rating Round Rock

(Photo by Dave Adams)

by Jac Coyne | MCLA.us

LA CROSSE, Wis. – As we announced last month, the 2026 and 2027 MCLA National Championships presented by New Balance will be held at the River City Sportsplex located just southwest of Richmond, Va. It looks like a great place that gives the association's eastern programs a little break from travel costs after eight straight nationals held west of the Mississippi.

Richmond will be the ninth location for our tournament, which has really covered most of the country besides the northeast and northwest. As we prepare for our swan song in Round Rock, Texas, after three tourneys and an “Invitational” (that we don’t speak of), here’s one man’s ranking of our sites from worst to best.

8. Greenville (2012-13)
The town itself wasn’t a bad spot. It was small, certainly, but it had its charms. It was other factors that doomed this experiment. First off, the lack of a major airport nearby created an expensive logistical hassle for teams flying. Charlotte or Atlanta were the two realistic options, but a lengthy bus ride still awaited. There was a small airport, but not one that could accommodate the influx of people our tournament brings. Secondly, the championship stadium was, to be blunt, unacceptable. It had potential, but was in a relatively advanced state of decay and the field was in less than great shape.

7. Blaine (2005)
To be fair, this bedroom community located north of the Twin Cities didn’t really get a fair shake. The only location that was one-and-done in the history of the tournament, Blaine was hamstrung by brutally cold weather (including snow). It was exacerbated by the fact that it was two California teams in the finals who are still whining about the elements 20 years later. The tournament needs to get back to the Upper Midwest in my humble opinion, but Blaine will always be a talking point against it.

6. Dallas (2006-08)
Technically these tournaments were in three different locations – Plano, Frisco and Farmer’s Branch – but we’ll lump them together since they were essentially contiguous and occurred chronologically. There were some weather issues – pretty standard for our tournament, to be honest – but everything went fine. The ’08 tournament culminated with the semifinals and finals in the old Texas Stadium, which, despite its Cowboys history, was a dump. It was there that the Michigan dynasty was born.

5. Salt Lake City (2018-19)
It has a subtle, cow-town feel, but I didn’t mind SLC. In terms of travel, you could see the airport from the facility and there were plenty of amenities for a large tournament. A freak windstorm caused havoc and the lightning storm that passed by during the Michigan State-BYU game was epic, yet it was a pandemic that ended up being the biggest issue in Salt Lake City’s scheduled final year (I still have staff shirts from that lost tourney). The championship field was grass and didn’t have much majesty to it, but the two years in SLC ushered in the end of West Coast dominance with Michigan State and South Carolina picking up titles.

4. Irvine/Orange (2014-17)
Orange County in May certainly has its allure, but, logistically, this location was not optimum. The rec fields at UC Irvine were not ready for so many games in such a brief span, especially with natural grass, and the internet connections made for spotty streaming service. The last year, one of the fields was literally dirt with lines on it. Chapman’s Wilson Field is a lovely facility, but we had the misfortune of catching one of our years during its refurbishment. The price was right and the hospitality was outstanding, thanks in large part to Mike Pelly – one of the MCLA’s legendary supporters. Moving everything from Irvine to Orange after the quarterfinals was a pain, too.

3. Denver (2009-11)
Moving to Denver was growing moment for the MCLA. Dick’s Sporting Goods Park was an all-in-one facility that had countless fields surrounding the main stadium for the first two rounds. And the main field was beautiful, but ultimately too big and too expensive. There was snow, tornadoes and other delays, which provided some humorous memories. We tried to combine our championships with a huge youth tournament in hopes of spiking attendance, but it didn’t really pan out. Personally, I think Denver is a great spot and I enjoyed this location, which culminated in the association bidding farewell to the Michigan program. These years were the last of the ‘Big Stadium’ era.

2. Round Rock (2022-25)
Recency bias will always play a factor in these types of lists, and I could be accused of it occurring here. In terms of facilities – especially the championship venue – the Round Rock Multipurpose Complex provided nearly the perfect venue. The parking and entry issues were somewhat problematic, mostly because of bussing needs, but there were few bad seats in the house. The weather stung us once again – a theme – causing some rescheduling issues, and it was probably too hot, but the staff mitigated that the best they could.

1. St. Louis (1997-2004)
The MCLA is a national league and picking a mid-point to host the tournament and sticking with it makes sense, which is why the first eight events were held in The Lou. While I believe, technically, the epicenter of the country is somewhere in Oklahoma, St. Louis is close enough. The facilities were pretty mundane as the MCLA was getting its legs at the end of the last millennium. And there was some flooding, but just from a geographical standpoint, this is where we should be.

Requiem for ‘The Streak’

As you’ve probably seen by now, No. 14 Colorado upset No. 1 and defending national champion Brigham Young, 12-11, on Thursday night, snapping the Cougars 29-game winning streak. Congrats are certainly in order for the Buffs, who have likely punched their ticket to Round Rock. But let’s take a minute to appreciate BYU’s run.

When the Cougars raised the trophy last spring, it put the cap on one of the greatest seasons the MCLA has ever seen. BYU’s ability to keep the train rolling to this point is a testament to the returners and coaching staff. Staying focused with every opponent gunning for you is a difficult and exhausting task.

If BYU wants to take some solace in the loss, Michigan brought a 49-game winning streak into its game against Colorado in 2010 and lost. The Wolverines ran the table after that, winning its third consecutive championship. The streak might be over, but the Cougars are far from done.

Games I’m Following

No. 9 Florida State at No. 11 Georgia, Friday – 5 p.m. (FSU -2 | 21)
This is a great way to kick off the weekend. A trip to Jacksonville is on the line and a date with Florida is up for grabs in this SELC first-round tilt. It’s a rematch of a Feb. 28 game when Noles goalie Sayre McMahon stood on his head for 19 saves in an 11-4 FSU win. Both teams aren’t exactly rolling into the contest with a lot of confidence after each got torched in their regular-season finale by blood rivals. You figure the winner will be heading to Round Rock one way or another.

No. 15 Tennessee at No. 10 Virginia Tech, Friday – 7 p.m. (VT -3.5 | 26)
The top seed out of the ALC South is on the line in Blacksburg along with some very real Round Rock repercussions. The winner not only picks up a nice Top 20 victory but also avoids seeing Liberty until the league championship game. The other will host an unranked Clemson team before stepping into the Flames. The Vols best win is James Madison, which just dropped out of the poll, so they need this one. Virginia Tech is on the razor’s edge right now, so a loss would be devastating.

No. 8 Northeastern at No. 16 Boston College, Friday – 7:30 p.m. (NEU -4 | 18.5)
You know the postseason is imminent when this spring Beanpot clash appears on the schedule. The Eagles’ ranking is propped up by a win over Arizona State, but a rivalry victory over the Huskies would not only be a nice springboard up the rankings, but also make them the presumptive favorite for the CLC auto-bid. Northeastern is heading to Round Rock, it’s just a matter if they have a workable seed or will they be Monday cannon fodder for the top dogs. The Pups should be able to run the table.

James Madison at Liberty, Friday – 7 p.m. (LU -8 | 28.5)
Not going to spend a ton of time on this one. JMU is a good team and I’ve really been impressed by the growth of the program since they joined up with the MCLA. They are already locked into the ALC tourney, which I’m sure was a preseason goal. But Liberty, man, they just look next level at this point and will likely be atop the polls on Wednesday.

Iowa State at Illinois, Friday – 7 p.m. (ISU -1.5 | 21)
Who wants to get into the weeds of the UMLC West race?!? [Raises hand] It was just a week into February when Iowa State handed Minnesota a 13-10 setback in the league opener – the same Gopher squad that took down Northeastern a couple of weeks ago. If the Cyclones can bounce the Illini here, they wrap up the coveted first-round bye in the conference tourney. If Illinois wins, we’re heading to a three-way tiebreaker. All three will make the league playoffs, but there’s a lot on the line in Champaign.

Southern Methodist at No. 5 Texas, Friday – 7:30 p.m. (UT -5 | 25)
The shine came off this game when the Mustangs got their doors blown off in the second half by TCU last week, but SMU is still dangerous. The Longhorns got manhandled by South Carolina, so both squads are licking their respective wounds heading into this seeding contest for the LSA tourney. SMU has some of the same characteristics as South Carolina, so the ‘Stangs could give Texas some issues. But again, I’d feel better if SMU had fared better against TCU – a team that beat the Gamecocks.

Michigan State at Miami (Ohio), Saturday – 1 p.m. (MSU -8 | 23.5)
After a month-long snooze, the only undefeated team in the country puts its record to the test in a UMLC East grinder. Miami (6-0) hasn’t played a D-I contest since March 2 – a one-goal win over Temple – so playing the Spartans may come as a shock to the system. A win over the Redhawks and Michigan State locks up a first-round bye for the conference tournament.

No. 13 North Dakota State vs. No. 12 Montana, Saturday – 12 p.m. (UM -1 | 19)
Don’t be surprised if the committee uses this game – being played in Glendive, Mont. – to flesh out the away-seed portion of the bracket in a couple of weeks. The Bison and Grizzlies are strong candidates for nationals, but they both have their warts. The winner gets a big bump and a potential head-to-head chip to cash in if the selection/seeding process turns into a coin flip.

No. 5 Northwest Nazarene at No. 10 Utah State, Saturday – 1 p.m. (NNU -2.5 | 29)
This is a delightful late-season, Top-10, non-con matchup in Logan. The Aggies are already in the barn with respect to their divisional race, so this is a nice way to stay sharp as they likely get ready to face Denver in the first round of the RMLC playoffs. The Nighthawks have qualified for the PNCLL playoffs with just a showdown against College of Idaho to determine seeding left. This is also a chance for Keaton Bean and Cooper Williams to showcase their All-American bonafides. Goalies will be sore on Sunday.

No. 13 Arizona State at Arizona, Saturday – 1 p.m. (ASU -3.5 | 22.5)
The SLC dance continues with a Territorial Cup throwdown in Tucson. The Sun Devils can lock up the top seed in the conference and pick up a tenth win – both of which tend to impress committee members. The Wildcats dipped out of the polls thanks to a Chapman loss, but a rivalry victory ensures them a seat at the conference playoff table. Arizona’s defense has been leaky the last two games, so they’ll need to tighten that up to pull the upset.

No. 19 Colorado State at No. 1 Brigham Young, Saturday – 1 p.m. (BYU -8.5 | 26.5)
Say a prayer for the Rams.

Texas A&M at LSU, Saturday – 2:30 p.m. (A&M -1.5 | 17.5)
ELMINATION GAME! With the Aggies and Tigers sitting at 0-3 in the LSA South standings, the winner gets an invite to Meredith and the league tourney, where they will likely meet Kansas or Baylor. The loser will have to watch the postseason from the stands. A&M’s record looks rough, but they quietly played an extremely rugged schedule that should serve them well in the Bayou. Both these teams can play defense, so goals will be at a premium.

No. 17 UC Santa Barbara at No. 6 Cal Poly, Saturday – 1 p.m. (CP -3.5 | 22)
Been waiting a long time for this one, although both teams have been humbled since their midseason apex. The Gauchos have lost three of their last four, including a disastrous trip to the desert. However, the one win in that skein was No. 4 Utah Valley – so they’ve got that going for them. The Mustangs lost the plot during their Lone Star excursion, dropping them down the charts. Regardless of the outcome, both are guaranteed a first-round bye to Los Gatos. Homefield advantage should be enough for SLO.

No. 16 Denver vs. No. 9 Montana State, Saturday – 3 p.m. (MSU -7 | 23)
The two presumptive RMLC subdivisional second seeds get together for a friendly in Glendive, Mont. The defending champs are coming off an efficient win over a ranked College of Idaho outfit while the Pios haven’t played in a month. Denver is an improving squad but the Bobcats are not the team you want to restart with after a lengthy spring break.

No. 14 Colorado at No. 4 Utah Valley, Saturday – 7 p.m. (UVU -4 | 20)
This contest picked up a notch and it could very well spawn the top seed out in the upcoming RMLC tournament. The Wolverines crunched Colorado State, 22-13, on Thursday, which is somewhat disturbing when you consider the Rams are a pretty decent defensive team. UVU will have the advantage of playing at home and against a team riding high after its BYU win, so Tyler Burgasser and his staff will have to refocus the Buffs in a hurry.

No. 17 Wake Forest at No. 2 UNC-Charlotte, Sunday – 1 p.m. (UNCC – 5 | 28.5)
The Demon Deacons played – and lost to – the 49ers twice last year. There was a one-goal regular-season setback and a 14-9 loss in the ALC title tilt. Both teams appear to better this year, so I’m not sure if there will be a huge talent gulf between them. It’s not unreasonable to think this will be an interesting preview to the conference championship game this year, as well.

No. 18 South Carolina at Auburn, 3 p.m. – Sunday (USC -3 | 19.5)
The weekend concludes with another SELC first-round contest with all-or-nothing stakes. Both of these teams probably need the conference AQ – a case could be made that the Gamecocks just have to reach the conference finals – which means this will be entertaining. Both squads are playing their best ball right now, but no one is as hot as the Cocks. The Tigers will need to maximize its home-field advantage.

Slides & Rides

- Reminder that the 2025 MCLA National Championships will take place from May 5-10 at the Round Rock (Texas) Multipurpose Complex. Tickets are on sale now.

- As always, get those nominations in for PEARL Goalie of the Week and Warrior Player of the Week by noon on Monday to info@mcla.us. Only a couple more weeks left, so grab some goods before the season is over. Head coach nominations only please.