For a couple of years, when there was no Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship, West Chester was the title holder -- sort of.

The "National Collegiate Championship" in which the Golden Rams participated was basically the Division I championship, but for the one tournament spot reserved for the top Division II team in 1998 and 1999. Both seasons, that team was West Chester. Both times that earned the Golden Rams the privilege of decisively bowing out in the first round, courtesy of one of the top Division I seeds -- hardly a fitting finale for a "champion."

Then the Division II bid was eliminated in 2000, so not even that recognition was available. Last year, the first of a true Division II championship, West Chester had the opportunity to grab the NCAA trophy but fell to C.W. Post in the championship game, 13-9.

This time the Rams seized their chance to be golden with an 11-6 win over Stonehill May 12 in front of their home crowd. The day before, they slid past Longwood, 12-11, in the semifinals on the same field.

West Chester's title is its first NCAA women's team championship and its first NCAA team championship in any sport since 1961, when the school's men's soccer team took the Division I trophy. The last time West Chester won any version of a national championship was 1979, when the women's lacrosse team won the United States Women's Intercollegiate Lacrosse Coaches Association crown.

Kathleen Sheehan, who was named the most outstanding player, and Dulcie Royer set the tone early, accounting for all five goals as the Golden Rams built a 5-1 halftime lead.

The Chieftans' Amanda Stubbs, who assisted on Stonehill's first goal, opened the second half with an unassisted score, but West Chester answered with five straight goals from five different players. That explosion started 30 seconds after the Stonehill goal as Danielle Roy found the net. All-tournament selection Shannon Eidse then scored, followed by Kara Muenker, Andrea Tyman and Royer to give the Golden Rams a 10-2 lead with just over four minutes to go.

The Chieftans managed to score four of the last five goals to tighten the final margin.

Sheehan finished the game with four goals and an assist, and led all players with nine points on eight goals and an assist in the tournament. Sheehan, Royer and Eidse were joined on the all-tournament team by teammate Casey Bergeman, as well as Stonehill's goalkeeper Carissa Medeiros, plus teammates Amy Bartlett, Ann Signorella and Katie Lambert.

Medeiros, who set the two-year-old tournament's single-game saves mark with 14 in the 14-13 semifinal win over defending champion C.W. Post the day before, broke it again with 17 saves in the title game for a tournament record 31. Signorella set the tournament mark for assists with five.

Stonehill, competing in its first NCAA championship game in school history, finished the year 15-6, while the Golden Rams equaled their school record of 13 wins. They set that mark last year, but this time added the elusive trophy. Finally.

Semifinals

Stonehill scoring: Colby Confer 4, Katie Lambert 3, Amanda Stubbs 3, Ann Signorella 2, Colette Carpenter 1, Melissa Gross 1.

C.W. Post scoring: Trica Moran 3, Kristy O'Connor 3, Tara Vokes 1, Regina Winter 1, Lauren Cramer 1, Katie Lundy 1, Krissie Kallinkos 1, Shaden Ghattas 1, Ashley Gilroy 1.

Shots: Stonehill 21, C.W. Post 33. Goalkeeper saves: Stonehill -- Carrisa Medeiros 17; C.W. Post -- Christy Gardner 6.

West Chester scoring: Kathleen Sheehan 4, Shannon Eidse 4, Dulcie Royer 2, Andrea Tyman 1, Erin Carr 1.

Longwood scoring: Beth Hadrys 3, Emily Bikowski 3, Jen Hilbert 2, Kristy Taylor 1, Marisa Cohen 1, Carlee Ullery 1.

Shots: West Chester 27, Longwood 16. Goalkeeper saves: West Chester -- Jennifer Roman 12 saves; Longwood -- Stacey Schmidt 13.

Championship

West Chester scoring: Kathleen Sheehan 4, Dulcie Royer 3, Shannon Eidse 1, Kara Muenker 1, Danielle Roy 1, Andrea Tyman.

Stonehill scoring: Katie Lambert 2, Colby Confer 1, Katie Shannon 1, Ann Signorella 1, Amanda Stubbs 1.

Shots: West Chester 27, Stonehill 24. Goalkeeper saves: West Chester -- Jennifer Roman; Stonehill -- Carrisa Medeiros 14.