1972 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship
Encyclopedia
The 1972 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Tournament was the second annual Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
tournament. This was the last NCAA championship in which the Wingate Memorial Trophy
was also presented to the national champion. Prior to NCAA Lacrosse Championships, the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
(USILA) awarded the Wingate Memorial Trophy
to the NCAA annual champion based on regular season records.
The 1972 NCAA
Division I tournament championship game was played at University of Maryland
in front of 7,001 fans. The Virginia Cavaliers
led by coach Glenn Thiel (the current coach at Penn State) with an 11 and 4 record, defeated Johns Hopkins
13 to 12. Virginia was led by USILA player of the year
Pete Eldredge, who finished with four goals, scored the game winner with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. The victory gave Virginia its first NCAA national title in any sport (but second USILA lacrosse title). The Cavaliers had lost to Hopkins, Maryland and Navy during the regular season. The Cavaliers survived a late rush by Jack Thomas
, who with 12 seconds left in the game appeared to have a clear shot at the net. Bob Scott however had, unknown to the ball players called a timeout, negating what would have been a last-second game-tying attempt.
This tournament saw the entry in the tournament of two early innovative lacrosse programs, Cortland State and Washington and Lee. Cortland was notable for going 14 and 2 that season while knocking off defending champion Cornell, Syracuse and Navy. Cortland was coached by Jack Emmer
who later took Washington and Lee to consecutive NCAAs, before moving on to be the long time coach at Army.
Virginia had been the top seed in the first NCAA tournament the previous year, but lost in the first round. This time, paced by veterans Jay Connor, Tom Duquette, Pete Eldredge and Chip Barker, and freshman Richie Werner, Virginia wasn’t to be denied. Eldredge got the winning goal unassisted with 4:11 left in the contest before 7,000 fans. Maryland, the pre-tourney favorite and host team, fell in the semifinals to Johns Hopkins, 9-6, with 8,000 watching. Connor, the tourney’s leading scorer, set a meet record for assists. Maryland’s John Kaestner broke the single-game assist mark. Virginia and Johns Hopkins combined to shatter all three of the meet records for shots on goal.
Cortland edged Navy 10 to 9 in double overtime, led by Paul Wehrum's 3 goals. Cortland scored three goals in the fourth quarter to erase a 9-6 deficit and won the game despite being outshot by Navy 57-28.
NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship
The annual NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I, Division II, and Division III....
tournament. This was the last NCAA championship in which the Wingate Memorial Trophy
Wingate Memorial Trophy
The Wingate Memorial Trophy was the award given to the national champion in men's college lacrosse prior to the inception of an NCAA tournament format in 1971....
was also presented to the national champion. Prior to NCAA Lacrosse Championships, the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association is an association of institutions with varsity college lacrosse programs in all three NCAA divisions, founded in 1885.-Awards:...
(USILA) awarded the Wingate Memorial Trophy
Wingate Memorial Trophy
The Wingate Memorial Trophy was the award given to the national champion in men's college lacrosse prior to the inception of an NCAA tournament format in 1971....
to the NCAA annual champion based on regular season records.
The 1972 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I tournament championship game was played at University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in front of 7,001 fans. The Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers
The Virginia Cavaliers, also known as Wahoos or Hoos, are the athletic teams officially representing the University of Virginia in college sports. The Cavaliers compete in 25 NCAA Division I varsity sports and are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
led by coach Glenn Thiel (the current coach at Penn State) with an 11 and 4 record, defeated Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins was a wealthy American entrepreneur, philanthropist and abolitionist of 19th-century Baltimore, Maryland, now most noted for his philanthropic creation of the institutions that bear his name, namely the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Johns Hopkins University and its associated...
13 to 12. Virginia was led by USILA player of the year
Lt. Raymond Enners Award
The Lt. Raymond Enners Award is an award given annually to the NCAA's most outstanding player in men's college lacrosse. The award is presented by the USILA and is named after Raymond Enners, who attended the United States Military Academy, class of 1967, and served in the U.S. Army during the...
Pete Eldredge, who finished with four goals, scored the game winner with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. The victory gave Virginia its first NCAA national title in any sport (but second USILA lacrosse title). The Cavaliers had lost to Hopkins, Maryland and Navy during the regular season. The Cavaliers survived a late rush by Jack Thomas
John Thomas (lacrosse)
John "Jack" Thomas was an All-American lacrosse player at Johns Hopkins University from 1972 to 1974.-Lacrosse career:Thomas led the Blue Jays to a national title in 1974. He is ranked fourth all-time in Hopkin's scoring with 224 career points...
, who with 12 seconds left in the game appeared to have a clear shot at the net. Bob Scott however had, unknown to the ball players called a timeout, negating what would have been a last-second game-tying attempt.
This tournament saw the entry in the tournament of two early innovative lacrosse programs, Cortland State and Washington and Lee. Cortland was notable for going 14 and 2 that season while knocking off defending champion Cornell, Syracuse and Navy. Cortland was coached by Jack Emmer
Jack Emmer
John S. Emmer is a former American lacrosse coach. He retired in 2005 as the winningest lacrosse coach in NCAA history by number of wins with 326. This mark was surpassed in 2008 by Jim Berkman of Division III Salisbury University...
who later took Washington and Lee to consecutive NCAAs, before moving on to be the long time coach at Army.
Virginia had been the top seed in the first NCAA tournament the previous year, but lost in the first round. This time, paced by veterans Jay Connor, Tom Duquette, Pete Eldredge and Chip Barker, and freshman Richie Werner, Virginia wasn’t to be denied. Eldredge got the winning goal unassisted with 4:11 left in the contest before 7,000 fans. Maryland, the pre-tourney favorite and host team, fell in the semifinals to Johns Hopkins, 9-6, with 8,000 watching. Connor, the tourney’s leading scorer, set a meet record for assists. Maryland’s John Kaestner broke the single-game assist mark. Virginia and Johns Hopkins combined to shatter all three of the meet records for shots on goal.
Cortland edged Navy 10 to 9 in double overtime, led by Paul Wehrum's 3 goals. Cortland scored three goals in the fourth quarter to erase a 9-6 deficit and won the game despite being outshot by Navy 57-28.
Tournament bracket
- * = Overtime