How it all got started.....The Origins of Roanoke College Lacrosse
On October 30, 1965, during the half-time of a soccer game between Roanoke and Mount Saint Mary’s College, the newly formed “lacrosse club” played an exhibition intra squad game. It was parent’s weekend so the crowd was large and spirited. Leading up to the exhibition, the “club” practiced five days a week to show that they have the desire to become a varsity college team. A great deal of credit goes to John Chase and Kim Bramley, who were in charge of the practices along with player/manager Charlie Cipolla.
So began the story of lacrosse at Roanoke. However, first we must look to the spring of 1964 and 1965, when a group of dedicated individuals started to plot a course to bring lacrosse to the college.
As reported in the February 12, 1965 issue of the Brackety-Ack: “After 3 years of promotion, a lacrosse team is finally being established on the Roanoke College Campus. Grants from the National Lacrosse Association (NLA) and generous donations brought in by Doug Smith (’65) and Terry Smith (’67) from sources outside the college, has made it possible for the establishment of a team.” Terry Smith recalls that he and Doug Smith (no relation) called on many of the local Salem businesses to secure funding for the program because the NLA required matching funds. Due to their efforts $1,000 was raised from local businesses, which the NLA matched and much needed uniforms were purchased. Participants still had to purchase their own sticks, shoes, gloves and pads. Doug Smith, who played lacrosse for his high school in Huntington, New York, tried as a college freshman to organize a team at RC, but it wasn’t until the Spring of 1964, his junior year, that a “lacrosse club” was formed. Doug served as a co-captain and player-coach, along with Terry Smith (Garden City, NY) as the other co-captain for the club during the 1965 season. In May 1965, the “club” defeated a visiting Washington and Lee J.V., 5-3! Thanks to the experienced play by Charlie Cipolla, Dick Sears, Kim Bramley, Dan Stone, Terry Smith, Todd Mahoney, Bill Carlisle, Ron Voss, David Hume, Don Pyles, Gary Trageser, Jim Cheston and others, the “club” made a successful debut.
In the March 24, 1966 edition of the Roanoke City daily newspaper, “The Times Register” reported: “Still in embryo, but never the less developing, lacrosse has begun at Roanoke College, hopefully to grow to a varsity sport”. On that day, the team now led by Coach Andy Moson (who was the college’s soccer coach and agreed to be the lacrosse coach as the team needed a faculty representative) along with team captains, Charlie Cipolla (Baltimore. Md.) and Terry Smith (Garden City, N.Y.) played visiting Swarthmore to a home loss of 10-16. March 1966 edition of the Brackety-Ack: “ From the way practices are going, it looks like it will be a successful one. So girls, if you happen to see a band of brutes walking across campus carrying sticks and wearing a cage around their head, don’t become alarmed and call the campus police, it’s just the lacrosse team.”
In the Winter 1966 edition of the Roanoke College Bulletin: “Skullbashers” win out –new varsity sport is in! In the spring of 1967, the dream of being a varsity team has been realized.”
Thanks to the players of the 1960’s whose perseverance and dedication to the game of lacrosse, Roanoke athletics was changed forever.
As we now know, just ten years late the Maroons defeated, heavily favored, Hobart College (14-13) to become the 1978 NCAA DIII Men’s Lacrosse Champions! From playing catch in the Quad to a National Championship - what a story!!!
Terry L. Purvis ‘69
Doug Smith ‘65
Terry Smith ‘67
RC Lax video: Founding History – Take 1 - on YouTube: https://youtu.be/savnyiQErgk
RC Lax video: Founding History – Take 2 – on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wvOUp2Zzp1A
RC Lax photos: The Early Years
RC Lax Alumni: 1965-1972
