Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/29/18
From Press Release
Created in 1957, the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame seeks to honor the best of the best. Players, coaches, officials and game contributors who have shaped and pioneered the sport since its early origins in the United States are among the over 400 enshrinees.
Saturday evening, nine new inductees will join this group as they are officially welcomed into the Hall of Fame. Hosted by US Lacrosse and sponsored by RPS Bollinger Sports & Leisure and the Markel Insurance Company, the festivities will take place at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Maryland. The event is sold out.
This year’s inductees – four men and five women – represent virtually all levels of play. Their achievements include excellence in high school, college, national and international lacrosse.
The Class of 2018 features Kevin Cassese (Lehigh coach, former member of Barrage), Leigh Buck Friedman, A.J. Haugen, Alex Kahoe (Agnes Irwin alum, St. Joe’s coach), Phyllis Kilgour (former Radnor coach), David Morrow, Ryan Powell, Denise Wescott (Moorestown alum, former Delaware coach), and Tami Worley Kirby (Marple Newtown alum, Penn State).
“I Iove the sport of lacrosse and can honestly say that I gave everything that I had to it. And yet, this sport has given me so much more,” Haugen said. “The friendships that I made, the places I got to visit, being able to compete at the highest levels, and being able to represent this country were honestly reward enough for playing this great game. So to be honored like this is truly incredible.”
All four men and two of the women’s inductees represented the United States in international competition during their careers.
Morrow won world championships with Team USA in 1994 and 1998, while Haugen, Powell and Cassese each represented the U.S. men during the 2000s. Friedman was a member of the women’s 1975 undefeated touring team in Great Britain. Kahoe spent eight years in the national team program.
“When you get the opportunity to be around the best of the best that our sport has to offer, and I’m not just talking about players, but also support staff and coaching staff and administrators, it makes you a better person,” said Cassese, who now serves as men’s head coach at Lehigh University.
Tami Worley Kirby, who won two national championships at Penn State in the 1980s and played on four national semifinal teams during her college career, says that there’s no secret formula for success.
“Believe in yourself and believe in your dreams. If you believe it, you can achieve it,” she said. “Work hard and be the best that you can be, and you will get places. Stay positive, because things will happen along the way, but that’s okay. Learn from them and keep moving forward.”
One of the other common threads among this year’s inductees is their passion in giving back to the game. In addition to success as players, many of them have transitioned into coaching and teaching.
Wescott, who has coached college teams for over three decades, has also served as a lacrosse clinician around the world, visiting 18 different countries to help teach the sport.
“It’s not just about your school and what’s going to make you better,” she said. “How can we make lacrosse grow and how can we make lacrosse better? We take care of each other. It’s a small enough sport that we have to be more globally thinking. To know that you’ve helped change what the world of lacrosse looks like is overwhelming.”
Upon induction, each inductee will have a plaque in their honor added to the Hall of Fame gallery in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame & Museum, located at US Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Maryland.
Philly bios
Kevin Cassese (Lehigh coach, Philadelphia Barrage)
Cassese will be inducted as a truly great player. He enjoyed an All-American career at Duke University, earning first team honors as a midfielder in 2002 and 2003 and second team accolades in 2001. He was also selected as the recipient of the Donald MacLaughlin Award as the national midfielder of the year in 2002. Cassese earned All-ACC honors three times (2001, 2002, 2003) and was named the ACC Player of the Year in 2001 after leading Duke to the first of two straight league championships. He was a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist in 2002 and 2003. Cassese was a member of the 2002, 2006 and 2010 U.S. Men’s National Teams, winning the gold medal twice and also serving as captain for the 2010 squad. Cassese enjoyed a seven-year professional career in Major League Lacrosse, earning all-star honors in 2005 & 2006. He was selected as the MLL’s All-Star game MVP in 2006. A native of Port Jefferson Station, N.Y., Cassese was inducted into the US Lacrosse Long Island Metro Chapter’s Hall of Fame in 2013.
Alex Kahoe (Agnes Irwin alum, St. Joseph’s University coach)
Kahoe (Agnes Irwin) will be inducted as a truly great player. She was a three-time All-American at the University of Maryland, earning first team honors in both 1999 and 2000, and second team honors in 1998. Kahoe was the ACC goalie of the year four times (1997-2000), and the national goalie of the year in both 1999 & 2000. She helped lead the Terps to four straight NCAA titles during her career, serving as team captain as a junior and senior. She also played in the North-South All-Star Game in 2000. Kahoe was selected to both the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team and the NCAA’s 25th Anniversary Team, and concluded her career as the ACC’s all-time saves leader with 968. Kahoe was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team Program from 1997-2005, and served as an alternate for the 2005 World Cup Team. In 2009, she played for Ireland’s World Cup Team.
Phyllis Kilgour (former Radnor coach)
Kilgour will be inducted as a truly great coach. One of the most successful girls’ high school coaches ever, she amassed a 574-75-7 record in 32 years at Radnor High School. She retired following the 2010 season with a career winning percentage of over 87 percent. Still going strong at the end of her tenure, her teams posted a 75-2 record during her final three seasons, going undefeated in 2008 and winning state titles in 2009 and 2010. In total, Kilgour’s teams captured seven Pennsylvania District I championships prior to the beginning of state sanctioned championships in 2009. Her Radnor squads then captured the first two PIAA state titles in 2009 & 2010. Kilgour was recognized as District I coach of the year three times, and was named the Philadelphia Lacrosse Coach of the Year in 2010. She produced 30 All-America players. In addition to coaching, she served as Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association (PASLA) National Tournament Chair, PASLA Treasurer, PASLA League Representative, and on the US Lacrosse All-America Committee.
Denise Wescott (Moorestown grad, former Delaware coach)
Westcott will be inducted as a truly great contributor who served as an administrator and game developer. Her lengthy resume includes service at many different levels across four decades. Notably, Wescott served as president of the IWLCA (Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association) from 1999-2001 and as its treasurer for three years. She has been a member of the FIL’s (Federation of International Lacrosse) World Cup Committee since 2005, and served on the organization’s development committee for 14 years. She has served four terms on the NCAA Rules Committee, and was a US Lacrosse leadership volunteer for 10 years. She has conducted player and coach development clinics nationally and internationally, including in 13 different countries, and served as head coach of the German National Team for 10 years. Domestically, she amassed over 200 wins as a collegiate head coach, including stints at Rutgers, Delaware, Mt. St. Mary’s and Monmouth.
Tami Worley (Marple Newtown, Penn State)
Worley will be inducted as a truly great player. She was a four-time All-American at the Penn State University, earning first team honors in both 1988 and 1989, second team status in 1987, and honorable mention in 1986. She was also a field hockey All-American. In lacrosse, Worley led PSU in scoring three times (1987, 1988, 1989), and finished her career ranked third in both career points (289) and career goals (230). She also led the nation in scoring in 1989 with 78 goals. Worley was the winner of the 1989 Hall Award as Penn State’s top senior athlete and played in the North-South All-Star Game that season. Worley helped lead PSU to four straight NCAA championship games, with the Lions winning the title in 1987 & 1989. She was named to the NCAA’s 25th Anniversary Team in 2006. Worley was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team Program from 1987-1992, and played on the U.S. Touring Team in 1990.