Slippery Rock University lacrosse alumni returned to campus Oct. 24 for an alumni game, reconnecting former players with a program that dates back to 1975.
The history of Slippery Rock lacrosse began when posters were placed around campus looking for students interested in starting a men’s lacrosse club. The first meeting, organized by Russell “The Doc” Whaley and led by graduate students Tom Silvanic and Tony Policar, brought about 40 students together.
According to alumnus Mike Brown, only about half a dozen students at the first meeting had previous lacrosse experience. The group began practicing in early 1976 in Morrow Field House, training from 10 a.m. to noon.
Early practices were not always easy. Silvanic and Policar led the sessions, which included wrestling drills and military-style exercises. As the weather warmed up, the team moved outside to an area below the stadium.
The club also faced a shortage of equipment during its first season. Brown recalled that some players wore football helmets because there were not enough lacrosse helmets for the team.
Despite those challenges, the club played a demanding schedule in 1976 against college varsity programs and other club teams, including Ohio State University, Ohio Wesleyan and Penn State University.
The program continued to improve when coaches Bob Deegan and B.J. O’Hara joined the team in fall 1976. Their coaching helped turn the club into a strong competitor in Western Pennsylvania over the following years.
Whaley, who helped establish the club, also returned to The Rock for this year’s alumni game, according to Brown.
The Oct. 24 gathering brought the program’s history back to campus, connecting alumni to the university where the club began with a group of students looking to learn the sport and build a team.
More than 50 years after that first meeting, the alumni game marked another occasion for former players to return to Slippery Rock and reconnect with the lacrosse program.
