Galloway, NJ – After competing as an independent this spring, the Stockton University men's lacrosse team will join the
Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) as an associate member effective July 1. Montclair State and Kean University also were accepted into the CSAC in men's lacrosse, joining Bryn Athyn, Centenary, Keystone and Rosemont to form a seven-team league.
The Stockton, Montclair State and Kean teams will compete in the CSAC starting in spring 2019 and be eligible to earn the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament berth as well as all CSAC awards. "We are very excited to join the CSAC next season," said head coach
Kevin Zulauf. "We are grateful that the CSAC accepted us and we look forward to the competition."
CSAC commissioner Adrienne Mullikin commented, "The addition of these three competitive programs will strengthen the already formidable profile of men's lacrosse in the CSAC. Our core members are looking forward to developing new rivalries with these three programs and I am thrilled to be able to provide this quality experience for our student-athletes."
Stockton, Montclair State and Kean are core members of the New Jersey Athletic Conference, however the NJAC does not sponsor men's lacrosse as a conference sport. The Ospreys competed in the Skyline Conference, and its predecessor the Knickerbocker Lacrosse Conference, from 2000 through 2017.
Stockton finished as the Skyline runner-up to Montclair State in each of its last three seasons in the league (2015-17). The Ospreys competed as an independent this spring, posting a 12-4 record and winning the ECAC championship. In March, Stockton defeated CSAC member Bryn Athyn 15-9 and was scheduled to play Centenary, but the game was canceled due to inclement weather.
Stockton joins the CSAC on the heels of the program's most successful stretch in school history. The Ospreys are 43-11 over the last three seasons (.796 winning percentage), including a school-record 16 wins in 2017. The move gives Stockton a path to seek its first-ever conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
