Syracuse, N.Y. —February 20, 2022 is set to be a big day to celebrate the history of Syracuse lacrosse.
Legendary Syracuse men’s lacrosse coach Roy Simmons Jr. will be inducted into the Syracuse University Athletics Ring of Honor at the Carrier Dome on that date.
In addition, current Syracuse men’s head coach Gary Gait and former SU women’s star Katie Rowan will have their jerseys retired on Feb. 20. Gait and Rowan’s jersey ceremonies were announced previously by SU.
Simmons Jr. became the first coach in NCAA Division I history to win five National Championships and ranks second all-time with six national titles. He is a member of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and was awarded the 2009 Spirit of Tewaaraton Award. SU’s record was 290-96 during a Simmons’ tenure that stretched from 1971–1998.
Simmons Jr., now 86, will join five others in the Ring of Honor, which currently consists of SU men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim (1966, G ‘73), football legends Jim Brown (’57) and Ernie Davis (’62) and former men’s basketball player Dwayne ‘Pearl’ Washington (’98).
Gait, who played for Simmons from 1987-1990, was a four-time All-American at Syracuse and is widely considered to be the greatest lacrosse player to play the game. He and his twin brother, Paul, revolutionized the sport, bringing a sense of style and excitement to the game that had never been seen before.
Syracuse won three-straight NCAA titles (1988-90), and posted two undefeated seasons (1988, 1990). He holds the Orange record for career goals with 192 and single-season goals with 70.
After serving as Syracuse women’s lacrosse coach for 14 years, Gait took over as head coach of the Orange men’s program this year. 2022 will be his first season as head coach. He replaces John Desko, who coached the Orange to five national titles as head coach. Desko retired as head coach in June.
Rowan is one of the most decorated players in program history. She is Syracuse’s all-time leading scorer and ranks among the top scorers in the history of the sport. She is ninth on the NCAA Division I career record list for points (396) and 11th in assists (164).
Rowan also found success on the international stage, helping Team USA win the 2009 and 2013 FIL World Cup. She earned All-World honors in 2013 and still holds the Team USA single-game record for goals (8) and career records for points (69) and assists (35).
In addition to the Ring of Honor and jersey ceremonies, Syracuse men’s and women’s lacrosse will play a double-header at the Dome on Feb.20.
Opponents have not been announced.
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