Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 9/09/23
Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame Ceremony Today at United Sports, 1:30 p.m.
(See article on induction ceremony, limited tickets remain)
Women’s Candidates
Feffie Barnhill- Player, Coach, Contributor
Feffie Barnhill enters the Eastern Pennsylvania Hall of Fame as a truly great contributor, player, and coach. She has received honors in the Delaware Lacrosse Foundation Hall of Fame, Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, and the USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Feffie began her playing career at Tatnall School in Delaware before taking her talents to Ursinus College, where she was a 4-year Varsity player and Co-Captain in lacrosse but earned 17 Varsity letters in Field Hockey, basketball, Badminton, and Softball. She also led the Philadelphia Colleges Team 1 to a victory over Philadelphia club for the first time.
After her career at Ursinus, Feffie took the head coaching position at William and Mary, While a collegiate coach, Feffie introduced a unique tournament called Feffie’s Follies. This was a two-day tournament that attracted the top collegiate teams and international teams of Canada, Japan, Scotland, and Wales. This set up Feffie to be the Director of the USA Women’s Lacrosse Camps from 1987-94.
In 1989, Feffie took her coaching talents to the US Lacrosse Team and was the assistant coach for the team that took the gold medal. This team included multiple Philadelphia Hall of Fame members. Feffie went on to become the US Squad Coach from 1990-91 and was the Co-Chair of the US Lacrosse Coaches Education Program. In her desire to see the sport grow in excellence, Feffie traveled to Scotland to coach the Scottish National Team.
Feffie finally returned to her roots in Delaware and coached Tower Hill School for 12 years and in that time they garnered three state championships. More recently, Feffie has been the head lacrosse coach at Ursuline Academy. Overall, Feffie has coached 47 spring seasons.
Feffie continued her service to the lacrosse community through her leadership as the USWLA merged with US Lacrosse and she became the organization’s first female president. Under her leadership, a unified governing board was formed which became the Federation of the International Lacrosse (FIL) where Feffie became the first president.
In 2019 Feffie was awarded the Spirit of Tewaaraton This award has only been given to two other females, Diane N. Geppi-Aikens and Tina Sloan Green.
Lorraine Bryant Beers – Coach
Lorraine Beers enters The Hall of Fame as a truly great coach. Lorraine played at Drexel University and was team captain for both her junior and senior years in 1976 and 1977. After Drexel, Lorraine spent the first twenty years of her career using her accounting degree in the corporate world when she had a chance to reignite her love for lacrosse in her early 40s through her daughters Kate and Allison playing youth lacrosse for the local Rose Tree Media Optimist program.
It was fate when shortly thereafter Lorraine had the opportunity to shift careers and take her playing and leadership experience to the high school level where she has now coached the powerhouse girls’ lacrosse program at Archbishop Carroll for the last 24 years. Under Lorraine’s leadership, Carroll has grown into a top tier program nationally, consistently beating the best teams from across Pennsylvania as well as surrounding states, and ranked as high as sixth in the country in 2022.
Carroll boasts an impressive record of 264 wins and zero losses within the Philadelphia Catholic League since 2001. More broadly, Lorraine’s Carroll teams have won the PIAA 2A state championship in 2021 and 2022 as well as the PIAA 3A state championship in 2017. As a coach, Lorraine’s formula for success is underpinned by hard work, commitment, and love of the game. That formula has helped her develop more than 35 US All American players, empowered more than 70 Carroll players to play at the college level, and played a role in the career decisions of a number of former players who have gone on to successfully coach at college programs.
Outside of Carroll, Lorraine has dedicated considerable time to growing the sport of lacrosse and mentoring young athletes. She has served as president of PASLA and for 20 years volunteered significant time annually to regional selection and coaching for the USA Lacrosse National Tournament. Unsurprisingly, Lorraine has been recognized for her many achievements and contributions to girls’ lacrosse in a number of settings. She was inducted into the Archbishop Carroll Hall of Fame in 2018, named PASLA Coach of the Year in both 2017 and 2022, recognized by the National Federation of High School Associations and the PIAA as Coach of the Year for Girls Lacrosse in 2022, and awarded Eastern Pennsylvania Coach of the Year by USA Lacrosse in 2022. An accomplished coach who lives and breathes the game, Lorraine is truly deserving of this PLA Hall of Fame recognition.
Peggy Cellucci –Official
Peggy Cellucci enters the Hall of Fame as an all inspiring and outstanding lacrosse Official. She prides herself in the respect she brings to every game for the athletes, the coaches, and the integrity of the game.
She played Varsity lacrosse at Springfield High School in Delaware County, and led her teammates as one of their Tri-Captains from 1964-1968. Peggy excelled as a student-athlete and was inducted into the Springfield High School Hall of Fame for field hockey and lacrosse in 1994. Her demonstration of outstanding skills, leadership and dedication to being a model for those that came after her, earned her this distinguished award.
Peggy coached field hockey at Rosemont College from 1972-1976.
In 1979 Peggy stepped forward into the start of her officiating career and earned her Local rating which she held until 1981as a member of the Philadelphia Chapter of Lacrosse Officials. In 1981 Peggy advanced her officiating skills and earned a District rating from 1981 to 1989. She did not hesitate to continue to progress and earned her National rating in 1989 to present day; 31 years. She has officiated many Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) high school play-offs games from 1980 to 1999. During her collegiate officiating career, Peggy officiated the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) playoffs 1990 to present day, she officiated NCAA Conference Championship games, including working the Final Four games, and in 2011 officiated the Championship Final. She also officiated the newly formed Professional League play-offs from 2017-2021.
Her many years of being on the game field encouraged Peggy to give service as a Committee member of the Collegiate Women’s Lacrosse Officials Association; also known as the CWLOA from 2018-2019, she participates as a CWLOA clinician at the many required training clinics for officials around the country.
Peggy is a beloved mentor for USA lacrosse and CWLOA members. Her hope is to teach the game, and build confidence in our next generation of officials by setting an example of leadership, strong work ethic, and a belief that they can bring honor to the game of lacrosse as an official. One of her peers described Peggy as “a confident, quiet leader who supports every partner no matter what the situation. Peggy is always welcoming, and inclusive with every crew member. She has such a bright, fun loving personality; she is a legend.”
There is no stopping her allegiance to the sport of lacrosse. Her enormous growth from a player, to an official, mentor, and clinician have surely earned Peggy to be inducted into the Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame.
Ginny Martin – Coach
Ginny Martino enters the PLA Hall of Fame as a truly great coach.
Ginny was introduced to lacrosse in the 7th grade. She played at Souderton Area High School and had many accolades including: Co Captain, MVP, Female Athlete of the Year and All American. She also earned recognition as Bux- Mont 1st team selection as well as All American. She was a participant in PASLA All Star Game and Hero Scholarship Game. She earned a full scholarship for field hockey and lacrosse and went on to play at UMASS Amherst. She played on the New England Regional All Star Team, National Collegiate All Star Team, All – New England National 1st Team and North/South Collegiate All Star Team.
Her coaching career began after college where she was the freshman coach at Souderton High School for one year. Her career at West Chester University began, as an assistant coach in 1996. In 1998 she took over the program and has just completed her 25th season. Under her leadership, her teams have won 15 conference titles, two national crowns (2002 & 2008). She has earned four PSAC coach of the year honors (2001, 2005, 2018 & 2023), three NCAA South Region coach of the year (2006, 2008 & 2010) and two national coach of the year (2002 & 2008) recognitions while leading her team to the NCAA DII national title game 12 times. The Golden Rams strung together a 72-game conference winning streak that spanned over 7 years (just 8 wins shy of a NCAA all-time record).
Ginny Martino became the all-time winningest women’s lacrosse coach in Division II history in 2012 and pushed past the 300-win plateau in 2018. Her .824 career winning percentage (.919 in conference) is the sixth-best in Division II history and eighth-best among women’s lacrosse coaches at any level. Her 385 career victories ranks seventh at all levels of coaching.
Ginny has service and honors includes running summer camps at WCU, Lax-4-Life, Inc. (nonprofit) founder and owner, NCAA Coaches Connection Committee, PSAC Rep and IWLCA Coach of the year committee Chair.
Ginny has earned the 2023 PSAC Coach of the Year award and led her team to an undefeated regular season and ended 22-1, which tied an NCAA record for most wins in a single season in Division II history. They won the PSAC Championship and NCAA Atlantic Region title, advancing to the NCAA DII National Championship game for the 12th time in her career (NCAA records for both appearances and wins in the tournament).
Ginny currently resides in Cochranville, PA with her husband and her two children.
Mary McCarthy Stefano–Player
Mary McCarthy Stefano enters the Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a truly great player.
A 1987 graduate of Penn State, McCarthy Stefano first made her mark on the lacrosse world at Moorestown High School in New Jersey, where she was a member of the All-South Jersey Team and part of the New Jersey state championship team in 1983.
At Penn State, as the team captain in her senior season of 1987, McCarthy Stefano led the Nittany Lions to a 17-2 record and their first NCAA Championship and fourth overall national title. A three-time first team All-American (1985-87), she was a part of the teams that compiled an impressive 59-10 record over the course of her career.
McCarthy Stefano went on to play for the Philadelphia Club Lacrosse team for 10 years and later was the recipient of the 1994 Beth Allen Award, an honor presented to a member of the US Lacrosse Women’s Division who excels on the field and represents her team in a positive fashion at the National Tournament.
On the international level, she was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team, from 1986-1993. She also was a member of the 1989 and 1993 World Cup Gold medal teams. McCarthy Stefano was inducted into the New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1997 and the U S National hall of fame in 2010.
In addition to her lacrosse accolades, Mary was also a four-year letterwinner on the Penn State field hockey team. She received NFCHA First Team All-America honors in 1985 and 1986. Currently, Mary lives in Plano, Texas with her family
Laura Harmon Schuman – Player
Laura Harmon Schuman enters the Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a truly great player.
Laura started her athletic career as an outstanding multisport athlete and All Delco Athlete of the Year at Haverford High School. Laura was a High School All American in her junior and senior seasons, 1990 & 1991 before taking her athletic ability to the University of Maryland on a lacrosse scholarship.
At the University of Maryland Laura led her lacrosse team to two NCAA National Championships in 1992 & 1995 and was a three time All American, 1993, 94 & 95. Laura excelled as well on the field hockey team for Maryland and was a three time All American in Field Hockey at Maryland and led her team to an NCAA Championship. She was also honored as a member of the ACC 50th Anniversary Women’s Lacrosse Team
Laura took her exceptional scoring ability to the USA National team (1993-1998) and won a IFWLA World Cup Championship in 1997 in Japan. She was inducted into the Haverford High School (1998), University of Maryland (2010), Delaware County (2013) and US Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2020. Laura is an elementary teacher and shares her love of lacrosse while coaching club teams for the Yellowjackets. Laura and her son, Cooper, live in New York.
Men’s Candidates
Chris Goldberg, EdD – Contributor
Chris Goldberg enters the Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a truly great contributor who has demonstrated long, dedicated, and exceptional service to the game of lacrosse.
His legacy stems from his role as one of the longest-tenured and perhaps most prolific lacrosse sportswriters in Southeastern Pennsylvania history. His career to date has spanned over forty years. He has written for the Philadelphia Inquirer, USA Lacrosse and MaxPreps. His seminal website, Phillylacrosse.com, which he founded in 2007, has been the “go to” source for lacrosse-related news and information since its inception. The site has served as a digital forum for “all things lacrosse.” It has had the effect of accelerating the growth of the game, breaking down silos and providing information and game-related coverage in a transparent manner for the benefit of all lacrosse constituencies. His lacrosse media company has published over 50,000 articles and received approximately 30 million views, and his social media feeds have produced several hundred million impressions. Phillylacrosse.com is recognized as one of the top regional sports platforms in North America.
In addition to his work as a lacrosse journalist, Chris has served as a middle school girls’ coach at Gordon Middle School in Coatesville and later at Interboro, where he taught for twenty-three years before retiring. He has been generous with his time promoting many noteworthy causes with a lacrosse nexus, including HEADstrong Foundation, The Courage Game, The Katie Samson Foundation, Evanfest, Checking for Cancer, The Travis Manion Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Play for the A’s, Shootout for Soldiers, and Harlem Lacrosse.
In 2011, Chris was named USA Lacrosse “Man of the Year.” In 2019, the Philadelphia Lacrosse Association awarded Chris the “Founders’ Award,” in recognition of his significant and enduring contributions to lacrosse in Southeastern Pennsylvania. As publisher of Phillylacrosse.com, he remains a pivotal and influential member of the lacrosse community.
Kevin Finneran – Player
Kevin Finneran enters the Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a truly great player.
In high school, Kevin played at Holy Trinity High School (N.Y.) where he was team captain and earned 1st Team All-Catholic. At Ohio Wesleyan University he, again, was team captain, played in the 1989 Division III national championship, was named an All-American, was honored as Division III Midfielder of the Year, and was named Player of the Year in both the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and Midwest Lacrosse Association (MLA). In addition, he was selected to play in the 1998 NCAA Division III North/South All-Star game.
After college, Kevin continued his lacrosse career at the professional level first playing for the MAB Lacrosse Club in the United States Lacrosse Club Association League (USCLA) where he was named the 1991 Co-Player of the Year and then honored as an All-Club Midfield from 1992-1999. In the Major Lacrosse League (MLL) Kevin played for the Long Island Lizards from 2001 to 2004, wherein in 2002 he was named as an All-Star Midfielder and the 2004 MLL Sportsman of the Year. In 2005 he played for the Philadelphia Barrage, and in 2006 was named head coach and general manager of the MLL’s Chicago Machine. Kevin’s outdoor lacrosse ultimate highlight was winning a World Championship with Team USA in 1998.
Kevin’s post-collegiate professional indoor success is equally as impressive. He played thirteen seasons in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) with Detroit, New England, Philadelphia, and Toronto and won five World Championships, and was named an All-Pro four times. He was named to the All-League First Team (1998) and twice Second Team (1994 & 1996). In 2021 Kevin was inducted into the National Lacrosse League Hall (NLL) Hall of Fame followed by the Philadelphia Wings retiring his jersey (#11) placing him among the team’s all-time greats.
Kevin was also inducted into the Long Island Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2004, and for decades has coached high school and club lacrosse throughout the Philadelphia and Florida areas including at Radnor Youth Lacrosse and Fusion/Penn Lax.
Paul O’Grady – Coach
Paul O’Grady enters the Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a truly great coach. As a defensive coordinator, Paul has helped coach teams to nineteen Inter-Ac Championships, four State Championships, and two Consensus High School National Championships. Along the way, he coached dozens of Pennsylvania All-State and High School All-American players who later enjoyed success at the collegiate and professional levels.
Paul attended the Haverford School where he led his team to a State Championship in 1985 as an All-Inter-Ac and All-State midfielder. He attended Villanova University where he played Division I lacrosse, and he played post-collegiately for the Eagles Eye Lacrosse Club in the USCLA. Paul later excelled as a defensive and transition specialist in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) as a member of the Philadelphia Wings, where he won three NLL Championships.
Paul’s coaching accomplishments have been extensive and far-reaching. He began coaching in 1991 at his alma mater. At Haverford, he honed his skills as a defensive coordinator. From there he assumed the same position at Episcopal Academy, where his teams won three Inter-Ac Championships and the 1996 State Championship. In 1999 Paul became EA’s head coach.
Paul took a brief respite from coaching but returned to the sideline in his signature role as defensive coordinator, this time at Malvern Preparatory School. In his initial stint with the Friars, Paul’s teams thrived defensively, winning five Inter-Ac Championships and the 2006 State Championship.
He returned to The Haverford School in 2010 as the Fords’ defensive coordinator. During his tenure at Haverford through 2018, Ford teams won eight Inter-Ac Championships. Notably, USA Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse recognized Haverford as the best high school team in the nation in both 2011 and 2015.
Currently, Coach O’Grady is once again the defensive coordinator at Malvern Prep. In what some might discern as a recurring pattern given Paul’s mentorship, the Friars have won Inter-Ac titles in 2019, 2021-2023.
Ron Forster
Ron Forster enters the Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a truly great contributor.
As a player, Ron made a significant impact on the sport during the mid-1970s. He attended Abington High School from 1973 to 1976 and was named an All-American in both 1975 and 1976. During his senior year, he served as captain of the team and participated in the Senior High School All-Star Game. He was recognized as All-EPLCA in 1975, 1976, and 1977. In recognition of his accomplishments, Ron was later inducted into the Abington High School Hall of Fame.
After high school, Ron continued to play lacrosse at Drexel University where, in 1979, he earned recognition as an All-East Coast Conference player and later served as captain. After college, he played for several club teams, including the Commonwealth Lacrosse Club where he was named All-Club.
After his playing career, Ron continued to contribute to the game in a meaningful way. He served as founder, board member, and coach of the Abington Lacrosse Club (ALC) from 1988 to 2007. Many of the ALC teams he managed and coached won multiple Southeastern Pennsylvania Youth League (SEPYLA) championships, and many ALC alums, including his sons, won multiple PIAA State Championships at LaSalle College High School. As a Dukes Lacrosse Club coach, Ron helped to guide and mentor numerous young players in summer tournaments helping them make commitments to play at the collegiate level.
Ron was a significant member of the Philadelphia Lacrosse Association, the local chapter of USA Lacrosse. There, he chaired the New Start Committee for years, providing technical expertise and financial support for new programs in Central and Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Ron’s impact on the sport of lacrosse has been significant, and his contributions as a player, coach, and contributor have made a difference in the lives of many young student-athletes and in helping to spread the game and ensure that the sport remains accessible for generations to come.
Thomas B. Hannum III
Tommy Hannum enters the Eastern Pennsylvania Lacrosse Hall of Fame as a truly great coach.
In high school, he was an attackman at West Chester East, earning All-Suburban and All-State recognition. Upon graduation, he attended San Diego State University (SDSU) where he was a WCLL All-Star all four years and MVP of the 1984 WCLL All-Star Game. He was the leading scoring midfielder in the WCLL in 1984 & 1985. In 1984, Tommy played for Team USA California in the World Games and in 1990 was inducted into the SDSU Hall of Fame.
Once back east, Tommy continued playing post-collegiately, competing on numerous club championship teams and earning dozens of impressive accolades. In total, he played in seven club All-Star games, ten Vail Championships, and thirteen Lake Placid Championships, where he was named MVP three times. Internationally, Tommy played for Team Toyota in the 2002 Masters-Level World Games in Perth Australia, where he won a World Championship. In 2014 his Team Harley 50 Plus club also won a World Championship. Professionally, he played for the Philadelphia Wings and was a member of the Wings’ 1989 and 1991 World Championships.
Tommy began his coaching at Crawford High School in San Diego and led the team to the City Championships in 1985 and 1986. As a coach, he is a member of the esteemed Century Club and has 428 wins, has won multiple Coach of the Year awards, and has coached multiple high school teams to district championships and state playoff appearances, which have included Marple Newtown, West Chester East, Downingtown West, and Bayard Rustin. In total, he has coached fourteen All-Americans, numerous Senior All-Star Teams, youth travel squads, and Radnor Middle School, and is a current member of the varsity girls coaching staff at Radnor High School.
Founders’ Award
Women’s Game Honorees:
Dawn Grothmann (PWLUA Umpire, Junior Official Recruiter and Trainer)
Jazmine A. Smith (African American and Latinx Youth Program Founder, Owner, CEO, Head Coach)
Dean Curtis
(Lower Bucks Lacrosse, Pennsbury High School)
Dean Curtis is being honored with the Founders’ Award because of his efforts in developing lacrosse in Lower Bucks County.
His love for the sport began in upstate New York and continued at The Ohio State University, where he was a four-year letter winner and Big Ten Medal of Honor finalist. While at OSU, he coached at Upper Arlington High School and was mentored by US Lacrosse Hall of Fame coach Ted Wolford.
In 2001, Dean began coaching for Lower Bucks Lacrosse and in 2003 was hired as the head coach at Pennsbury High School to lead the team in their first year as a PIAA sport. He is a co-founder of Arrowhead Lacrosse which has provided a summer league and individual training for the Lower Bucks lacrosse community since 2006. Thousands of Bucks County lacrosse players have experienced the game through these efforts.
From 2007-2009, Dean served on the leadership board for the Eastern Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association (EPSLA) and teamed with Andy Hayes to create the EPSLA Showcase, which helped put Philly lacrosse high school players in the national spotlight and set the standard for college showcases.
After the 2009 season, he stepped away from Pennsbury and focused his time on developing the next generation of players as a coach and board member for LBL. Significant growth in both LBL boys’ and girls’ lacrosse occurred during this time which included the LBL TryLax program and the end-of-season Bobblehead Lacrosse Tournament.
Dean has been actively involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes national lacrosse ministry as a coach, player, and board member since 2006, and coaches the rising junior national team each summer in Lake Placid.
In 2020, he returned to Pennsbury as the boys’ Varsity coach, where he still coaches today. His greatest joy is watching his children play.
Founders’ Award
Bruce Vosburgh
(Unionville Youth Lacrosse, Unionville High School)
Bruce Vosburgh is being honored with the Founders’ Award for his significant and enduring contributions to the growth of lacrosse in Chester County, specifically in connection with the Unionville Youth Lacrosse (UYL) program and the middle and high school programs in the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District. His efforts were also instrumental in helping to establish lacrosse programs in Chadds Ford, Kennett Square and Avon Grove.
Bruce began teaching and coaching at Unionville Middle School in 1976 after graduating from the University of Delaware, where he played football and captained the lacrosse team. While initially coaching middle school girls’ lacrosse, he supported a group of high school boys in their effort to establish a club program at the high school. That club program, under Bruce’s mentorship, evolved into varsity and junior varsity teams at Unionville High School, which joined the Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association’s Suburban League in 1981. Bruce served as PSLA president for two years and earned PSLA Coach of the Year honors.
Working with Philadelphia Hall of Fame legends Norm Treinish (Ashbee) and Stu Brown (Springfield), Bruce continued to build organized lacrosse in Unionville by starting a 7th/8th grade recreational program that played in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Youth Lacrosse Association and, soon thereafter, establishing 4th to 6th grade teams and an in-house program for 1st to 3rd graders. He also helped start the UYL program for 6th/7th/8th grade girls. Notably, he helped engineer UYL merging into the Unionville Recreation Association (URA) for insurance purposes. Both the Kennett and Avon Grove youth lacrosse programs were spinoffs from URA.
Bruce stepped down as high coach when he was appointed as Principal of Unionville Middle School in 1992. He resumed coaching 7th/8th grade boys through the spring of 1995, which enabled him to coach his son. In 2005 and through 2013, he returned to Unionville High School as a volunteer assistant to work with head coach John Rohde.
During the summer months, Bruce coached Chester County teams with West Chester’s Mike Bauer (a 2021 Founders’ Award recipient) in the Keystone State Games and later led PA All-Star teams that competed in national tournaments sponsored by US Lacrosse. He also coached teams in the Dukes Lacrosse Club program through 2019.
Dawn Grothman
Jazmine A. Smith
Peter Samson Award
Bruce T. Ikeda
(posthumously)
(Conestoga Youth Lacrosse, Mesa Fresh Lacrosse Club)
We are honored to give the Peter Samson Award, albeit posthumously, to Bruce T. Ikeda – a long-time friend and supporter of the PLA – in recognition of his outstanding character and his commitment and devotion to the game of lacrosse and the lacrosse community of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Affectionately known as “Big Guy” and “The Mayor,” Bruce sadly passed away in January 2023 after bravely battling stomach cancer, which he faced with determination and optimism notwithstanding his prognosis.
An Allentown native, Bruce never played lacrosse but learned the game by osmosis. He was always around the sport with his wife Anne supporting their three sons – Brian, Casey, and Jamie, all of whom enjoyed remarkable careers playing defense at Conestoga High School and collegiately at Providence, Maryland, and Duke, respectively.
Bruce was always jovial, genuine, and a consummate networker or “connector.” He kept competition in perspective and made sincere efforts to promote sportsmanship and camaraderie and develop personal relationships. He possessed a rare ability to connect with players, coaches, assistant coaches, trainers, managers, and parents at every level of lacrosse – youth, club, college, and professional. He was a mentor to many young athletes. Tellingly, he was known to stop by players’ homes to drop off inspirational books.
Without exception, Bruce would network with anyone and everyone. No one was ever surprised to see him mixing with players on opposing teams and with their coaches and parents, not to mention the stadium ticket-takers, security personnel, those broadcasting the game, and those working in concession stands. Somehow, Bruce seemed to be on a “first name basis” with referees officiating any given game, probably because he made a point to bring them cold water and offer them snacks during halftime.
Bruce served on the Conestoga Youth Lacrosse (CYL) board when it was formed in 1999. He was a founding father of the Mesa Fresh Club Lacrosse Program along with a handful of his “Dad Coach” friends in 2006. He served on the Katie Samson High School Lacrosse Festival Committee for years, helping to raise money to support spinal cord research. He retired not long ago so he could pursue charitable interests, including serving as a mentor with the Youth Mentoring Program in the Coatesville School District and as a board member at Help Hope Live. He supported the PLA’s annual golf outing for thirty straight years; invariably he was the first person to register for the event.
He will be remembered as a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, sibling, uncle, friend, mentor, as well as a beloved member of the Philadelphia lacrosse community for over two decades.
Treinish Award
Sandon (Sandy) Herzlich
(Conestoga Youth Lacrosse)
Sandy Herzlich is being honored with the Treinish Award because of his success in organizing and operating Conestoga Youth Lacrosse (CYL), one of the largest and most successful boys’ youth programs in Southeastern Pennsylvania. At its height, CYL had over 600 registrants (U-9 through U-15).
CYL dates back to 1999, when Sandy, his wife Barb, and several close friends took action to institutionalize boys’ lacrosse opportunities in Tredyffrin-Easttown Township. The group implemented an organizational model that stressed, accommodated parental involvement, and ensured community support. The previous iteration of youth lacrosse in Tredyffrin-Easttown could not keep up with the growth of the game, nor could it capitalize on a deep bench of potential “Dad Coaches.”
Sandy and the CLY planners recruited and harnessed the interests of a strong contingent of parents with lacrosse experience. The group brought talent, ideas, and passion to the program, which grew dramatically. Sandy was fortunate to coach both of his sons and their respective friends. One son, Mark, had a successful high school career and was a prized Division 1 lacrosse recruit before opting to play football at Boston College (and later in the NFL for the New York Giants). Sandy’s younger son, Brad, continued his lacrosse playing career at Conestoga High School and won three Central League Championships, two District 1 Championships and one PIAA State Championship.
CYL program teams competed year after year in Chester County Youth Lacrosse League Championships at one or more age groups. Many players in CYL – a feeder program for Conestoga High School and area private schools – went on to lead Conestoga and their respective schools to PIAA State Lacrosse Championships, Inter-Ac Championships, and national recognition. Many CYL alums also went on to make their mark at the collegiate level.
When Sandy stepped down as CYL President in 2007, he left an organization that transformed boys’ youth lacrosse in Eastern Chester County. CYL continues to thrive to this day.
