From down 3-1, Zoodisc stormed back to claim their second title in program history, and first in 40 years
May 25, 2026 by Alex Rubin and Aidan Thomas in News
#7 Massachusetts Zoodisc won the 2026 D-I Men’s Division National Championship, using a second-half surge to take down #2 Carleton CUT 15-11. After a nervy first half that ended with Carleton up 8-7 on serve, UMass poured on five second half breaks, including three in a row, to flip a 9-9 game into a 12-9 advantage.
This season is a story of resilience for UMass. The team dealt with injury, illness, and travel delays throughout their regular season tournaments and never looked like a complete version of themselves until Nationals. Nima Lhamo, Jonah Stang-Osborne, Gavin Abrahamsson, Sam McCrory, and Tomo Liou found ways to stifle every single opponent this tournament. Until the final they had not allowed more than ten goals in a game at Nationals.
For Zoodisc’s seniors, this tournament offered redemption. In their rookie seasons back in 2023, the team lost in the final. It took three years to get back, and in their second chance the team finally lifted the trophy. Wyatt Kellman, Caelan McSweeney, Stang-Osborne, Abrahamsson, Lhamo, and Griffin Gee were all contributors on that 2023 team who took the long road back to the title game before earning their gold medals.
UMass’ statistical leaders in the game were Mason Stone (2G/5A), Ethan Lieman (3A/1G) and Cameron Levine (3G), all underclassmen who will be major contributors to the team next year as Zoodisc will be the team challenging for a repeat.
Carleton’s bid for a second straight title fell short, but they too have a lot of hope for the future. Rookie Sarek Mallareddy led the way with five goals and an assist. Nate De Morgan, Axel Olson, Ellis Newhouse, and Charlie Bitler all return to a team that will still have title aspirations.
This title was UMass’ first title since 1986, giving a second championship to a storied program. Stay tuned for a full recap coming later this week!
