UW Lacrosse History

In the fall of 1971, the first lacrosse club in the Seattle area, the University of Washington Lacrosse Club, was founded by five UW graduate students and one UW Medical Intern: Mike Held, John Steiger, Ken Burkhardt, John Taylor, Bob Heaton, and Dave Reichgott. A few saw the others throwing a ball around behind the IMA, and within a day all six were out there whipping the ball around and making plans for a team. The first days of practice took place on what is now the southwest corner of today's UW lacrosse field.

Piecing together a full team with rookies, the first games were a fall scrimmage game with the University of Oregon in Eugene (won by UO), and a spring '72 trip to the San Francisco area. After losses to Stanford and San Francisco LC, UW's first victory came over Marin Lacrosse Club, 4-2. UW played the 1972 season including a tournament with Brigham Young, Oregon, and Portland Lacrosse Club (won by BYU), and then a home-and-away series with UO and PLC. UW finished 3-6 including the victory over Marin, and two wins over Portland. The big guns on offense were Burkhardt, Heaton, and Steiger, with Held anchoring the team in goal. Mike Held was the club's organizer, its first coach, goalie, equipment baron, recruiter, and promoter. Dave Reichgott was assistant coach, and a referee along with Mike.

By the spring of 1973 there were enough players for a second team, and there was a need for a team for players who were not affiliated with UW. Seattle Lacrosse Club was founded in March of 1973 by Held, Steiger, and Reichgott. UW was strengthened by goalie Andy Markoe and midfield powers Rocky Goodhope and John Verrilli. A four-team league, the Pacific Northwest Lacrosse Association was organized, consisting of Seattle Lacrosse Club, UW, UO, and Portland Lacrosse Club. John Steiger became the first commissioner of the PNLA, and a five-team tournament was held in Seattle, again won by BYU. By '75 UWLC had grown to the point that two teams were fielded by UW in the PNLA.

These early years featured intense competition among UWLC, SLC, and UO, with each club claiming a PNLA championship in the first seasons: UO in '73, SLC in '74 and '76, and UW "Purple" and SLC co-champions in '75. A high-point of the '75 season was playing a home-and-away series against the Western Canadian national team using a Seattle-area all-star team (and losing 23-2 and 25-3). The league continued to grow, and added teams at Boeing and Western Washington.