USA Lacrosse to Enshrine Iconic Hall of Fame Class in January

For just the second time since 1957, the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame did not enshrine any new members last year.

The Class of 2023, it turned out, was well worth the wait. Among the eight legends are the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse history and several U.S. team icons who pioneered the sport into the 21st century.

They’ll join the ranks of lacrosse immortals at a the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony hosted by USA Lacrosse on Saturday, Jan. 6 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. Purchase your tickets here and scroll below more on each of the inductees.

LYNN BOWERS

A decorated women’s lacrosse official,  Bowers has worked 11 NCAA Division I championships and 18 semifinals. She has also served as the lead official for conference finals in the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, CAA  and Ivy League, among others. Off the field, Bowers has had leadership positions in both the Collegiate Women’s Lacrosse Officiating Association (CWLOA) and the Philadelphia Women’s Lacrosse Umpires Association (PWLUA).

JOHN DANOWSKI

A three-time NCAA champion and two-time world champion, Danowski bears the distinction of being the only head coach in U.S. Men’s National Team history to lead two different teams to gold medals. Danowski’s 459 career wins are the most in NCAA Division I men’s history. He coached for 21 seasons at Hofstra before taking the job at Duke after the 2006 season, leading the Blue Devils to NCAA titles in 2010, 2013 and 2014.

KATIE CHREST ERBE

Arguably the best player in Duke women’s lacrosse history, Chrest Erbe was a three-time All-American attacker who won the Tewaaraton Award as the nation’s top collegiate player in 2005. After college, she starred for the U.S. Women’s National Team, playing a key role on the 2009 team that won back the gold medal at the world championship in Prague, Czech Republic, following its shocking loss to Australia four years earlier. The U.S. has not lost since. Chrest Erbe remains Duke’s all-time leader in points (287) and goals (216).

KYLE HARRISON

A transcendent talent from the moment he stepped foot on Homewood Field, Harrison was a three-time All-American midfielder and the 2005 Tewaaraton Award winner at Johns Hopkins. He pioneered the sport into the 21st century as one of the first professional players to make a full-time living in lacrosse with endorsements and a fan base that multiplied exponentially with the advent of social media. After leading the Blue Jays to an undefeated season and the NCAA championship as a senior in 2005, Harrison enjoyed a 16-year pro career in Major League Lacrosse and the Premier Lacrosse League. He played for the U.S. Men’s National Team in 2006 and 2014. 

LAURA HEBERT

For nearly 30 years, Hebert has championed the sport’s growth as a leader on the national, regional and local levels. She served 14 years in multiple volunteer leadership positions at USA Lacrosse, including a three-year stint (2012-2014) as chair of the board of directors. A nationally rated women’s game official, Hebert also spent 25 seasons on the field, earning NCAA Division I and Division III championship assignments. She has since served as the NCAA’s national coordinator of women’s lacrosse officials and as chair of World Lacrosse’s rules committee.

BOB SHAW

A three-time All-American at Cornell, Shaw graduated in 1972 as the highest-scoring midfielder in Ivy League history at the time. He finished his career with 86 goals and 123 points, none more memorable than his game winner with 2:01 left to beat Army in the 1971 NCAA semifinals. The Big Red went on to defeat Maryland for the championship that year — the first for college lacrosse under the NCAA umbrella. Shaw remained active as a club player for 12 years and also played for the world championship-winning 1974 U.S. Men’s National Team.

KYLE SWEENEY

Before Brodie Merrill and Michael Ehrhardt, there was Kyle Sweeney. The three-time All-American at Georgetown and two-time U.S. Men’s National Team member will become just the second long-stick midfielder inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He’ll join Steve Mitchell (class of 2014), who put the position on the map at Johns Hopkins in the 1980s. The first Georgetown men’s player to be enshrined into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Sweeney still ranks sixth in program with 229 career ground balls. He was a seven-time MLL All-Star, four-time MLL champion and two-time U.S. Men’s National Team member, earning All-World honors and a gold medal in 2010. 

DEVON WILLS

Wherever Wills went, she made history. A trailblazer out of Colorado, Wills was a three-time All-American goalie at Dartmouth. She led the Big Green to the NCAA championship game in 2006, then embarked on an unprecedented international career during which she started in goal for three gold medal-winning U.S. teams (2009, 2013 and 2017) and twice earned All-World honors. She was also a field player for the U.S. team that competed in and won the lacrosse competition at The World Games in 2017 — the sport’s first appearance at the multi-sport Olympic-style event. In 2013, Wills became the first woman to sign with an MLL team, earning a spot in training camp with the New York Lizards the following summer. Wills is currently the head coach at Harvard.