UMass had competed in the
ECAC Lacrosse League since 2000, but in 2010 transferred to the
Colonial Athletic Association (CAA). They play their home games at Garber Field in
Amherst, Massachusetts. The Minutemen have fielded a varsity team since 1954. Since that time, there have only named 4 head coaches: Al Goodyear in 1954,
Dick Garber (after which the present lacrosse field is named) from 1955 to 1990, Ted Garber from 1991 to 1994, and the present coach Greg Cannella beginning in 1995. They have been New England ILA Champions 21 times (1963, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1981, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006). Prior to the NCAA, they reached the semifinals in the USILA tournament in 1972 and 1973. UMass reached the NCAA finals in 2006, becoming just the third unseeded team to reach the finals. In the 2002 tournament, the Minutemen came closest to another Final Four appearance, scoring two goals in the final 25 seconds of regulation to tie their game, but losing to Johns Hopkins in overtime. in 2012 ==Notable players and coaches==