Syracuse, N.Y. — Three former Syracuse greats will be inducted into the Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame’s inaugural class, it was announced Tuesday.
Gary Gait, Casey Powell and Pat McCabe help headline the class, which honors top players who have suited up during the first 15 years of two of the primary pro leagues, Major League Lacrosse and the Pro Lacrosse League.
It adds to the long list of accolades for Gait ahead of a weekend in which he will earn another. The Syracuse coach will be the first men’s lacrosse player to have his jersey retired by the school.
Prior to returning to his alma mater to coach the SU women’s team, Gait spent four seasons as player-coach of the Baltimore Bayhawks, winning championships in 2002 and 2005.
He launched his MLL career a decade after his record-setting college career came to end, picking up where he left off by scoring 30 goals and winning the league’s first championship with Long Island.
In his final season, he scored a league-leading 43 goals and 64 points in an MVP year with former SU greats Tom Marechek and Mike Powell joining him on the attack line.
Casey Powell is the only player to register 60-point seasons in two different decades, winning the MLL’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2005 and 2014, when he scored 30 goals and assisted on 33 more for the Florida Launch.
Powell won three MLL titles and ranks fourth all time in points.
McCabe’s defensive prowess is usually compared to just one other defenseman in the sport: Dave Pietramala, the former Johns Hopkins coach who is now Gait’s defensive coordinator in Syracuse.
McCabe won two titles in three years with Long Island.
All three players have previously been inducted into the United States Lacrosse National Hall of Fame, with Gait and Powell also included in the National Lacrosse League Hall of Fame.
Gait serves on the Pro Lacrosse Hall of Fame’s committee, which selected three attack, three midfielders, three defensemen and a goalie and a specialist for the first class.
Players who had a five-year career in the PLL or MLL and who have been retired for at least three years were eligible.
Contact Nate Mink anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-430-8253
MORE ORANGE LACROSSE
Syracuse lacrosse moves into the Top 10, and No. 1 Maryland is coming up
Megan Carney scores 4 goals in 2nd game back from ACL injury: ‘She played fearless today’
Gary Gait’s coaching debut delivered a vintage win, and Roy Simmons Jr. was there to see it
Syracuse men’s lacrosse blows out Holy Cross, 28-5 in Gary Gait’s coaching debut
Ad Choices