Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/9/15
Tickets are now on sale for the 2015 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, hosted by US Lacrosse on Saturday, October 24 at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Maryland. Tickets can be purchased online only at uslacrosse.org/HOF.
This year’s Hall of Fame Ceremony, presented by RPS Bollinger and the Markel Insurance Company, features nine inductees as the Class of 2015. The inductees are: Jake Curran, Dom Fin, Diane Geppi-Aikens (posthumous), Bob Hartranft, Julie Hull Elicker (Great Valley grad), Charlie Lockwood, Sarah Nelson, Maggie Vaughan and Brian Voelker (Drexel men’s coach, former Penn coach).
Induction ceremony tickets are offered at two pricing levels. General admission tickets are $140. Tickets for current National Lacrosse Hall of Fame members are $50. All tickets must be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the door. All tickets include open bar, hors d’oeuvres, buffet dinner and dessert buffet.
Bios
Brian Voelker
Drexel coach and former Penn coach Brian Voelker will be inducted as a truly great player. Voelker was a three-time All-American as a defenseman at Johns Hopkins University, earning third team status in 1989 and 1990, and first team honors as a senior in 1991. He was also selected to play in the North-South All-Star Game in 1991. As a professional, Voelker played seven indoor seasons with the Philadelphia Wings, winning three championships, and then played two seasons in Major League Lacrosse, adding another championship with the Long Island Lizards in 2003. Voelker helped the U.S. National Team to the gold medal in both 1994 and 1998. He was selected to the 1998 All-World Team and also chosen as the World’s Best Defenseman following the 1998 World Games.
Jake Curran
Curran will be inducted as a truly great contributor. For 40 years, Curran was recognized as one of the top officials in boys’ and men’s lacrosse. Based in Syracuse, he served as a high school and college official from 1964-2004, and worked five NCAA men’s championship games. Curran also officiated on the international level for 30 years, working in numerous World Championships, Canadian Championships and European Championships. He was one of the founding members of the International Federation of Lacrosse’s (now FIL) Referees Association, and served as the group’s first president. Curran was also referee-in-chief for three FIL World Championships. Curran has been the recipient of numerous awards, including both the Silver Whistle Award and Gold Whistle Award in New York, and the USILA’s Frenchy Julien Service Award.
Dom Fin
Fin will be inducted as a truly great player. Following an outstanding prep career at Yorktown (N.Y.) High School, Fin became a three-time first team All-American as a midfielder at Syracuse University, earning the honor in 1992, 1993 and 1994. He was selected as the winner of the USILA’s McLaughlin Award as the national midfielder of the year as a senior in 1994, and was also named MVP of the USILA’s North-South All-Star Game that season. Fin helped lead Syracuse to the 1993 NCAA title, and served as a team captain in 1994 in leading the Orange to the NCAA semifinals. Fin was previously inducted to the US Lacrosse Hudson Valley Chapter Hall of Fame in 1999.
Diane Geppi-Aikens
Geppi-Aikens will be inducted posthumously as a truly great coach. She served as head coach at her alma mater, Loyola University Maryland (formerly Loyola College) from 1989-2003, where she amassed a record of 197-71, with 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. Geppi-Aikens was selected as the IWLCA’s Division I coach of the year three times, winning the honor in 1996, 1997 and 2003. She also produced 29 All-American players during her tenure. Geppi-Aikens served as a member of the NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Committee from 1995-99, and was chairperson of the committee for two years. She received the Tewaaraton Lifetime Recognition Award in 2001, and both the NCAA’s Inspiration Award and the ECAC’s Award of Valor in 2003. Geppi-Aikens has previously been inducted to two other halls of fame. She passed away in 2003.
Bob Hartranft
Hartranft will be inducted as a truly great coach. Still active, he recently completed his 47th season as head coach at Farmingdale (N.Y.) High School. Through the 2015 season, Hartranft has 694 wins, ranking third all-time among boys’ high school coaches. Hartranft led Farmingdale to the New York state championship in 2011, and also finished as state runner-up in 1978 and 2003. His teams have captured 13 Nassau County championships and made 41 consecutive playoff appearances. He has been selected as the conference coach of the year 10 times, and tabbed as the Nassau County coach of the year twice. In addition, Hartranft served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s Under-19 National Team in 1992 and led Team USA to the world championship. He was named winner of the US Lacrosse Gerry Carroll Award as the national coach of the year in 2013.
Julie Hull Elicker
Elicker will be inducted as a truly great player. After a four-year career at James Madison University, where she served as a team captain and led the Dukes to a conference championship, Elicker became a member of the U.S. National Team program from 1981-86. She competed as a member of Team USA at the 1982 and 1986 World Cups, helping to capture the gold medal in 1982. She also served as a team captain for the 1986 squad that finished in second place to Australia. Elicker competed for 10 years as a post-collegiate club player, and was recipient of the Beth Allen Award in 1985 as the most outstanding U.S. team player at the US Lacrosse Women’s National Tournament.
Charlie Lockwood
Lockwood will be inducted as a truly great player. A high school All-American who won a state championship at West Genesee (N.Y.) High School in 1990, Lockwood became a four-time collegiate All-American as a midfielder at Syracuse University, earning first team honors in 1992, second team honors in 1993 and 1994, and third team status in 1991. Additionally, he was selected to the All-NCAA Tournament team in both 1992 and 1993. Along with fellow inductee Dom Fin, Lockwood helped lead Syracuse to the 1993 NCAA title. He also played in the USILA’s North-South All-Star Game as a senior in 1994. Lockwood was a two-time member of the U.S. Men’s National Team and helped lead Team USA to the gold medal at the 1994 and 1998 world championships. As a post-collegiate player, he competed as a member of the Reebok Lacrosse Club for three seasons and earned All-Club honors in 1996 and 1997.
Sarah Nelson
Nelson will be inducted as a truly great player. Nelson was a two-time collegiate All-American as a midfielder at Harvard University, earning second team honors in both 1992 and 1994. She helped to lead Harvard to the Ivy League championship in both 1991 and 1992, and received All-Ivy League recognition in 1992 and 1994. Nelson was also selected for the North-South All-Star Game following her senior season in 1994. Nelson was a three-time member of U.S. World Cup Team, helping Team USA to capture the world championship in both 1997 and 2001, and place second in 2005. All told, she was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team program for 11 years. Nelson was the recipient of US Lacrosse’s Beth Allen Award in 2002 as the most outstanding U.S. team player at the Women’s National Tournament.
Maggie Vaughan
Vaughan will be inducted as a truly great player. Similar to Nelson, Vaughan enjoyed an All-American career as a collegiate player at Harvard University. She was a two-time All-American as a defender, earning first team honors in 1989 and 1990. Vaughan helped lead Harvard to its first NCAA title in 1990 as the Crimson defeated Maryland in the national championship game. In addition to earning All-Ivy League honors four times, she was the Ivy League’s rookie of the year as a freshman in 1987 and the Ivy League’s player of the year as a senior in 1990. Vaughan was also the recipient of an NCAA post-graduate scholarship in 1990. She was a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team program for seven years, and helped lead Team USA to the gold medal as a member of the World Cup team in both 1993 and 1997.