Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 6/2/23 – From Press Release
The Tewaaraton Foundation gave its 2023 Tewaaraton Legends award to former Temple University star and longtime Springfield-Delco assistant coach Kathleen Geiger Thursday night at the Tewaaraton Award Ceremony in Washington, D.C.
The Tewaaraton Legends Award annually honors recipients who played college lacrosse prior to 2001 when the Tewaaraton Award was first given. Tewaaraton Legend recipients are chosen on the basis that their collegiate performance would have earned them a Tewaaraton Trophy had the award existed when they played.
“The Spirit and Legends Awards are vital parts of our program, as honoring the history and heritage of lacrosse is central to the mission of the Tewaaraton Foundation,” said Andy Phillips, President of the Tewaaraton Foundation.
Geiger – who graduated from the former Lansdowne-Aldan High, Class of 1982 (now Penn Wood) – was a two-time USWLA and Brine All-American (1985-86) at Temple University. She earned NCAA All-Tournament Team honors in 1983 and 1984, leading the Owls to four straight NCAA Semifinals and winning the national championship in 1984. Also a four-year starter on the Owls’ field hockey team, she finished her collegiate lacrosse career with 192 goals and was inducted into the Temple Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999.
After graduation, Geiger played for Team USA from 1984-97, winning three World Cup championships. A two-time team captain for the U.S. Team, she also served as the team’s manager in 2001 and 2005 and was the USWLA’s Beth Allen Award recipient in 1999.
A veteran club lacrosse player after college and 2001 inductee into the USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame, she has also been an active coach in the Philadelphia area, working with Penn Wood and Springfield-Delco high schools, helping lead Springfield to the 2019 Pennsylvania state championship as an assistant coach. She has coached at Springfield for 22 seasons.
“Kathleen was not only my teammate and roommate but also a dear lifelong friend,” said Jackie Neary, head field hockey and women’s lacrosse coach at Cabrini. “It’s hard to express in words just how amazing of a person she is and player she was.
“Kathleen possessed a fierce competitiveness that made her an asset to any team. Our Temple defense improved exponentially because of her efforts during practice, and opponents were always wary of playing against her. Looking at her USA career is simply awe-inspiring.
“I still have several of her players as alumni and currently on my team at Cabrini, and I feel blessed to have them thanks to the impact Kathleen had on them as a coach. Above all, Kathleen is a kind and generous person who has touched the lives of so many.”
Geiger is a member of the Temple, Delaware County, PA Sports (Delco) and Eastern PA Chapter of the USA Lacrosse Hall of Fames.
The awards banquet features Geiger’s presentation in minute 57.
Previous Winners
2022 Kelly Amonte Hiller, University of Maryland
2022 Dave Pietramala, Johns Hopkins University
2019 Karen Borbee (Penncrest, Swarthmore women’s coach), University of Delaware
2019 Tom Sears, University of North Carolina
2018 Amanda Moore O’Leary (Spring-Ford, Temple), Temple University
2018 Larry Quinn, Johns Hopkins University
2017 Cherie Greer Brown (Harriton), University of Virginia
2017 Peter Cramblet, United States Military Academy
2016 Candace Finn Rocha, Penn State University
2016 Frank Urso (Garnet Valley coach), University of Maryland
2015 Brad Kotz, Syracuse University
2014 Jimmy Lewis, United States Naval Academy
2013 Joe Cowan, Johns Hopkins University
2012 Eamon McEneaney, Cornell University
2011 Jim Brown, Syracuse University