2025 NCAA DIV III MEN'S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP

May 25, 2025

Dave Webster

Capp Reynolds

Ethan Gees

Gillette Stadium

Dickinson Red Devils

Finals Media Conference

Tufts 25, Dickinson 8

DAVE WEBSTER: The result today doesn't change that. We won before the game even started. It's been an amazing progression for our program. This is my 24th year here, and I'm just amazed by what we've been able to accomplish. And our fans today were just incredible, the support, the love they have for their sons, their former teammates and these young men was awesome.

And these two captains have been incredible. They have won more games than any other senior class in Dickinson history and did a lot of incredible things for us this year. It was just an inspired season, and today was the -- the result doesn't change that at all. Thank you.

Q. For both of you guys, Coach mentioned the fan support. Looked like a sea of red behind your bench. Can you describe the atmosphere here today in Gillette with that group of fans behind you?

CAPP REYNOLDS: Yeah, it was amazing atmosphere, and we knew we were going to have a lot of turnout. But we just have to give credit to Coach Webster here. He's the reason they all come back, and they are so supportive. And you know, as the bus pulled in today and to see hundreds of people all dressed in red, screaming and going crazy, it was a really cool experience and set the tone for how the game -- super supportive and very grateful for that.

ETHAN GEES: We are just so grateful for all the support they have given us to be in the spot that they are. It's like one big family. There are classes that came back from a few years ago, and there are classes that came back from 15, 20 years ago, and it's unbelievable, the support that we have and to know they have our backs when we go out on the field.

DAVE WEBSTER: Seeing the sea of red and hundreds of people -- 24 years of former players and their families back to support what we all built together, it was amazing.

Q. Like the coach said, winningest class in your school's history. What are some takeaways that, hopefully, the younger class can take away going you guys going forward?

CAPP REYNOLDS: Huge credit to the seniors. When we were freshmen, they came out of COVID and half their college career was cut off, and they came in super motivated, and I think they prepared us very well, and we built some positive habits coming in.

The senior classes have helped us develop into young men and we talked about becoming a better man in our program, and I think they really set the tone. It's awesome, the fact that we get to do something special when it's inspiring for the young guys, and I hope we can be the leaders that those seniors were for us.

ETHAN GEES: It's just what Capp said. We have learned so much from the classes that came before us. And the guys below us are so strong, you know, keep taking in everything that Webby preaches to us. Everything's true, and they have a ton of heart and a ton of fight, and they are going to do great things in the next couple years.

DAVE WEBSTER: One thing I'll take away from these guys is how they had a tremendous balance between the tough, determined play, and also had a lot of fun, and we were a loose, free spirited fun group all season. I think that's what propelled us to this point and that balance. These guys will be a great example moving forward.

Q. This is a team that plays with a ton of speed and pace and move super fast. It can be tough to prepare for a team that plays that way sometimes. Can you talk about your preparation and getting ready to play them today?

DAVE WEBSTER: First time we have ever played Tufts. We knew it was going to be a battle of who could assert themselves. We wanted a half field game and they wanted a full-field game. They certainly won that battle. We were prepared for it in some recent games with RPI, RIT, both who play that way. We knew it was coming. You can't afford to -- we turned the ball over early, clearing the ball several times. Each time that happened, it led to a goal. We had to be cleaner with that early on, put ourselves in a big hole, got tight. We've been real loose all year and it kind of snowballed a little bit from there.

I give them a ton of credit. Tufts knows exactly who they are, and they excel at that, and I respect that. I respect teams that have a real distinct style of play, and everybody knows what you're going to get, and they just -- they just hammer it, and they just are really, really strong.

I didn't enjoy losing, but it's cool to see a program playing at that level and giving them a ton of credit.

Q. Is there anything to this run, this moment, your strongest, lasting memory, the thing that sticks out most?

DAVE WEBSTER: I go back to, again, when we turned that corner and saw that group of supporters, the parents and alumni, and -- I've been here 24 years. I'm an alum of Dickinson and we were not good. Nobody cared about it, and I had an opportunity to come back and was supported in the right way by our college. This was a big deal for our college today, and an entire community supported it, and it was just so cool to see that.

My lasting memory is that a team that was 3-4 could commit to making many changes, and we were digging in, getting better consistently, and finishing in the National Championship.

Q. We spoke before you got here to Gillette Stadium and you had already made the Championship, and one of the things that you said was we get a chance to be a trail blazer for other teams to get here. How do you feel about that now that you've come here and had the result and all the fight that you've had to get to this point?

DAVE WEBSTER: I've heard from so many other college coaches in multiple divisions, I, II, III that have shared inspiration from the run and start we had. Again, 3-4 and our ITB is 24-7 during that 3-4 start, and just the ability to improve to the point where we got to the National Championship and the result wasn't great.

But a school like Dickinson that has incredible young men and a college that support it and families that support it can do things like this. A lot of coaches have commented on that and showed incredible support. That's one of the beautiful things about lacrosse, is those connections with our smaller group. We all know each other, and my colleagues were fantastic, and it was -- I hope that the result doesn't discourage their programs. Tufts is very good, we all know that, but it was awesome to reach this game.

This was an incredible experience. These guys will have this for the rest of their lives, and I'm just so proud of what they did this year, and they are led by an incredible 13 seniors who are going on to do some amazing things. I'm just so proud of this group.