Each week we will be diving into the vault and bringing some history to the youngsters who just don’t know what they don’t know. This week, we will be looking at the 1980 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse champions. It’s important to note that the women’s game did not have NCAA championships of any kind until 1982. Lacrosse was one of twelve women’s sports that the NCAA added championships for during the 1981-82 school year.
NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Champions
Division 1
Johns Hopkins (9) vs Virginia (8)
The Bluejays went 14-1 taking down Harvard and Syracuse on the way to the championship game. Hopkins was led by Coach Henry Ciccarone, who took the team to four straight lacrosse national championships, winning three in a row. Attackmen Jim Bidne was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Division 2
UMBC (23) vs Adelphi (14)
1980 marked the first season where Division 2 teams had their own exclusive tournament. This was UMBC’s first national championship. The team was coached by Dick Watts at the time. In 1981, the men’s lacrosse program was elevated to Division 1 status.
“Mr. Watts was more than just a lacrosse coach. Kevin Gibbons-O’Neill, who was an attackman for the Retrievers from 1982 to 1985, called Mr. Watts “a father figure.” Marcie Watts said her husband took great pride in making an impact with his players and preparing them for life after college, but also lived by the rule “family first.”
Edward Lee, Baltimore Sun
Division 3
Hobart (11) vs Cortland (8)
Hobart beat MIT 37-1 in the quarterfinals followed up by a trouncing of Salisbury State 21-5, and eventually defeating Cortland in the 1980 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship. This was the first national championship in a run of ten straight championships under the tutelage of Dave Urick. Hobart would eventually move up to Division 1 for lacrosse to preserve rivalries with Syracuse and Cornell.
Next Week
We will be taking a look at the 1981 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Champions.
