University of Massachusets Athletics
Men's Lacrosse To Celebrate 1969, '89 Seasons On Saturday
April 16, 2019 | Men's Lacrosse
UMass recognizes NCAA participants on 50- and 30-year anniversaries, respectively
AMHERST, Mass. - The University of Massachusetts men's lacrosse program will recognize a pair of former teams on the anniversary of their respective seasons on Saturday in the 1969 and 1989 squads. Returning members of both teams will be invited onto Garber Field at halftime of Saturday's game against Fairfield for recognition of each team's successes.
The 1969 team earned the program's only undefeated season when it finished 10-0 overall, tallied the No. 18 national ranking and won the program's second all-time New England Championship as a result. Dominant on both ends of the field, the 1969 squad scored 157 goals (15.7 per game) and only allowed 32 on the year (3.2).
Captained by Steve Connolly, Kevin O'Connor and Thomas Tufts, the 1969 team only gave up more than four tallies in one game and won seven of its 10 contests by 14 or more goals. At the conclusion of the season, Connolly, leading scorer Tom Malone, O'Connor and Tufts earned USILA All-America recognition.
In 1989, UMass finished 13-3 overall, reached the NCAA Quarterfinals for the second time in program history, won the New England Championship and finished ranked No. 8 in the nation. The squad rattled off nine consecutive wins during the regular season, and its two regular season losses came against top-five ranked teams by one goal each.
Led by co-captains Sal LoCascio and Chris Zusi, Massachusetts avenged one of its two regular season loses during the NCAA Tournament as UMass downed No. 9 Cornell, 16-7 in the first round for the team's second-ever NCAA Tournament win. LoCascio, then a senior, won his fourth consecutive all-America award at the end of the year while Scott Hiller, Jim McAleavey and Tim Soudan also collected USILA All-America.
Hall of Fame former head coach Richard F. Garber guided the 1969 and 1989 teams, then in his 15th and 35th seasons respectively, as the UMass men's lacrosse head coach.
Follow Massachusetts men's lacrosse on Twitter (@UMassMLacrosse), Instagram (@UMassMLAX) and Facebook (/UMassMensLacrosse).
The 1969 team earned the program's only undefeated season when it finished 10-0 overall, tallied the No. 18 national ranking and won the program's second all-time New England Championship as a result. Dominant on both ends of the field, the 1969 squad scored 157 goals (15.7 per game) and only allowed 32 on the year (3.2).
Captained by Steve Connolly, Kevin O'Connor and Thomas Tufts, the 1969 team only gave up more than four tallies in one game and won seven of its 10 contests by 14 or more goals. At the conclusion of the season, Connolly, leading scorer Tom Malone, O'Connor and Tufts earned USILA All-America recognition.
In 1989, UMass finished 13-3 overall, reached the NCAA Quarterfinals for the second time in program history, won the New England Championship and finished ranked No. 8 in the nation. The squad rattled off nine consecutive wins during the regular season, and its two regular season losses came against top-five ranked teams by one goal each.
Led by co-captains Sal LoCascio and Chris Zusi, Massachusetts avenged one of its two regular season loses during the NCAA Tournament as UMass downed No. 9 Cornell, 16-7 in the first round for the team's second-ever NCAA Tournament win. LoCascio, then a senior, won his fourth consecutive all-America award at the end of the year while Scott Hiller, Jim McAleavey and Tim Soudan also collected USILA All-America.
Hall of Fame former head coach Richard F. Garber guided the 1969 and 1989 teams, then in his 15th and 35th seasons respectively, as the UMass men's lacrosse head coach.
Follow Massachusetts men's lacrosse on Twitter (@UMassMLacrosse), Instagram (@UMassMLAX) and Facebook (/UMassMensLacrosse).
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