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1887 – The first lacrosse game at Cornell takes place on Oct. 15, as two Over a Century of Tradition brothers, Albert and Tom Vickers, recruit friends and classmates to participate in what amounts to pickup games on campus. The Cornell Lacrosse Association is formed with W.F.D. Crane as president, Edwin Sternberger as secretary and What began in 1887 as a group of students playing an informal game on the Cornell treasurer, and Albert Vickers as captain. campus has grown into one of the most storied lacrosse programs in collegiate his- tory – from the first undefeated intercollegiate championship team in 1907, to the Ned 1892 – The first intercollegiate game in Cornell history takes place on May 28, as the University of Toronto defeats the Big Red, 10-3. Harkness-era teams that went 35-1 in a three-year span; from winning the very first NCAA national championship in 1971 and then repeating in 1976 and 1977; back-to-back na- 1893 – After playing only one game in the 1892 season, Cornell plays a tional runner-up finishes in 1987 and 1988, to winning a share of the 12 of the last 16 Ivy four-game slate, including a contest with Lehigh, before winning its first League titles and advancing to the National semifinal game in 2007, 2010 and 2013 and ever game vs. the Marcellus lacrosse club, 6-0. the National Championship game in 2009 – there is little doubt that the Cornell lacrosse 1894 – The Big Red has its first winning season, posting a 2-1 record as it program is among the nation’s elite. defeats Johns Hopkins, 6-0, and the Onondaga Indians, 5-0. 1893 1895 – Harvard is added to the schedule and Cornell defeats the Crimson, 2-1. 1898 – The Big Red and Hobart meet for the first time, beginning college lacrosse’s longest ongoing rivalry. 1899 – Cornell plays a nine-game schedule for the first time in program history, posting a 4-3-2 record, thanks to two victories over Hobart, a win over Columbia and a victory over Howard. 1901 – Penn is added to the schedule and Cornell defeats the Quakers, 3-1. 1902 – With a 4-2 record, Cornell wins its first Intercollegiate Championship. 1903 – Despite an overall record of 2-4-1, Cornell repeats as Intercol- legiate Champions. 1907 – Cornell goes undefeated for the first time in program history, posting a perfect 7-0 record and is named Intercollegiate Champions, along with Johns Hopkins. 1911 – Cornell opens the season with one of the preeminent lacrosse teams of the time, Navy, and falls to the Midshipmen, 12-0. 1914 – The Big Red is named Intercollegiate Champions for the fourth time in school history, sharing the honor with Lehigh. 1915 – For the first time in program history, the team is not run by a student manager, but by a head coach, as Talbot Hunter takes over the Big Red. 1916 – For the second time in three years, the Big Red is named intercol- legiate champions, along with Lehigh. Intercollegiate Champions 1920 – After three seasons without a team (1917-1919), lacrosse returns Before the establishment of the NCAA tournament, the Cornell under new head coach Nicholas Bawlf. According to the 1921 Cornellian, “Coach men’s lacrosse team was named Intercollegiate Champions five Bawlf had but two experienced men upon which to build a team, but due to times, including back-to-back seasons in 1902 and 1903. The 1907 his own untiring efforts and the enthusiasm with which the revival of the sport team was also the first undefeated squad in program history, while was received … lacrosse for 1920 was an unqualified success.” Cornell met the1914 and 1916 squad shared the honor with Lehigh. upstate rival, Syracuse, for the first time and came back from an early deficit to tie the game at 3-3, but the Orangemen went on to claim a 5-3 victory. 1902 1921 – The Big Red adds another local rivalry with the addition of Colgate to the schedule. Cornell ties the Maroons, 3-3, in their first-ever meeting, but goes on to defeat Colgate, 6-1, in Hamilton later in the season. 1922 – When Cornell opens spring practice, 40 men come out for the team, including 11 members of the 1921 squad. As a result, the first men’s lacrosse freshman squad is formed. Following the season, Walt Krauss and Joe Rooney become the first All-America selections in Big Red lacrosse history, earning second- and third-team honors, respectively. 1923 – The Big Red posts a 6-2 record, and by virtue of it’s first-ever victory 1903 UNDEFEATED 1907 over Syracuse, it ties for the Northern League championship. 1924 – Spring practice brought out a record number of aspirants, as 104 men tried out for the Big Red lacrosse team. Following the season, goaltender Charles Stainton becomes Cornell’s very first selection to the All-America first team, while Joe Rooney becomes the Big Red’s first three-time All-America selection, a feat that would not be repeated until 1951. 1930 – The Big Red begins the most successful stretch of Coach Bawlf’s 1914 1916 tenure, going 16-5-5 over the 1930, ’31, ’32 and ’33 seasons. 1933 – “A new page in lacrosse history was turned when, on March 25, the Bawlfmen, with little practice, met Strength In Numbers Syracuse in the first intercollegiate box-lacrosse game ever played. A record crowd at Rochester saw Cornell win, Two of the most significant numbers in Cornell lacrosse history have nothing to do with goals, assists or statistics of any kind. 12-7, in a contest marked by the five tallies of Phil Winslow and the admirable goal-minding of Tom Haire. When The numbers 10 and 21 have a deeper meaning for the Big Red lacrosse family. The numbers, worn by Eamon McEneaney one considers the inexperience at indoor play, the playing of both teams was commendable.” – The 1934 Cornellian. ‘77 and Mario St. George Boiardi ‘04, respectively, are the only two retired jerseys in program history. McEneaney, one of the greatest players in Cornell history, died tragically on Sept. 11, 2001, in the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. One of 1940 – Ray Van Orman takes over as the third head coach in Cornell lacrosse history. During this span, he more than 600 employees of the securities firm Cantor Fitzgerald to have perished, McEneaney was a hero during the 1993 bombing of the WTC, helping lead 65 employees to safety by organizing a human chain to traverse the smoke-laden stairwell. also serves as the assistant coach for the Big Red football team. The team struggles during the season, but Boiardi, a co-captain of the 2004 team, lost his life after being struck with a lacrosse ball on March 17, 2004, in a game vs. co-captain Bob Brennan provides a bright spot in the final game of the year as his 10 goals vs. Penn sets an Binghamton. A four-year starter in the defensive midfield and the team’s rookie of the year in 2001, he was the ultimate intercollegiate scoring record. competitor and his leadership qualities on the field earned him the respect of his teammates, coaches and competitors. 1944 – Fred Allner, Jr. becomes Cornell’s first recipient of the Schmeisser Cup, as the nation’s outstanding defenseman, while the Big Red posts a 4-1 record, the best season under Coach Van Orman. Following the season, Everybody’s All-Americans four members of the team are named to the All-America squads, the most selections for the Big Red to that point. In Cornell’s illustrious men’s lacrosse history, only Paul Schimoler ’89, Ryan McClay ’03, Max Seibald ‘09, and Rob Pannell ‘13 have been selected as four-time All-Americans. Schimoler earned second-team All-America honors in 1987, third-team in 1948 – The Big Red falls to a powerful Penn State squad, 10-5, but senior co-captain Ham Miller is brilliant 1989 and honorable mention in 1986 and 1988. He was named the Ivy League Player of the Year as a senior and was the Ivy in goal, stopping 25 Nittany Lions’ shots. League Rookie of the Year in 1986. Over his collegiate career, he made a Cornell and NCAA record 787 saves, and set nearly every goalie record at Cornell. In three of his four seasons, Cornell advanced to the NCAA tournament, with runner-up finishes 1950 – Ross H. (Jim) Smith becomes the fourth head coach in Cornell history. in 1987 and 1988. During the 1988 championships he set the NCAA tournament record for saves with 85. McClay, who was named the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2003, became the first Big Red player in 15 seasons to be named first-team All-American in consecutive seasons (2002, 2003), after being named third-team in 2001 and honorable mention in 2000. 1951 – Senior attackman Tom Nuttle becomes Cornell’s first three-time All-America selection in nearly three A three-time All-Ivy first-team selection, the defenseman led the team with 58 ground balls in his senior season and was decades, earning honorable mention accolades. a candidate for the 2003 Tewaaraton Award. Seibald, Cornell’s first-ever Tewaaraton Trophy winner, was named first-team All-American during his final three seasons, after earning second-team honors as a freshman. Seibald was also the only 1953 – After three losing seasons, Coach Smith’s squad goes 7-5, thanks to a five-game winning streak to men’s lacrosse player in the history of the Ivy League to be named a four-team first-team All-Ivy selection.

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