Amongst the University’s long athletic history and unbeknownst to many fans, there lies a rich tradition in men’s lacrosse at N.C. State. During the 1970s and early 1980s, men’s lacrosse was a varsity sport at State, and in the few years that it was here, the team was very successful.
In fact, the all-time NCAA career leader for points per game, which is a function of goals and assists, is Stan Cockerton whose mark of 6.36 from 1977-1980 for the Wolfpack remains unsurpassed.
Also, Syracuse lacrosse legend and three-time All-American Tim Nelson began his career in Raleigh before transferring to the Orangemen after funding was cut for State’s program. The men’s lacrosse club president, Mike Hart, said it’s sad how the memory of the lacrosse tradition is quickly fading.
“When people think of ACC lacrosse, they think of programs like Virginia and Duke,” Hart said. “What they don’t realize is N.C. State used to be right there with those teams.”
With no varsity team, it has been the task of the men’s club lacrosse team to keep that tradition alive. Hart said the former varsity players continue to support the club team even today.
“I’ve spoken with a lot of the alumni. Those alumni are still very active with us,” Hart said. “The ones who were with the varsity program, they are probably our biggest supporters. We get money and guidance from them, and they will come out to our annual alumni game.”
The club team is flourishing these days, as far as numbers are concerned. With 70 players expressing interest in playing, the team is expecting a spring roster of 40 to 45 players — up from the 27 players on last spring’s roster.
Senior defenseman Dan Porter said this year’s team is the most talented he’s been on in his four years playing for the club lacrosse team.
“We’re feeling really good about this team,” Porter said. “We got a lot of new guys coming in that are looking like they are going to contribute a lot. Plus, we’ve got a good core coming back with a lot of leadership, so we are feeling really confident right now.”
Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing club sports in the nation. With 297 teams already registered in the MCLIA, the league just recently approved the acceptance of nine more teams.
Hart said the increase in popularity at the high school level has raised the quality of lacrosse players coming into the program.
“The level of play in North Carolina has gotten so much better that there are so many good players now in state who aren’t getting recruited to go places and still want to go to N.C. State and Chapel Hill,” Hart said.
With so many good players, playing time could be sparse for some this spring. Senior captain John Kimball said experience is crucial at this level of play.
“All these kids that come out were the top players for their high school teams,” Kimball said. “Still, it’s a bit of a stretch for some people to get up to the college level and play. Like in any sport, the freshmen are a little behind, and the seniors are just more knowledgeable in the game. They know exactly what’s going on. There will definitely be freshman playing this year and even starting though.”
The Pack’s first home game will be Oct. 28 on the Miller Fields against the Tar Heels.
Hart said students should consider coming out to watch the team.
“I just want to get as many students to our games as possible,” Hart said. “We hardly beat Carolina in anything, basketball- or football-wise, but every year we beat them in lacrosse. It’s another way for students to come out and support State against all the ACC schools.”
