Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Associate Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5302

2025 USILA Academic Team Awards

July 2, 2025 – The North Central College men's lacrosse team earned national recognition for its efforts in the classroom as the Cardinals were honored with a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) Academic Team Award. The Cardinals were one of 80 Division III schools to earn the distinction.

In order to be eligible for USILA Academic Team status, programs must achieve a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

The award marks the first academic team nod for the Cardinals since the 2022 season and is the third honor in program history. All five College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) schools that competed in the 2025 season notched the team award with Carroll University, Carthage College, Elmhurst University, and Illinois Wesleyan University joining North Central on the list.

The Cardinals capped off the year with a 7-6 overall record and made their fifth straight trip to the CCIW Tournament. North Central goalkeeper Aidan Murphy was named a USILA All-American Honorable Mention selection just weeks after claiming All-CCIW honors alongside teammates Cole Westphal, Jake Paris, and Evan Watanabe.

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