Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse
Encyclopedia
The Duke Blue Devils
men's lacrosse team represents Duke University
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) Division I men's lacrosse
. Duke currently competes as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) and plays its home games at Koskinen Stadium
in Durham, North Carolina
.
, which itself had just formed a team the year prior. Duke won that contest, 2–1. The first home game occurred a week later when they hosted Syracuse
, who beat the Blue Devils, 17–5. Duke finished out the season with a 2–5 record, with their second win also over North Carolina, this time in Durham. The following season, the Blue Devils compiled a 7–1 mark and secured the Dixie Lacrosse League championship.
Ray Brown became Duke's first lacrosse All-America
n in 1940 and was honored as such the again the following year. In 1946, Duke opened the season with a shocking upset over Maryland in College Park
, 12–4. Despite finishing the season with a 2–3 record, the Blue Devils were awarded the Southern Lacrosse Association
championship.
The 1951 team is often regarded as Duke's most successful. The Blue Devils routed conference opponent Washington & Lee, 26–8. They also scored victories against powerhouses, beating Navy
, 17–6, and Johns Hopkins, 9–7. The lone loss was by a one-goal margin and came against eventual national champion, Virginia
. All told, Duke finished the season with a 6–1 record and as runners-up to Virginia for the national title.
The newly-formed Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) sanctioned lacrosse in 1954, and Duke captured the league's first title after posting a 7–1–1 season. Starting the following year however, the Blue Devils entered a twelve-year slump where they compiled a combined 17–67 record with no winning seasons. In 1967, Roy Skinner and Bruce Corrie took over as co-head coaches and immediately reversed the teams fortunes, posting a 7–4 record that season and finishing second in the ACC. In 1971, Corrie became the sole coach after Skinner retired.
Mike Pressler
was hired as head coach in 1991, and the following season Duke made its first NCAA tournament
appearance. In 1994, the Blue Devils posted their first tournament win, which was also their first victory against Maryland in Durham since 1954. They were then edged, 12–11, in the quarterfinals by Syracuse
. The next year, Duke won its first ACC tournament, and in the process became the first number-four seed to do so. Two years later, they advanced to the Final Four. Duke won consecutive ACC tournaments in 2001 and 2002, advanced to the 2005 NCAA final before losing to Johns Hopkins, 9–8. The 2006 season was cut short when several Duke players were falsely accused of rape. As a result of the incident, Duke forced Pressler to resign as head coach, and the NCAA granted the players an extra season of eligibility.NCAA grants Duke's request for fifth year of lacrosse eligibility, USA Today, May 30, 2007.
John Danowski
replaced Pressler, and in his first season in 2007, he led the Blue Devils to the ACC championship and return to the NCAA title game. Duke again lost to Johns Hopkins by one goal, 12–11. In 2010, Duke returned to the final, where it defeated Notre Dame
, 6–5 in overtime
, to capture its first NCAA championship.
Duke Blue Devils
Duke University's 26 varsity sports teams, known as the Blue Devils, compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The name comes from the French "les Diables Bleus" or "the Blue Devils," which was the nickname given during World War I to the Chasseurs Alpins, the French Alpine light infantry...
men's lacrosse team represents Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in National Collegiate Athletic Association
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...
(NCAA) Division I men's lacrosse
College lacrosse
College lacrosse refers to lacrosse played by student athletes at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. In both countries, men's field lacrosse and women's lacrosse are played in both the varsity and club levels...
. Duke currently competes as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) and plays its home games at Koskinen Stadium
Koskinen Stadium
Koskinen Stadium is a 4,500-seat stadium in Durham, North Carolina on the campus of Duke University. It serves as home to Duke's soccer and lacrosse teams.The stadium is named in honor of Duke benefactors John and Patricia Koskinen....
in Durham, North Carolina
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
.
History
The first lacrosse game played by Duke took place on April 9, 1938, when the Blue Devils traveled to meet their nearby rivals, North CarolinaNorth Carolina Tar Heels men's lacrosse
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's lacrosse team represents the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
, which itself had just formed a team the year prior. Duke won that contest, 2–1. The first home game occurred a week later when they hosted Syracuse
Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse
The Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team represents Syracuse University in NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse. The Orange have won 10 NCAA championship titles, and currently competes as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference men's lacrosse conference...
, who beat the Blue Devils, 17–5. Duke finished out the season with a 2–5 record, with their second win also over North Carolina, this time in Durham. The following season, the Blue Devils compiled a 7–1 mark and secured the Dixie Lacrosse League championship.
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in 1940 and was honored as such the again the following year. In 1946, Duke opened the season with a shocking upset over Maryland in College Park
College Park, Maryland
College Park is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, USA. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the "Archives II" facility of the U.S...
, 12–4. Despite finishing the season with a 2–3 record, the Blue Devils were awarded the Southern Lacrosse Association
Southern Conference
The Southern Conference is a Division I college athletic conference affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Southern Conference football teams compete in the Football Championship Subdivision . Member institutions are located in the states of Alabama, Georgia, North...
championship.
The 1951 team is often regarded as Duke's most successful. The Blue Devils routed conference opponent Washington & Lee, 26–8. They also scored victories against powerhouses, beating Navy
Navy Midshipmen men's lacrosse
The Navy Midshipmen men's lacrosse team represents the United States Naval Academy in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse. Navy currently competes as a member of the Patriot League and play their home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland...
, 17–6, and Johns Hopkins, 9–7. The lone loss was by a one-goal margin and came against eventual national champion, Virginia
Virginia Cavaliers men's lacrosse
The Virginia Cavaliers men's lacrosse team represents the University of Virginia in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's lacrosse...
. All told, Duke finished the season with a 6–1 record and as runners-up to Virginia for the national title.
The newly-formed Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) sanctioned lacrosse in 1954, and Duke captured the league's first title after posting a 7–1–1 season. Starting the following year however, the Blue Devils entered a twelve-year slump where they compiled a combined 17–67 record with no winning seasons. In 1967, Roy Skinner and Bruce Corrie took over as co-head coaches and immediately reversed the teams fortunes, posting a 7–4 record that season and finishing second in the ACC. In 1971, Corrie became the sole coach after Skinner retired.
Mike Pressler
Mike Pressler
Mike Pressler is an American lacrosse coach. He is currently the head coach of the Bryant University Bulldogs as well as the 2010 United States national lacrosse team. He served as the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils for 16 seasons until he was fired during the 2006 Duke University lacrosse...
was hired as head coach in 1991, and the following season Duke made its first NCAA tournament
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....
appearance. In 1994, the Blue Devils posted their first tournament win, which was also their first victory against Maryland in Durham since 1954. They were then edged, 12–11, in the quarterfinals by Syracuse
Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse
The Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team represents Syracuse University in NCAA Division I men's college lacrosse. The Orange have won 10 NCAA championship titles, and currently competes as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference men's lacrosse conference...
. The next year, Duke won its first ACC tournament, and in the process became the first number-four seed to do so. Two years later, they advanced to the Final Four. Duke won consecutive ACC tournaments in 2001 and 2002, advanced to the 2005 NCAA final before losing to Johns Hopkins, 9–8. The 2006 season was cut short when several Duke players were falsely accused of rape. As a result of the incident, Duke forced Pressler to resign as head coach, and the NCAA granted the players an extra season of eligibility.NCAA grants Duke's request for fifth year of lacrosse eligibility, USA Today, May 30, 2007.
John Danowski
John Danowski
John Danowski is an American lacrosse coach who has been the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils men's lacrosse team since the 2007 season. Previously, he had spent 21 seasons as the head coach at Hofstra...
replaced Pressler, and in his first season in 2007, he led the Blue Devils to the ACC championship and return to the NCAA title game. Duke again lost to Johns Hopkins by one goal, 12–11. In 2010, Duke returned to the final, where it defeated Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's lacrosse
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish men's lacrosse team represents the University of Notre Dame in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I men's college lacrosse...
, 6–5 in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
, to capture its first NCAA championship.