by Jac Coyne | MCLA.us

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Is it possible for one team to have two different dynasties or is it all part of one extended dynasty. These are the questions that no one thinks about -- nor should they -- but give me pause as I assess St. Thomas' run over the past eight years.

Before we delve into the topic, just remember one thing:

Welcome to the family #classof2020! Hope to see some of you at tryouts tomorrow night! #TraditionNeverGraduates pic.twitter.com/9pQRvs5O9p
— St Thomas Lacrosse (@TommiesLacrosse) September 6, 2016

Tradition never graduates. Also, the entire St. Thomas campus is a purple wonderland.

Back to the subject at hand, some might argue that five championships in eight years is one large Tommies' dynasty, and it's certainly a decent theory. The three years that UST didn't win the title featured a run to at least the national semifinals, so that could be considered a bridge of sorts.

My posit is we are sitting on the cusp of a second St. Thomas-led epoch.

The first four titles came under the watchful eye of Pete Moosbrugger, who essentially built the Twin City powerhouse from the ground up. Last year's title came with Brian Gross at the helm. While the Tommies still play the same efficient, machine-like brand of lacrosse, the two title-less years marks a distinct gap that sets the stage for a second era of St. Thomas dominance.

This concludes today's installment of Lacrosse Dynasties: Who Really Cares?

Team: St. Thomas
2016 Record: 17-0
Conference record/finish: 7-0 / UMLC Champions
Finish at Nationals: Champions
Head Coach: Brian Gross (3rd year)

Key losses
Sean Hickey - His 40 goals and 28 assists in 2016 earned him UMLC Offensive Player of the Year and first team All-America attack honors.
Dan Burke - Four-year starter on attack with 25 goals and 11 assists in 2016. 2016 honors included second team all-conference and HM All-American.
Pat Mines - Four-year All-American LSM. 2016 honors included Godekeraw Award, first team All-American, and first team all-UMLC.

Key returners
Simon Gondeck - His 31 goals and 12 assists in 2016 earned him first team all-conference and All-American honors.
Alex Vijums - The top returning attackman with 22 goals and 16 assists in his freshman season.
Erik Thysse - First team All-American faceoff specialist.

Best moment of the 2016 season
Winning the National Championship and capping off an undefeated season. It's an incredibly difficult thing to do in the MCLA, and it really is a testament to the leadership and work ethic of last year's team.

Biggest challenge facing St. Thomas in 2017
Replacing the players we lost to graduation. Last year's senior class was a special class with great leadership to go along with great production. We were fortunate to get a lot of guys meaningful experience last year, and we'll need some of those guys to step into leadership roles, both on and off the field.

Why the Tommies will be better in 2017
We tried to add to our depth for the 2017 season, and we feel that we were successful in doing so. In addition to returning 11 players with double-digit points in 2016 and nearly our entire starting defense, we've added 18 players to the roster across all positions.

Coach’s preview
After two years of coming up short in the semifinals, last year gave us a model that we can focus on in order to replicate that success. We'll play another tough regular season schedule facing many of the best teams in Division II, both in and out of conference. That should prepare us for another tough postseason, both in the conference tournament and -- hopefully -- the MCLA National Championships powered by Under Armour.