Navy Midshipmen men's lacrosse
Encyclopedia
The Navy Midshipmen men's lacrosse team represents the United States Naval Academy
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I men's lacrosse
. Navy currently competes as a member of the Patriot League
and play their home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
in Annapolis, Maryland
. During the 20th century, the Midshipmen secured 17 national championships, including 2 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
titles and 15 Wingate Memorial Trophy
awards. During the 1960s, a period of dominance for the Midshipmen, they won eight consecutive titles.
, which they lost, 1–6. In 1911, George Finlayson took over as head coach and a year later led Navy to its first undefeated season. The start of the First World War caused a cancellation of the 1917 season after just two games, but also marked the start of seven season undefeated streak. From mid-season in 1916 to the final game of 1923, Navy won 45 consecutive games.
The founder of the lacrosse program at cross-city rival St. John's, William "Dinty" Moore became the Navy head coach in 1936. He remained at the helm for 23 years, during which time he helped Navy compile six national championships.
In April 1941 Navy superintendent Rear Admiral Russell Wilson refused to allow the team to play a visiting team
from Harvard University
because the Harvard team included a black
player. Harvard's athletic director ordered the player home and the game was played on April 4, as scheduled, which Navy won 12-0.
In 1945, the Midshipmen hosted their arch-rival Army
for the traditional final game of the season. The teams fought to a stalemate, and after two overtime periods, finished the season as national co-champions.
In 1959, Willis Bilderback, a Rutgers
alumnus, took over the program and led Navy to their "Decade of Dominance". During the 1960s, in large part due to a stifling defense and talented Hall of Fame attackman Jimmy Lewis
, the Midshipmen compiled a 96–14-1 record (.865) and won eight consecutive national championships, including six outright. Health problems forced Bilderback to retire after the 1972 season.
He was replaced by Dick Szlasa, who coached Navy to ten consecutive NCAA tournament
appearances. Bryan Matthews took over in 1983, and Richie Meade
replaced him in turn in 1995. Navy became a member of a conference for the first time in 2000 when it joined the Eastern College Athletic Conference
(ECAC) Lacrosse League. In 2004, they left the ECAC to join the Patriot League
. The Midshipmen have finished first outright or tied for first every year of their membership, from 2004 to 2009. Navy has also won the Patriot League tournament five of those six years.
(USILA) began rating college lacrosse teams and awarding gold medals to the top teams. Navy was the recipient of one of these in 1928, alongside Johns Hopkins, Maryland, and Rutgers
— each of which had only one regular-season collegiate defeat. From 1936 through 1970, the USILA awarded the Wingate Memorial Trophy
to the annual champion, based on regular-season records. In 1971
, the NCAA began hosting an annual men's tournament
to determine the national champion. The Wingate Memorial Trophy was presented to the first two NCAA Division I champions (1971 and 1972) and was then retired.
The Lt. Donald McLaughlin Jr. Award
— also known as the "Don McLaughlin Award" — has been given annually since 1973 by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
(USILA) to the nation's most outstanding midfielder in NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III. The award is named for Lt. (j.g.) Donald MacLaughlin Jr. (Class of 1963), an All-American
, Navy midfielder, who died on a combat mission in South Vietnam in 1966.
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) Division I men's lacrosse
College lacrosse
College lacrosse refers to lacrosse played by student athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played in both the varsity and club levels...
. Navy currently competes as a member of the Patriot League
Patriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...
and play their home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Navy – Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium near the campus of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It is the home field of the Navy Midshipmen football team, the men's lacrosse team, and the Chesapeake Bayhawks lacrosse team....
in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
. During the 20th century, the Midshipmen secured 17 national championships, including 2 United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of institutions with varsity college lacrosse programs in all three NCAA divisions, founded in 1885.-Awards:...
titles and 15 Wingate Memorial Trophy
Wingate Memorial Trophy
The Wingate Memorial Trophy was the award given to the national champion in men's college lacrosse prior to the inception of an NCAA tournament format in 1971....
awards. During the 1960s, a period of dominance for the Midshipmen, they won eight consecutive titles.
History
Lacrosse began at the Naval Academy in 1908 when two former Johns Hopkins players, Frank Breyer and Bill Hudgins, volunteered to help form a team. On April 4, they played their first game, against their co-founders' alma materAlma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, which they lost, 1–6. In 1911, George Finlayson took over as head coach and a year later led Navy to its first undefeated season. The start of the First World War caused a cancellation of the 1917 season after just two games, but also marked the start of seven season undefeated streak. From mid-season in 1916 to the final game of 1923, Navy won 45 consecutive games.
In April 1941 Navy superintendent Rear Admiral Russell Wilson refused to allow the team to play a visiting team
1941 Harvard–Navy lacrosse game
The Harvard-Navy lacrosse game of 1941 was an intercollegiate lacrosse game between the Harvard University Crimson and the United States Naval Academy Midshipmen on April 4, 1941. The game was played at Navy's campus in Annapolis, Maryland. Before the game, the Naval Academy's superintendent told...
from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
because the Harvard team included a black
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
player. Harvard's athletic director ordered the player home and the game was played on April 4, as scheduled, which Navy won 12-0.
In 1945, the Midshipmen hosted their arch-rival Army
Army Black Knights men's lacrosse
The Army Black Knights men's lacrosse team represents the United States Military Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse competition. During the team's 92-year history, it has won eight national championships and made fifteen postseason NCAA tournament...
for the traditional final game of the season. The teams fought to a stalemate, and after two overtime periods, finished the season as national co-champions.
In 1959, Willis Bilderback, a Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
alumnus, took over the program and led Navy to their "Decade of Dominance". During the 1960s, in large part due to a stifling defense and talented Hall of Fame attackman Jimmy Lewis
Jimmy Lewis (lacrosse)
James C. "Jimmy" Lewis was an All-American lacrosse player at Navy from 1964 to 1966, leading the Midshipmen to national titles in each of his three years, as well as a perfect seasons. In 1966, The Baltimore Sun called Lewis the "greatest living lacrosseman". He is ranked fifth all-time in Navy...
, the Midshipmen compiled a 96–14-1 record (.865) and won eight consecutive national championships, including six outright. Health problems forced Bilderback to retire after the 1972 season.
He was replaced by Dick Szlasa, who coached Navy to ten consecutive NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
appearances. Bryan Matthews took over in 1983, and Richie Meade
Richie Meade
Richie Meade is an American college lacrosse coach. He was the head coach of the Navy lacrosse team at the United States Naval Academy and at the University of Baltimore until they discontinued their athletics program...
replaced him in turn in 1995. Navy became a member of a conference for the first time in 2000 when it joined the Eastern College Athletic Conference
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
(ECAC) Lacrosse League. In 2004, they left the ECAC to join the Patriot League
Patriot League
The Patriot League is a college athletic conference which operates in the northeastern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I) for a number of sports; in football, it participates in the Football Championship Subdivision...
. The Midshipmen have finished first outright or tied for first every year of their membership, from 2004 to 2009. Navy has also won the Patriot League tournament five of those six years.
Championships
Starting in 1926, the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse AssociationUnited States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of institutions with varsity college lacrosse programs in all three NCAA divisions, founded in 1885.-Awards:...
(USILA) began rating college lacrosse teams and awarding gold medals to the top teams. Navy was the recipient of one of these in 1928, alongside Johns Hopkins, Maryland, and Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey...
— each of which had only one regular-season collegiate defeat. From 1936 through 1970, the USILA awarded the Wingate Memorial Trophy
Wingate Memorial Trophy
The Wingate Memorial Trophy was the award given to the national champion in men's college lacrosse prior to the inception of an NCAA tournament format in 1971....
to the annual champion, based on regular-season records. In 1971
1971 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
The 1971 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament was the first Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament. Prior to this the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association had voted for the national champion and, subsequently, awarded the Wingate Memorial Trophy for the NCAA...
, the NCAA began hosting an annual men's tournament
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
to determine the national champion. The Wingate Memorial Trophy was presented to the first two NCAA Division I champions (1971 and 1972) and was then retired.
| Year | National championships | Coach | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1928 | USILA United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of institutions with varsity college lacrosse programs in all three NCAA divisions, founded in 1885.-Awards:... Gold Medal (with Johns Hopkins, Maryland, and Rutgers Rutgers Scarlet Knights The Rutgers Scarlet Knights are the athletic teams that represent Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey... ) |
George Finlayson | – |
| 1929 | USILA Championship | George Finlayson | – |
| 1938 | USILA Championship | William "Dinty" Moore | – |
| 1943 | USILA Championship | William "Dinty" Moore | – |
| 1945 | USILA Co-Championship (with Army Army Black Knights men's lacrosse The Army Black Knights men's lacrosse team represents the United States Military Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse competition. During the team's 92-year history, it has won eight national championships and made fifteen postseason NCAA tournament... ) |
William "Dinty" Moore | – |
| 1946 | USILA Championship | William "Dinty" Moore | – |
| 1949 | USILA Co-Championship (with Johns Hopkins) | William "Dinty" Moore | – |
| 1954 | USILA Championship | William "Dinty" Moore | – |
| 1960 | USILA Championship | Willis Bilderback | – |
| 1961 | USILA Co-Championship (with Army) | Willis Bilderback | – |
| 1962 | USILA Championship | Willis Bilderback | – |
| 1963 | USILA Championship | Willis Bilderback | – |
| 1964 | USILA Championship | Willis Bilderback | – |
| 1965 | USILA Championship | Willis Bilderback | – |
| 1966 | USILA Championship | Willis Bilderback | – |
| 1967 | USILA Co-Championship (with Maryland and Johns Hopkins) | Willis Bilderback | – |
| 1970 | USILA Co-Championship (with Johns Hopkins and Virginia Virginia Cavaliers The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams officially representing the University of Virginia in college sports. The Cavaliers compete in 25 NCAA Division I varsity sports and are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference... ) |
Willis Bilderback | – |
McLaughlin Award
McLaughlin Award
The Lt. Donald McLaughlin Jr. Award — also known as the "Don McLaughlin Award" — has been given annually since 1973 by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association to the NCAA's most outstanding college lacrosse midfielder. The award is presented to the best midfielder in Division I,...
— also known as the "Don McLaughlin Award" — has been given annually since 1973 by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of institutions with varsity college lacrosse programs in all three NCAA divisions, founded in 1885.-Awards:...
(USILA) to the nation's most outstanding midfielder in NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III. The award is named for Lt. (j.g.) Donald MacLaughlin Jr. (Class of 1963), an All-American
USILA All-American Team
The USILA All-American Team is an honor given annually to the best American men's college lacrosse players at their respective positions by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. The term All-American is derived from the same practice in American college football, in which the...
, Navy midfielder, who died on a combat mission in South Vietnam in 1966.
Athletic Hall of Fame
- For lacrosse players in the USNA Athletic Hall of Fame, see footnote.
External links
- USNA Athletics official webpage (including club sports)
- 2009 Media Guide
- Navy Men's Lacrosse webpage (NavySports.com)
- facilities information; Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium webpage (NavySports.com)
- NCAA Men's Lacrosse official webpage